James Thurber Questions and Answers
James Thurber
What are the themes in "University Days" by James Thurber?
The themes in James Thurber's "University Days" center around the critique of education and the apathy and ignorance of the students. The protagonist finds the education system inaccessible,...
James Thurber
What is the summary of James Thurber's The Owl in the Attic and Other Perplexities?
James Thurber's The Owl in the Attic and Other Perplexities is a 1931 collection of short fiction and humor, originally published in The New Yorker. It includes three parts: "Mr. and Mrs. Monroe,"...
James Thurber
Can you summarize and analyze James Thurber's short story "The Dog that Bit People"?
James Thurber's "The Dog that Bit People" humorously recounts life with an unruly dog named Muggs, who frequently bites people. The narrator's mother refuses to discipline Muggs, instead sending...
James Thurber
What are the themes in "The Greatest Man in the World" by James Thurber?
The themes in "The Greatest Man in the World" by James Thurber include the nature of heroism and appearances versus reality. Jack Smurch displays bravery and independence but lacks traditional heroic...
James Thurber
What is the moral of James Thurber's "The Unicorn in the Garden"?
The moral of "The Unicorn in the Garden" is "don’t count your chickens before they are hatched." The story illustrates this when the wife, assuming her husband is insane and will be...
James Thurber
Why do you think humor and sorrow go hand-in-hand, as suggested by Mark Twain?
Mark Twain suggests humor and sorrow go hand-in-hand because humor often serves as a relief from sorrow. Humor, particularly satire, highlights life's absurdities and inconsistencies, helping us cope...
James Thurber
Describe the characters' personalities in "The Unicorn in the Garden" by James Thurber.
The characters in "The Unicorn in the Garden" by James Thurber exhibit contrasting personalities. The wife is belligerent and dismissive, quickly labeling her husband as crazy when he mentions seeing...
James Thurber
Why isn't Jack Smurch a hero in "The Greatest Man in the World"?
If you're still interested, here's an answer. It's true that Jack Smurch has succeeded in flying solo over the Atlantic Ocean, something that no one has done before. But... He's hot-tempered,...
James Thurber
How does Thurber mock the educational system in "University Days"?
Thurber mocks the educational system in "University Days" by highlighting the incompetence and absurdities within it. He satirizes his botany professor's lack of empathy, the leniency towards...
James Thurber
What kind of person is Smurch in James Thurber's "The Greatest Man in the World"?
Always happy to answer a question about Thurber, one of my favorite authors. Jack "Pal" Smurch, the protagonist of "The Greatest Man in the World," is an assistant mechanic who has recently...
James Thurber
In "The Greatest Man in the World," what does the fall out of the window symbolize?
"[Jacky"] Smurch's fall out the window is symbolic of his fall from grace as national leaders and the media sought to be rid of this hero who lacked heroic qualities."
James Thurber
What point is James Thurber making in "My Secret World of Idiom"?
James Thurber's essays are all autobiographical, meaning he speaks about his own life. He uses subtle ironic humor to laugh at himself and his family of relatives as a representation of what he...
James Thurber
What are examples of dramatic, verbal, and situational irony in "The Catbird Seat"?
Erwin Martin manages to turn the tables on his nemesis in James Thurber's short story, "The Catbird Seat." Martin appears to have little chance of maintaining the status quo at F&S...
James Thurber
In "The Unicorn in the Garden," how did the wife's plot to send her husband to the asylum backfire?
A middle-aged husband and wife are on permanent bad terms and would like to be free of each other. The man comes into the house and tells his wife he has seen a unicorn in the garden. She seizes on...
James Thurber
What type of person was James Thurber?
One of America's most highly regarded humorists, James Thurber achieved much success as both a writer and a cartoonist. His humor was unique in that it was simultaneously funny and serious. ...
James Thurber
Can you provide two examples of James Thurber laughing at his foibles in "University Days"?
As God is my witness, I’ll arrange this glass [microscope] so that you see cells through it or I’ll give up teaching… James Thurber writes about his struggles to survive his college stint at Ohio...
James Thurber
What is the man vs. higher power conflict in "The Princess and the Thin Box"?
The short story, "The Princess and the Tin Box" the man vs. higher power conflict comes in the form of the princess’s choice. All of the princes brought wonderful, beautiful gifts, and we know as...
James Thurber
What was the botany teacher's attitude towards the narrator in James Thurber's work?
It's fair to say that the botany teacher is not very sympathetic towards the narrator. This, despite the fact that the narrator has incredibly bad eyesight and can't see down a microscope very...
James Thurber
How did James Thurber influence the modern era?
I don't know that Thurber really exerced that much influence over the society he lived in; his works were rather a reflection of it. Remember that he was both a writer and a cartoonist and his...