Recently I read the short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber. It’s about a quirky man named Walter who fantasizes about being younger and braver. He thinks about being undefeated and pictures himself in various positions. He is always superior in the end, though not always for the same reason. In his first fantasies, his status is the most obvious, while towards the end, his fantasies are related to what’s happening around him and only briefly allude to his superiority. Walter’s real life is dull. He is forgetful, not alert, and he needs his wife to remind him of everything. He daydreams about being exceptionally good at almost everything and able to conquer any challenges. He can face death without fear; he is youthful and well-respected. In real life, he isn’t considered particularly highly in the eyes of the other members of society and can’t even back out when he accidentally drives into the wrong lane; in his daydreams, he can do almost anything. I thought it was a very funny and engaging story and really enjoyed reading it. There’s no deeper meaning to the story (that I know of, of course), making it good reading material for all ages. I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a quick source of refreshment and would rate it an 8.5/10.
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