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the secret life of walter mitty book

Author

Andrew Henderson

Updated on June 12, 2026

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” tells the story of the aging Walter Mitty on a trip into town with his overbearing wife, Mrs. Mitty. Walter is inept at many things; he is an absent-minded driver, he can’t handle simple mechanical tasks, and he forgets things easily. What makes Walter exceptional is his imagination.

Is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty based on a book?

Walter Jackson Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber’s first short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, first published in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and in book form in My World—and Welcome to It in 1942. Thurber loosely based the character, a daydreamer, on his friend Walter Mithoff.

How long is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty book?

The average reader will spend 2 hours and 8 minutes reading this book at 250 WPM (words per minute). How quickly can you read this book? To find your reading speed you can take one of our WPM tests.

What is Walter doing at the end of the story and why?

Just as he is about to achieve his fantasy destiny, he is always pulled back into real life, usually because of an incident resulting from his own distraction. At the end of the story, he envisions himself fearlessly facing death at the hands of a firing squad.

What is Walter Mitty’s fourth daydream?

Mitty’s fourth daydream comes as he waits for his wife and picks up an old copy of Liberty, reading “Can Germany Conquer the World Through the Air?”, and envisions himself fighting Germany while volunteering to pilot a plane normally piloted by two people.

Is Secret Life of Walter Mitty a remake?

Spielberg was interested in directing Carrey in the film, but the conversation took a turn when Carrey brought up The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a remake of the 1947 movie that John Goldwyn’s grandfather, Samuel Goldwyn, had produced.

What condition did Walter Mitty have?

It’s hinted that Mitty may not be enjoying playful escapism but suffering from an uncontrollable urge to disassociate from his life, his responsibilities, and his relationships. Today, psychologists are researching whether such a Mittyesque existence may be the result of a new disorder known as maladaptive daydreaming.

Did Ben Stiller do the skateboarding in Walter Mitty?

In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller plays a mild-mannered desk lackey who finds himself on a quest around the world. At one point, the adventure sends him careening down a mountain on a skateboard. Stiller (who also directed the film) says yes, he took on the stunt himself.

What is the ending of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?

Ultimately, the two diverge due to their endings: one is uplifting, while the other is Black Mirror levels of bleak. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ends with Mitty discovering the photograph in the last place he’d have thought to look – in a wallet that O’Connell gave to his mother (Shirley MacLaine).

What is the motto of Life magazine?

The motto of Life magazine is repeated aloud, written on countless walls and stamped onto Mitty’s wallet. It reads: “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel.

Where does Walter Mitty live?

Walter Mitty is a negative assets manager at Life magazine living alone in New York City. He chronically daydreams and has a secret crush on Cheryl Melhoff, a coworker.

What was negative 25 in Walter Mitty?

Negative #25 is an image that Sean intends for the final cover of LIFE called the “quintessence of life”. The image, to Walter’s dismay, is missing and his new boss, Ted Hendricks, is harassing him about negative 25 and his daydreaming.

Does Ruth get an abortion?

Though Ruth hates the idea of aborting her child, she feels it’s the best decision for her financially-strapped family. In the end, though, Ruth chooses to keep her child.

What does Mama’s plant symbolize?

The most overt symbol in the play, Mama’s plant represents both Mama’s care and her dream for her family. In her first appearance onstage, she moves directly toward the plant to take care of it.