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Comparing The Secret Life Of Walter Mity And The Story Of An Hour

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The analysis of literary techniques allows for connections. In the short stories, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber and The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin, the protagonists Walter Mitty and Louise Mallard are trapped in a marriage that does not allow them to express their true identities. While Walter realizes this throughout the story and has daydreams to escape his unsatisfied life, Mrs. Mallard has a cathartic moment when she realizes the freedom she would have after her husband’s death. Connections between the short stories can be made by considering the protagonists' common character traits and the development of their characters. Viewing Walter and Mrs.Mallard through a psychoanalytic lens reveals a theme of oppression. …show more content…

In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter’s mental state is implied by a storm. As a commander, he states, “We’re going through!”. This represents his desire to escape the troubles of his marriage. Furthermore, Thurber describes Walter when stating, “The Commander’s voice was like thin ice breaking. He wore his full dress uniform, with a heavily braided white cap pulled down rakishly over one cold grey eye” (Thurber, 1). Walter’s association with thin ice, and cold and grey may lead the reader to infer that he is uncaring. In contrast, “The Story of an Hour” uses the spring season to parallel with Mrs. Mallard’s new life and rebirth that she anticipates with excitement. An example of this is when the narrator describes, “the tips of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life” (Chopin, 1). This represents Mallard’s initial feeling of freedom. Mallard had a revelation that there were better days to come. This is represented by the disappearing clouds and the appearing blue sky. Mrs. Mallard is overjoyed by this realization and repeats “over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” (Chopin, …show more content…

Situational irony is also evident in both stories. Walter’s mundane life contrasts with his adventurous daydreams as his real life of weakness contrasts with his daydreams of dominance. The most ironic conclusion is witnessed in The Story of an Hour when Mrs. Mallard dies, just as she is about to live an autonomous life. The concluding sentence states, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease - of joy that kills.” (Chopin, 3). Ending the story with this pun leaves the reader to question if the joy she died from was from seeing her husband or a way to escape the life she did not want to

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