The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
David Fink
Thesis
Through the elements and uses of the the text structure in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," readers gain a clear understanding of the charcter Walter Mitty and and how he changes throughout the story.
Claim 1
Firstly, Walter Mitty is an extremely passive person. He is pushed around by multiple characters in the story, such as his wife and the parking-lot attendant. Moreover, as he is being pushed around by these people, he does not defend himself.
Claim 2
Secondly, through the plot of the story, readers learn that people find Walter Mitty to be odd. The garage-man found Walter Mitty to be odd because he could not take the chains off of the tires of his car. Also, a passing woman laughed and made fun of Mitty when he said "Puppy Buscuit" out loud.
Claim 3
Lastly, Walter Mitty gains conifdence throughout the story. In the beginning, everyone around him pushed him around, and he allowed it. However in the end, he says "Has it ever ocurred to you that I am sometimes thinking?" as he is talking back to his wife and finally sticking up for himself.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the text structure in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" allows readers to gain a clear insight on Walter Mitty's characterization.