Question

Read this excerpt from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

Walter Mitty stopped the car in front of the building where his wife went to have her hair done. "Remember to get those overshoes while I’m having my hair done," she said. "I don’t need overshoes," said Mitty. She put her mirror back into her bag. "We’ve been all through that," she said, getting out of the car. "You’re not a young man any longer." He raced the engine a little. "Why don’t you wear your gloves? Have you lost your gloves?" Walter Mitty reached in a pocket and brought out the gloves. He put them on, but after she had turned and gone into the building and he had driven on to a red light, he took them off again.

How does the contrast between Mitty's view of himself and the reader's view of Mitty affect the story in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"?

It creates sympathy for Mitty since readers recognize that his fantasies show how he'd like to be, not how he actually is.

It builds suspense in the story, as each of Mitty's fantasies places him in more and more danger in reality.

It injects tension in the story, as readers wait to see whether Mitty's wife will realize that her husband is unhappy.

It adds humor to the story, since Mitty acts out all of his fantasies among people who have no idea what he's doing.

Answer 1

The contrast in views between Walter Mitty and the reader generates sympathy for Mitty and adds humor to the story as he acts out his fantasies unnoticed by those around him.

Step-by-step explanation:

The contrast between Walter Mitty's perception of himself and the reader's perception is a crucial element in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." Through Mitty's vivid daydreams, readers gain insight into his aspirations and the escapism he seeks from his mundane life. This contrast does not build suspense in the story or inject tension about his wife discovering his unhappiness. Instead, it creates sympathy for Mitty and adds humor to the story as there's a disconnect between his fantasies and reality, creating absurd and comedic situations as he navigates between his imagined adventures and his less exciting real life.

Answer 2

A

Step-by-step explanation:

She is nagging about the gloves and the overshoes