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Identity In The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

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Understanding individual identity is often reflected by commitment towards personal beliefs. These beliefs allow individuals to develop and better understand their identity but often are kept concealed due to circumstances of the past or present. In Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the protagonist’s life is routine and lacks vibrancy. Eventually, an arduous adventure spurs past aspirations and present commitments forwards. Through this film, Stiller demonstrates the importance for humans to integrate personal beliefs into everyday life while staying pragmatic, and maintaining balance in order to develop and understand identity through adversity. Walter Mitty begins as a one-sided character lacking the qualities which protagonists generally possess. His monotone personality is depicted in the dull, monochromatic colour palette of his surroundings. This portrayal is highlighted through the application of similarly bland colours to Walter’s clothing which distinctly blend with the environment. Although his life remains static and invulnerable to change, which can be delineated from the linear characteristics of the opening camera shots; Walter portrays an element of …show more content…

Walter’s determination to discover the location of Sean O’Connell is diminished to yet another hopeless fantasy as he is fired from his job. Additionally, his commitment to Cheryl becomes obsolete after he comes face to face with her divorced husband. From this, Stiller suggests the cruciality of balancing personal commitments with life and failing to act in accordance with this results in losses for individuals. Even so, with the sacrifices made, Walter finds motivation in his mother’s words to continue looking for O’Connell. Stiller applies this to actively exhibit how failure should not confine a commitment towards an

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