Contents
- How old is Walter Mitty in the book?
- The character of Walter Mitty
- The theme of aging in the book
- The symbolism of Walter Mitty’s age
- The development of Walter Mitty’s character
- The role of age in the book
- The importance of age in the book
- The impact of age on the book
- The message of age in the book
- The significance of age in the book
The question of how old Walter Mitty is in the book has been debated by readers for years. Some believe that he is in his early 60s, while others believe he could be anywhere from his late 50s to early 70s.
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How old is Walter Mitty in the book?
In the book, Walter Mitty is 47 years old.
The character of Walter Mitty
Walter Mitty is the protagonist of James Thurber’s short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” first published in The New Yorker in 1939. Mitty is middle-aged and married, with children, but he leads a rather mundane and unfulfilling existence. In his daydreams, however, he is a much more heroic and exciting figure, living out all sorts of exciting adventures. It is only when he is called upon to actually live up to his daydreams that he realizes how unfulfilled his life has been.
The theme of aging in the book
In the book, Walter Mitty is introduced as a middle-aged man who is going through a crisis. He is bored with his mundane life and feels that he has not accomplished anything significant. In order to escape from his humdrum existence, Mitty daydreams about being a hero in exciting and dangerous situations.
The theme of aging is also prevalent in the book. Mitty is aware of his age and the fact that he is no longer young and handsome. He feels that he has missed out on opportunities in life and regrets not taking more risks. Mitty’s daydreams allow him to vicariously experience the adventures that he missed out on in his youth.
Although the book does not specify Mitty’s exact age, it is implied that he is in his late forties or early fifties. This is based on the fact that Mitty’s son is old enough to have children of his own. In one of his daydreams, Mitty imagines himself as a young army pilot during World War II. This suggests that Mitty would have been born around the turn of the century or earlier.
The theme of aging is explored further when Mitty’s wife tries to convince him to go see an optometrist because she thinks he needs glasses. However, Mitty resists getting glasses because he doesn’t want to face the fact that he is getting older and needs help to see things clearly. In the end, Mitty does get glasses but this does not stop him from dreaming about being young and adventurous again.
The symbolism of Walter Mitty’s age
Many readers have wondered about the symbolism of Walter Mitty’s age in the book. Is he meant to represent a specific age group, or is his age meant to be symbolic of something else?
There are a few clues in the text that suggest that Walter Mitty is meant to represent a specific age group. For example, he is described as being “in his middle fifties” and “approaching sixty.” He is also said to be a veteran of World War I. These clues suggest that Walter Mitty is meant to represent the “Greatest Generation” – those who lived through the Great Depression and World War II.
However, there are also clues that suggest that Walter Mitty’s age is meant to be symbolic of something else. For example, he is described as being “a dreamer, a man who lived in a world of his own making.” This suggests that his age is less important than his mental state. Additionally, the fact that he daydreams about being a brave and heroic figure suggests that he is longing for a time when he was younger and more carefree. In this way, his age may be symbolic of his feelings of nostalgia and regret.
The development of Walter Mitty’s character
Walter Mitty is a character who goes through a lot of development over the course of the story. In the beginning, he is a shy, withdrawn man who is content to live in his own little world. However, as the story progresses, Mitty begins to take more risks and to stand up for himself. By the end of the story, Mitty has transformed into a confident, assertive individual who is ready to take on anything that life throws at him.
The role of age in the book
In the book, Walter Mitty is said to be in his early fifties. He is married and has a son, who is also mentioned as being in his twenties. Walter Mitty is never said to be particularly old in the book, but his age is significant in two ways. First, it means that he has a lot of life experience. He has been married for many years and has a grown son. This gives him a different perspective than someone who is younger. Second, his age means that he is not as physically capable as someone who is younger. He can’t run as fast or climb as well. This affects the way he experiences the world and the adventures he has.
The importance of age in the book
Age is an important factor in the book for several reasons. First, it helps to establish the time period in which the story takes place. Second, it provides context for Walter Mitty’s Character. He is not a young man, and his age is starting to show in his behavior. He is more impulsive and reckless than he used to be, and he is also more forgetful. These characteristics are all part of his development as a character, and they would not be as pronounced if he were younger.
The impact of age on the book
While age may not be as big of a factor when it comes to how much someone enjoys a book, it can still play a role in how much they understand it. For example, a middle-aged reader may not appreciate or understand the challenges that a young person faces in life quite as well as a younger reader would. However, the opposite is also true – an older reader may have more life experience to draw upon when reading about characters of a similar age, and so could relate to them more easily.
In the case of Walter Mitty, his age is not given explicitly in the text. However, we can infer from the context that he is likely to be somewhere in his middle years. This is because he is married, has children, and his children are old enough to be getting married themselves. If we assume that Walter Mitty is around the same age as the author – which is plausible, as both are middle-aged men at the time of writing – then he would be in his early fifties when the story takes place.
While this does not give us a definitive answer, it does give us a reasonable estimate for Walter Mitty’s age in the book. And knowing this can help us to understand him as a character better. For example, his frustrations with his mundane life and day-to-day routine may be partly due to him feeling like he has “missed out” on some of the more exciting parts of life because he is no longer young. Alternatively, his flights of fancy could be seen as an escape from reality for someone who feels like they have already lived through the best years of their lives.
The message of age in the book
In Walter Mitty’s daydreams, he is Bold. Fearless. Gutsy. He has saved people from burning buildings and brought down evil dictators. In reality, however, Walter Mitty is a meek and boring middle-aged man whose biggest adventure is driving to the grocery store.
The book “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” raises interesting questions about age and maturity. Does age necessarily mean wisdom and calm? Or does it simply mean more years lived?
The characters in the book tend to think that age equals wisdom. For example, when Mrs. Mitty worries that her husband is too old to drive, she says, “I worry about your heart, Walter.” And when Walter imagines himself as a daring explorer, he thinks of himself as “a young man.”
But not everyone in the book buys into this idea. When Walter’s boss tells him he’s getting too old for his job, Walter doesn’t argue. He simply goes home and quits. And when Mrs. Mitty suggests that her husband retire, he doesn’t get defensive or angry; he calmly disagrees with her and goes about his day.
It’s clear that age does not always equal wisdom or maturity; sometimes it simply equals more years lived. As the saying goes, “You’re only as old as you feel.”
The significance of age in the book
Walter Mitty is forty years old in the book. This is significant because it shows that he is at a point in his life where he is facing some significant changes. He is no longer a young man, and he is starting to feel the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He is married and has a child, and he knows that he needs to start making some major changes in his life. The book follows his journey as he tries to find a new purpose and meaning in his life.