Ms. ZaytsevEnglish

9/12/13

Objectives: Review the definition of theme in literatureTo identify and analyze themes in the short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”

Do Now: Reading quiz

James Thurber (the author of “The Secret Life…”

• James Thurber is most famous as a cartoonist and wrote for The New Yorker in the 1930s and 40s.

• Published “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” in the New Yorker in March of 1939.

• It tells the story of an aging man who, though inept and bumbling in real life, passes his day with a series of fantasies in which he takes on the role of any number of powerful, bold, decisive men.

• The story has become an American classic, and Mitty a famous literary character. The word “Mittyesque” can even be found in the American Heritage Dictionary. (It refers to someone who is an absent-minded dreamer.)

Theme – an idea, subject, or topic

• Timeless• Universal

Themes are not clearly stated.Themes are implied.Themes are bigger than the story.

Is this a theme?

• Mister Hooper believes we all have something to hide• Friendship• Russia’s turbulent history• Dishonesty

1. Complete Literary Analysis Worksheet

2. If time allows, begin working on homework

Identify these literary elements in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” using evidence from the text

• Symbol • Theme• Climax***In your notebooks you can set up a chart

such as this:

Literary Element Sample from story Evidence from TextSymbol