The Secret Power of Imagination

Last week, we read and discussed the short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” which was written by James Thurber and first published in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939. Just a little background on the short story: Walter Mitty is an aging man with a fascinating imagination that takes him to unimaginable places, making adventures in his mind out of his boring trip to town with his nagging wife. In between the hum-drum and repetitive tasks, Walter proves incompetent, but as he becomes more and more absent-minded, he transforms into a pilot, surgeon, defendant, and a gangster. It appears as though Walter Mitty has a mundane and boring life, but he’s transported by his larger than life imagination, making him seem more interesting and sensational than he really is. One thing I found to be extremely eye-opening about this story is the complete contrast that’s shown throughout it—this story highlights inversion in the sense that the exact opposite is shown through Walter’s fantasies, symbolizing the utter contrast. What I got out of this particular class and the story is that one of the most striking characteristics of Walter Mitty’s fantasies is their silliness, which may be heroic but only melodramatically. From the fountain pen Mitty uses to replace a piston during his surgery to the beautiful woman who appears in his arms, his fantasies contain events and elements that couldn’t possibly happen in reality. For me, it seems as though Thurber’s humor undermines Mitty even further because he’s so pathetically far from having the skills he dreams of having in that his fantasies don’t even make much sense. There’s a sense of nostalgia in this story for me because it takes me back to my childhood where I would pretend to be someone else with extraordinary powers and abilities. The importance of this short story is that his secret life is what gives him depth—the lighthearted and humorous tone of his fantasies is what makes both sides of his character sympathetic. Imagination is what gives us life and is the backbone for escaping the mundane and dreariness of reality. I think it’s safe to say that within all of us lies a hidden power, which could be one thing you need to bring about some of your greatest successes. Everyone possesses a certain degree of imagination ability, and it manifests itself in various degrees in various people. In some, it’s highly developed, and in others, it’s in a weaker form. Imagination makes it possible to experience a whole world inside the mind and to explore the depths of “what ifs.” Mitty’s power lies in his daydreaming, making him somewhat impractical yet creative. I don’t see imagination as a weakness, rather a strength. The more I sat and reflected on this particular class, the more I realized that imagination is what brings life to some of the most darkest or clouded of times. For me, I can escape reality with a good book or movie, diving into the character’s lives and the complex plots. Without imagination, J.K. Rowling wouldn’t have created or brought to life the Harry Potter series, one of my absolute all-time favorites. For it’s with imagination that we come to express ourselves and display our creativeness. Anything that comes out of our minds and onto paper can be defined as imagination in some way or another. My imagination is what makes me unique. It’s what makes all of us unique and brings simple things to life. How boring would this world be without the imaginations of the people around us? Think about that…