Walter Mitty
Encyclopedia
Walter Mitty is a fictional character
in James Thurber
's 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
. It was made into a film
in 1947.
Mitty is a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy
life: in a few dozen paragraphs he imagines himself a wartime pilot, an emergency-room surgeon, and a devil-may-care killer. The character's name has come into more general use to refer to an ineffectual dreamer, appearing in several dictionaries. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a Walter Mitty as "an ordinary, often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs". The most famous of Thurber's inept male protagonists, the character is considered "the archetype for dreamy, hapless, Thurber Man".
Although the story has humorous elements, there is a darker and more significant message underlying the text, leading to a more tragic interpretation of the Mitty character. Even in his heroic daydreams, Mitty does not triumph, several fantasies being interrupted before the final one sees Mitty dying bravely in front of a firing squad. In the brief snatches of reality that punctuate Mitty's fantasies the audience meets well-meaning but insensitive strangers who inadvertently rob Mitty of some of his remaining dignity.
, Warner Brothers studio head, Jack Warner
, noted in his autobiography, My First Hundred Years in Hollywood, "To the Walter Mittys of the world he [Flynn] was all the heroes in one magnificent, sexy, animal package".
In his 1992 biography of Henry Kissinger
, Walter Isaacson records that on 6 October 1973, during the 1973 Arab Israeli War, Kissinger urged President Richard Nixon
's Chief of Staff
General Alexander Haig
to keep Nixon in Florida in order to avoid "any hysterical moves" and to "keep any Walter Mitty tendencies under control".
In the 1997 text Into Thin Air
by Jon Krakauer
—where the author personally recounted the events of the 1996 Everest disaster
—Krakauer states: "Walter Mittys with Everest dreams need to bear in mind that when things go wrong up in the death zone (above 26,000 feet)—and sooner or later they always do—the strongest guides in the world may be powerless to save a client's life; indeed as the events of 1996 demonstrated , the strongest guides in the world are sometimes powerless to save even their own lives."
In 2003, Tom Kelly, a spokesman for British prime minister Tony Blair
, publicly apologised for referring to David Kelly as "a Walter Mitty character" during a private discussion with a journalist.
In 2007, Automaker Ford
admitted that it had to exclude from the list of potential bidders "Walter Mitty" types who had dreams but no experience, prior to the sale of their Aston Martin
British GT car brand to a consortium of business interests from America and the Middle East, headed by Prodrive founder and world rally championship owner David Richards.
The Guardian
newspaper reported on 20 April 2009 that a leaked British National Party
training manual described some members as "liars oddballs and Walter Mitty types".
, Paintball
, Military Re-enactment, and millitaria/weapon collecting that, unlike the majority of their fellow hobbyists, do not recognise that what they do for a hobby does not compare to military service.
In his book on selection for the Special Air Service
(SAS), Andy McNab
wrote that people who give away the fact that they want to be in the SAS for reasons of personal vanity are labelled as 'Walter Mitties' and are quietly sent home.
was described as a Walter Mitty-like figure by a panel of Army psychiatrists who examined him after he was suspected of committing espionage for the Soviet Union
, when his self-created persona as a spy was discovered to be an elaborate fabrication.
In 2002, Philip Sessarego
, a novelist and conman was described by the press as a Walter Mitty character and SAS fantasist when he was exposed as a fraud by the BBC in 2002.
In 2008, Jim McAuley, a soldier who boasted on Facebook
that he had served with the SAS
and killed more than 100 people, was termed a "Walter Mitty" by genuine soldiers who exposed him as a fantasist, forcing his resignation from the army.
In 2008–2009, James Shortt
, Director General of the International Bodyguard Association
, claiming SAS and Parachute Regiment service, was outed as a "Walt" by the British Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) website and subsequently reported on by Private Eye and The Sun.
In November 2009, Roger Day, a member of the UK public was branded a “Walter Mitty” figure by war veterans for marching in a Remembrance Day
parade wearing an SAS beret and an “impossible” array of medals.
in the 1947 film version, and is scheduled to be played by Mike Myers in a future film version. Thurber opposed the 1947 production. A new Walter Mitty remake is in the works with Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) set to direct. Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and John Goldwyn will produce the picture, while John Bard Manulis and Richard Vane will exec produce.
Walter Mitty is referenced in the lyrics to the songs "T&P Combo" by 311
, "Vacation" by Alabama
, "Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll" by Ian Dury
, "Kitty Ricketts" by Radiator
, "In The City" by Madness
, "Dreams" by The Descendents, "Walter Mitty Blues" by The Meteors
, "All Dressed Up For San Francisco" by The Philosopher Kings
, and "Sammy Davis City" by Joe Strummer
and Brian Setzer
. In 2008, the popular band Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra emerged; they have released two albums.
