In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” James Thurber exhibits a superb example of the use of the limited omniscient point of view. The contrast of Mitty's thoughts, his daydreaming, with his humdrum everyday life creates the humor and irony of this story; without this contrast, the story would have no meaning. As well, Thurber creates a connection between the narrative voice and the language of that voice; the point of view makes that connection.
Although I did not use this method in my own piece, I found Thurber’s use of contrast throughout the piece to be very effective. While reading, I would sometimes forget that it was simply one of Walter Mitty’s daydreams. I would feel as though I was reading about someone who was actually in that situation, “He began fingering delicately a row of glistening dials. ‘Give me a fountain pen!’ he snapped. Someone handed him a fountain pen. He pulled a faulty piston out of the machine and inserted the pen in its place. ‘That will hold for ten minutes,’ he said. ‘Get on with the operation.’” The reader is reintroduced to his real life in a manner that really underlines the pathetic vibe of his everyday life. When Mitty is daydreaming that, “The District Attorney struck at her savagely. Without rising from his chair, Mitty let the man have it on the point of the chin. ‘You miserable cur!’” he is brought back to his real life when he remembers the “puppy biscuit.” The puppy biscuit is the other item that he was supposed to buy for his wife. His wife, who keeps a watchful eye on him, dominates Mitty’s real life, “You’re not a young man any longer,” she tells him when he complains about getting “over shoes.”
The narrative voice of the story is connected to the language of that voice through the point of view. One example that makes it obvious to see this link is the repetition of “pocketa-pocketa-pocketa,” throughout Mitty’s daydreams. We first hear this sound in reference to the "Navy hydroplane" that Mitty steers through a violent storm; he imagines it's the "pounding of the cylinders". Later, in Walter's fantasy surgery, the "new anesthetizer" gives way and makes the same sound. Finally, when Mitty imagines himself a British pilot, flame-throwers make the same noise. The sound provides a solid link between the real world and Mitty’s fantasies, as well as a common link between his multiple fantasies. It is one of the many comic elements of the story – the same funny sound cropping up over and over again – and it lends a tangible, permanent element to Mitty's various fantasies. The story is told from Mitty’s perspective and it allows the reader to see why he finds himself in the situations that he does. His own life lacks the adventurous aspects that he is unable to attain in his own life. Therefore, he is forced to only daydream about them, unable to put them into action. He can barely remember what he is supposed to buy, let alone perform a life or death surgery. This perspective allows the reader to think, and really grasp the character of Walter Mitty, categorizing him as a “dreamer” instead of a “doer.”
In conclusion, the contrast of Walter Mitty’s thoughts with his actual life, creates a different and interesting element to the piece. As well, the narrative voice provides an understanding of character that would otherwise be lost.
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