The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Group

Question:

delia-345
delia-345
Student
College - Sophomore

What symbols are used by the author in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?

just tell me if there is flash forward symbolism or flash back.

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Posted by delia-345 on Monday August 31, 2009 at 12:57 AM and tagged with symbols.

Answers:

  1. kiwi
    kiwi Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    There seem to be two questions here. The key symbols I would see as the gloves and the sling.

    Mitty is told he should be wearing his driving gloves and dutifully dons them at her acidic request. However, he removes them once she leaves the car- asserting his own masculinity and ability to choose. Sadly he 'hastily' pulls them back on after being reprimanded by a policeman for driving too slowly. However, he 'slowly' removes them again when he becomes Dr Mitty, the eminent surgeon.

    The gloves represent his power and the fluctuations in his control. Similarly his fantasies around the sling serve a comparable purpose.

    Mitty's visions are neither flash forward or flash back: they appear to be a parallel reality where Mitty has all of the qualities he does not possess in real life. In his imagination he is respected, decisive, admired and powerful. In reality he is henpecked, bumbling and incompetent.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/secret-life

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    Posted by kiwi on Thursday September 3, 2009 at 11:02 PM