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Teaching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

James Thurber is one of America's best known humorists, and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is his best known story. The story was first published in 1939 in the New Yorker magazine to great acclaim. The story's main character is a middle-aged, middle-class man who escapes from the routine drudgery of his suburban life into fantasies of heroic conquest. Upon the story's publication, Walter Mitty became an archetypal American figure. Today, people still describe a certain kind of neurotic, daydreaming man as a "Walter Mitty type."

James Thurber
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” from My World And Welcome To It by James Thurber. Copyright ©1942 by Rosemary A.Thurber. Reprinted by arrangement with Rosemary A. Thurber and The Barbara Hogenson Agency, Inc. All rights reserved. www.ThurberHouse.org

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

How does Walter's view of reality impact his actions and relationships?
STANDARDS:
RL.3 - Characters & Plot, RL.4 - Key Terms & Tone

DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE (DOK) LEVELS:

2,3
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