Compare and Contrast Walter Mitty with Rip Van Winkle Essay

May mean solar day May Day Were going d give Right in the beginning impact you be awaken suddenly by a tapping on your shoulder by your teacher and a class full of express mirth peers. It happens to e re whollyyone at one point or an early(a). E really high scho honest-to-goodnessays student has been succumbed to a wild daydreaming adventure. In the short story, The confidential life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber, a man by the find pop of Walter Mitty can hardly give notice (of) reality from his vivid imaginary dreams which try him spontaneously as he feuds with his nagging married woman. In a very similar short story, snap forefront Winkle by chapiter Irving, the main character Rip Van Winkle slips away from his internal problems with his wife to a place of serenity where he can pause in the peace and quiet of the Catskill Mountains. These ii stories possess many striking similarities yet there are many differences between them which make them unique.Similarities endure wild between these two stories. The most noticeable trait in which both stories possess heavily is the portrayal of the wife. In Rip Van Winkle, Rips wife is a nagging, mean old hag who gets her kicks expose of bossing him around and taking him away from his fun with the neck of the woods children and his dog. An passing strong connection can be made from the wife of Rip to the wife of Walter Mitty. Mittys wife is obviously a mastery freq who always has to have things her way, and if things fail to lean in her favor thus all havoc breaks loose. Not so quick Youre driveway too fast said Mrs. Mitty. What are you driving so fast for? (Thurber 2) Another large similarity between Walter and Rip are their overwhelming tendencies to avoid any form of laborous activity pertaining to their own benefit by choosing to do something a little more exciting and fun. In Rips case, he simply leaves his wife and his home base with his dog, Wolf, to escape all of the responsibilities h is wife imposes on him to be in the peace of the forest where he can relax for awhile.Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who tamp down the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. (Irving 4) Walter Mitty is sidetracked every time he is told to do something by falling into a new daydream. His wife often has to tell him to do a particular activity multiple times in the beginning Mitty makes a formidable attempt at completing it. When he came out into the street again, with theovershoes in a box under his arm, Walter Mitty began to wonder what the other thing was his wife had told him to get. She had told him, twice before they piece out from their house for Waterbury. (Thurber 5) These two characters go hand-in-hand with one another, yet there are good-tempered strong details about each one which make them unique.Alth ough very similar, these stories possess many distinct differences which separate them from one another. The first and maiden is the time in which each takes place. Rip Van Winkle is lap in the colonial days from pre-Revolution to post-Revolution while The reclusive Life of Walter Mitty is set in the roaring 20s of the 20th century. The main characters also have their own unique attributes as well which helps to distinguish them from each other. Walter Mitty is more of a dreamer and oddball, and uses his dreams to escape from his troubles and worries of the day. Rip Van Winkle is more of a playful, joyous person who just outright despises his home. He works extremely hard for other people and is always there to help others out yet he refuses to make any tangible efforts to get things do around the house.In a word Rip was ready to take to heart to anybodys business but his own but as to doing family duty, and retentivity his farm in order, he found it impossible. (Irving 3) Obv iously another significant detail which separates these stories is how Rip Van Winkle falls asleep for 20 years and sleeps through the Revolution, waking up only to find that everything he had once known is gone for the most part. He awakes to learn that his wife has died and this actually made him happy. Walter Mitty does not despise his wife in the like way. Mainly, Walter Mitty is just slightly annoyed by her antics and her need for control. This detail in all probability poses the biggest separation between plots of the two stories. Differences are noticeably large and significant when comparing these short tales.Though very similar indeed, these two stories are in fact very different from one another. The main characters of the two run parallel in description and action yet the plots have the appearance _or_ semblance to stray away from one another. Rip Van Winkle and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are two very unique and priceless pieces of American literature.