The official Peanuts
website describes the character of Snoopy
as "... an extroverted Beagle with a Walter Mitty complex", a reference to the many fantasy segments in which Snoopy imagines he is a World War I
flying ace
battling the Red Baron. The children's television programme The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty
parodied the story as well as many others, with a mix of live footage and animation featuring anthropomorphic animals.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a short story by James Thurber. The most famous of Thurber's stories, it first appeared in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and was first collected in his book My World and Welcome to It...
", first published in the New Yorker
New Yorker
New Yorker may refer to:* A resident of New York City * A resident of New York state * The New Yorker, a magazine* A predecessor newspaper to Horace Greeley's New York Tribune...
on March 18, 1939, and in book form in My World and Welcome to It
My World and Welcome to It
My World and Welcome to It was a US-made half-hour sitcom based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber. It starred William Windom as John Monroe, a Thurber-like writer and cartoonist who works for a magazine that closely resembles The New Yorker, called The Manhattanite...
in 1942
1942 in literature
The year 1942 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*André Gide leaves France to live in Tunis.*Robertson Davies becomes editor of the Peterborough Examiner.*Thomas Mann emigrates to California....
. It was made into a film
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (film)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a 1947 comedy film, loosely based on the short story of the same name by James Thurber. It stars Danny Kaye as a young daydreaming editor for a book publishing firm. The film was adapted for the screen by Ken Englund, Everett Freeman, and Philip Rapp, and directed...
in 1947.
Mitty is a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy
Fantasy (psychology)
Fantasy in a psychological sense is broadly used to cover two different senses, conscious and unconscious. In the unconscious sense, it is sometimes spelled "phantasy".-Conscious fantasy:...
life: in a few dozen paragraphs he imagines himself a wartime pilot, an emergency-room surgeon, and a devil-may-care killer. The character's name has come into more general use to refer to an ineffectual dreamer, appearing in several dictionaries. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a Walter Mitty as "an ordinary, often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs". The most famous of Thurber's inept male protagonists, the character is considered "the archetype for dreamy, hapless, Thurber Man".
Although the story has humorous elements, there is a darker and more significant message underlying the text, leading to a more tragic interpretation of the Mitty character. Even in his heroic daydreams, Mitty does not triumph, several fantasies being interrupted before the final one sees Mitty dying bravely in front of a firing squad. In the brief snatches of reality that punctuate Mitty's fantasies the audience meets well-meaning but insensitive strangers who inadvertently rob Mitty of some of his remaining dignity.
Use of the term
When referencing actor Errol FlynnErrol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
, Warner Brothers studio head, Jack Warner
Jack Warner
Jack Leonard "J. L." Warner , born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, was a Canadian American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...
, noted in his autobiography, My First Hundred Years in Hollywood, "To the Walter Mittys of the world he [Flynn] was all the heroes in one magnificent, sexy, animal package".
In his 1992 biography of Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
, Walter Isaacson records that on 6 October 1973, during the 1973 Arab Israeli War, Kissinger urged President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
General Alexander Haig
Alexander Haig
Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr. was a United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
to keep Nixon in Florida in order to avoid "any hysterical moves" and to "keep any Walter Mitty tendencies under control".
In the 1997 text Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a 1997 bestselling non-fiction book written by Jon Krakauer. It details the author's presence at Mount Everest during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster when eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a 'rogue storm'...
by Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
—where the author personally recounted the events of the 1996 Everest disaster
1996 Everest Disaster
The 1996 Mount Everest disaster refers to the events of 10-11 May 1996, when eight people died on Mount Everest during summit attempts. In the entire season, fifteen people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest single year in Mount Everest's history...
—Krakauer states: "Walter Mittys with Everest dreams need to bear in mind that when things go wrong up in the death zone (above 26,000 feet)—and sooner or later they always do—the strongest guides in the world may be powerless to save a client's life; indeed as the events of 1996 demonstrated , the strongest guides in the world are sometimes powerless to save even their own lives."
In 2003, Tom Kelly, a spokesman for British prime minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, publicly apologised for referring to David Kelly as "a Walter Mitty character" during a private discussion with a journalist.
In 2007, Automaker Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
admitted that it had to exclude from the list of potential bidders "Walter Mitty" types who had dreams but no experience, prior to the sale of their Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
British GT car brand to a consortium of business interests from America and the Middle East, headed by Prodrive founder and world rally championship owner David Richards.
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper reported on 20 April 2009 that a leaked British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
training manual described some members as "liars oddballs and Walter Mitty types".
In military terminology
Also, there is a military slang term, "Walt", which is an abbreviation of the name 'Walter Mitty', which refers to someone who has aspirations to become a soldier, but none of the necessary personal qualities. This slang can also refer to someone who poses as an (ex-)soldier but who isn't a soldier (serving or former), or who poses as something he isn't or wasn't; for example, regular army soldiers who pose as SAS troopers. The term is sometimes used to describe a small minority of individuals who participate in 'wargames' such as AirsoftAirsoft
Airsoft is a sport in which participants shoot round non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms.Gameplay varies in style and composition but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, military simulations, historical reenactments, to competition target shooting events...
, Paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
, Military Re-enactment, and millitaria/weapon collecting that, unlike the majority of their fellow hobbyists, do not recognise that what they do for a hobby does not compare to military service.
In his book on selection for the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS), Andy McNab
Andy McNab
Sergeant ‘Andy McNab’ DCM MM is the pseudonym of an English novelist and former SAS operative and soldier.McNab came into public prominence in 1993, when he published his account of the failed Special Air Service patrol, Bravo Two Zero for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in...
wrote that people who give away the fact that they want to be in the SAS for reasons of personal vanity are labelled as 'Walter Mitties' and are quietly sent home.
Notable incidents
In 1990, American soldier Teddy TemishTeddy Temish
Theodore “Teddy” Temish was a former American soldier accused of spying for the Soviet Union in 1990. He underwent an investigation after hiking three miles from one observation tower in Alaska to another, while sick and injured, following a power failure at the post where he was stationed...
was described as a Walter Mitty-like figure by a panel of Army psychiatrists who examined him after he was suspected of committing espionage for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, when his self-created persona as a spy was discovered to be an elaborate fabrication.
In 2002, Philip Sessarego
Philip Sessarego
Philip Anthony Sessarego was a former soldier of the British Army, conman, and best-selling author of the book Jihad! The Secret War in Afghanistan that was released prior to the 11 September attacks. Sessarego served in the Royal Artillery for a few years and underwent SAS Selection but failed...
, a novelist and conman was described by the press as a Walter Mitty character and SAS fantasist when he was exposed as a fraud by the BBC in 2002.
In 2008, Jim McAuley, a soldier who boasted on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
that he had served with the SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
and killed more than 100 people, was termed a "Walter Mitty" by genuine soldiers who exposed him as a fantasist, forcing his resignation from the army.
In 2008–2009, James Shortt
James Shortt
James Gerard Richard Shortt, also known as Jim Shortt, Jimbo, Seamus Shortt, Colonel The Chevalier James Shortt, James Shortt of Castleshort, or The Baron Castleshort, is an English born Director General of the International Bodyguard Association...
, Director General of the International Bodyguard Association
International Bodyguard Association
The International Bodyguard Association is an organization established by Lucien Ott in Paris in December 1957. The Association's primary objective is to train customers in bodyguard techniques...
, claiming SAS and Parachute Regiment service, was outed as a "Walt" by the British Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) website and subsequently reported on by Private Eye and The Sun.
In November 2009, Roger Day, a member of the UK public was branded a “Walter Mitty” figure by war veterans for marching in a Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
parade wearing an SAS beret and an “impossible” array of medals.
In popular culture
The character was played by Danny KayeDanny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
in the 1947 film version, and is scheduled to be played by Mike Myers in a future film version. Thurber opposed the 1947 production. A new Walter Mitty remake is in the works with Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) set to direct. Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and John Goldwyn will produce the picture, while John Bard Manulis and Richard Vane will exec produce.
Walter Mitty is referenced in the lyrics to the songs "T&P Combo" by 311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
, "Vacation" by Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, "Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll" by Ian Dury
Ian Dury
Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
, "Kitty Ricketts" by Radiator
Radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in automobiles, buildings, and electronics...
, "In The City" by Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, "Dreams" by The Descendents, "Walter Mitty Blues" by The Meteors
The Meteors
The Meteors are an English psychobilly band formed in 1980. Originally from London, England, they are often credited with giving the psychobilly subgenre—which fuses punk rock with rockabilly—its distinctive sound and style...
, "All Dressed Up For San Francisco" by The Philosopher Kings
The Philosopher Kings
The Philosopher Kings are a Canadian rhythm and blues band who were most commercially successful in the late 1990s. The name of the band is derived from Plato's Republic, in which he outlines the design of an idealistic government, ruled by philosopher-kings...
, and "Sammy Davis City" by Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
and Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
. In 2008, the popular band Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra emerged; they have released two albums.
The official Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
website describes the character of Snoopy
Snoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
as "... an extroverted Beagle with a Walter Mitty complex", a reference to the many fantasy segments in which Snoopy imagines he is a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
battling the Red Baron. The children's television programme The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty
The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty
The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty was a children's television show alternating animation and live footage segments. It took the concept of James Thurber's popular short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and parodied it with anthropomorphised dogs and cats.-Plot:Waldo Kitty and his girlfriend...
parodied the story as well as many others, with a mix of live footage and animation featuring anthropomorphic animals.
External links
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
- Sam Jones, Bounder with a barrister's wig preyed on women from lonely hearts page ads, The Guardian, Tuesday, 27 October 2009.