the secret life of walter mitty
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The Original Story
the_secret_life_of_walter_mitty.pdf | |
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Introducing Literary Criticism: Discussing The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Analysis of Themes, Symbols, and Other Topics
source of the excerpts found below: http://www.enotes.com/topics/secret-life
literary_criticism_excerpts_for_walter_mitty.pdf | |
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Assignment One: Finding the Main Arguments in the Excerpts
walter_mitty_literary_criticism.pdf | |
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Assignment Two: Comparing the Story to the Film
After viewing the film version of the story, compare which themes and ideas can be found in both the short story and the film.
walter_mitty_film_worksheet.pdf | |
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Assignment Three: Review of the Film "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"
The assignment is to write a one to two page review discussing either:
(i) which version of the story you prefer more - the short story or the film - providing three specific reasons (with examples) in your answer OR
(ii) how the film version is similar to the short story, providing three examples of how the themes and ideas of the short story are visible in the film version as well. (Using the information gathered from assignment two will be a great help if you choose to complete this option)
(i) which version of the story you prefer more - the short story or the film - providing three specific reasons (with examples) in your answer OR
(ii) how the film version is similar to the short story, providing three examples of how the themes and ideas of the short story are visible in the film version as well. (Using the information gathered from assignment two will be a great help if you choose to complete this option)
some help with the essay...
OPTION ONE: WHICH VERSION OF THE STORY DO YOU PREFER?
Possible introduction:
Like many short stories, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has a lot to say about the world and our role in it. It is such a popular story that there have been several film adaptations of the short story. The most recent film version, made in 2013, is the most effective in sharing important messages about the world and an individual's life.
NOTE:
The red sentence is the thesis statement.
The blue sentence is the introduction.
The rest of the essay can focus on the following:
paragraph two: the message about the world told by the story in the film - provide specific details from the film to support your answer. (what do we learn about the world from this story? Is it a nice place? a harsh place? a magical place?)
Find specific examples from the film that support your argument. Example: If you think that the message of the film is that the world is a mean place, write about how nasty the the executive is who is tasked with firing everyone and shows little respect for the workers.
paragraph three: the message to the individual sent by the story in the film - provide specific details from the film to support your answer. (what do we learn about ourselves from this story? How are we made to feel about our lives and our purpose in life?)
Find specific examples from the film that support your argument. Example: If you think that the message of the film to us as individuals is that we have lots of potential if we just break out of our routines and take some risks, then you could write about how successful Walter was once he took a risk and began his search for the photographer.
paragraph four: how the story in this film is relatable to other stories - provide specific details from the film to support your answer. (what other stories does this film remind you of? why? what part of it is similar?)
Find specific examples from the film that support your argument. Example: The story is largely about a person's journey of self-discovery, beginning from being unhappy and living in a fairly small box of a life to discovering and embracing the larger world around him. There are many stories about self-discovery, but if I were to write about a text that I thought was similar, it would be a film made in the early 1980s by Bill Murray that is about a man's challenges after coming home from the First World War and travelling the world to find himself. Another thing that both films have in common is that they both starred comedians in serious roles and both were involved in making those film projects happened behind the scenes, either as a producer or a director.
A conclusion would then complete the essay, again stating the position taken in your thesis statement.
Example: As a story that has been told on the big screen a number of times, it clearly seems to make some important connections with an audience. Even almost eighty years after the short story was first published, the simple messages it provides us about embracing our world and living true to ourselves are messages that we need to keep hearing. It is no secret to anyone that the key to life is living, and this movie shows us all the rewards of doing just that.
Like many short stories, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has a lot to say about the world and our role in it. It is such a popular story that there have been several film adaptations of the short story. The most recent film version, made in 2013, is the most effective in sharing important messages about the world and an individual's life.
NOTE:
The red sentence is the thesis statement.
The blue sentence is the introduction.
The rest of the essay can focus on the following:
paragraph two: the message about the world told by the story in the film - provide specific details from the film to support your answer. (what do we learn about the world from this story? Is it a nice place? a harsh place? a magical place?)
Find specific examples from the film that support your argument. Example: If you think that the message of the film is that the world is a mean place, write about how nasty the the executive is who is tasked with firing everyone and shows little respect for the workers.
paragraph three: the message to the individual sent by the story in the film - provide specific details from the film to support your answer. (what do we learn about ourselves from this story? How are we made to feel about our lives and our purpose in life?)
Find specific examples from the film that support your argument. Example: If you think that the message of the film to us as individuals is that we have lots of potential if we just break out of our routines and take some risks, then you could write about how successful Walter was once he took a risk and began his search for the photographer.
paragraph four: how the story in this film is relatable to other stories - provide specific details from the film to support your answer. (what other stories does this film remind you of? why? what part of it is similar?)
Find specific examples from the film that support your argument. Example: The story is largely about a person's journey of self-discovery, beginning from being unhappy and living in a fairly small box of a life to discovering and embracing the larger world around him. There are many stories about self-discovery, but if I were to write about a text that I thought was similar, it would be a film made in the early 1980s by Bill Murray that is about a man's challenges after coming home from the First World War and travelling the world to find himself. Another thing that both films have in common is that they both starred comedians in serious roles and both were involved in making those film projects happened behind the scenes, either as a producer or a director.
A conclusion would then complete the essay, again stating the position taken in your thesis statement.
Example: As a story that has been told on the big screen a number of times, it clearly seems to make some important connections with an audience. Even almost eighty years after the short story was first published, the simple messages it provides us about embracing our world and living true to ourselves are messages that we need to keep hearing. It is no secret to anyone that the key to life is living, and this movie shows us all the rewards of doing just that.
OPTION TWO: HOW THE FILM VERSION CONTAINS IMPORTANT THEMES FOUND IN THE SHORT STORY
Possible introduction:
The recent film, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," appears to share little in common with the original short story that it is based on. However, many significant themes of the short story can also be found in the film.
NOTE:
The red sentence is the thesis statement.
The blue sentence is the introduction.
The rest of the essay can focus on the following:
paragraph two: one theme found in both the story and the film. Provide details of how it is included in the film.
paragraph three: one theme found in both the story and the film. Provide details of how it is included in the film.
paragraph four: one theme found in both the story and the film. Provide details of how it is included in the film.
A conclusion would then complete the essay, again stating the position taken in your thesis statement.
The recent film, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," appears to share little in common with the original short story that it is based on. However, many significant themes of the short story can also be found in the film.
NOTE:
The red sentence is the thesis statement.
The blue sentence is the introduction.
The rest of the essay can focus on the following:
paragraph two: one theme found in both the story and the film. Provide details of how it is included in the film.
paragraph three: one theme found in both the story and the film. Provide details of how it is included in the film.
paragraph four: one theme found in both the story and the film. Provide details of how it is included in the film.
A conclusion would then complete the essay, again stating the position taken in your thesis statement.