In James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” the character Walter Mitty dreams of being a hero, and this contrast in characterization in real life reveals how unhappy he is with his dull and cowardly existence. Mitty’s life is monotonous, spent doing what his wife tells him to do. Mitty waits for his wife’s hair appointment to end when he realizes she will be done soon. He knows he has to get back to the hotel to meet his wife because “she didn’t like to get to the hotel first; she would want him to be there waiting for her as usual” (Thurber 27). Mitty has no backbone, and he cannot even stand up to his wife when she pushes him around all the time. Thurber uses words like “as usual” to show that Mitty is used to his routine, but…
