Compare “Secret Life of Walter Mitty and “ The poor relation”

Everything in Mitty’s dreams seem to be what he wants to be like but never will. In four of the dreams it describes how he is good at machines which in real life is far from the truth. He comes across as being healthy and macho but in real life he needs a doctor’s check up and can’t even put on snow chains. As a hero he is obviously respected and looked up to by fellow companions but also women. In one fantasy a lovely dark haired girl comes running into his arms which of course in the real world would never happen. The only woman that would look at Mitty in such a way is his wife, and she is restricting, bossy and annoying. In Mitty’s dreams though he can do what he wants and there is no one to restricted him.                            

Sometimes when Mitty dreams he starts believing in them and acts them out in real life. Like at the beginning of the story when he dreams of being a naval pilot he starts speeding in his car and his wife has to tell him to slow down. And at the end of the story when he waiting for his wife to come out of the drug store he believes that he is standing in front of the firing squad. “He stood up against the wall of the drugstore, smoking”... Mitty acts like a little child playing make believe games and a I think that is what other people treat him. Especially with the name Mitty you can’t take him too seriously. Write more about how much he believes in them

The second short story called “The Poor Relation” it is similar to the Walter Mitty story in such a way that they are both about escapists but it is still very different story. The Poor Relation is set at a Family Christmas Party where the poor relation (Michael) tells the other guest two very different stories about his way of living.

The first story that Michael portrays to the family members is a description of what he thinks the rest of the family thinks of him. “Perhaps before I go any further, I had better glance at what I am supposed to be”. This first story is very negative about Michael’s way of life and he tells the other guests at how pathetic and useless he is. “ That I failed in in business because I was unbusiness like...That I failed in love, because...”.  He goes on to relate a normal day for him and describes where he lives, both of which have not much happiness in them. The only shred of contentment or worth while belonging for Michael is his little second cousin Frank. “Little Frank and I go and look at the outside of the monument -he is very fond of the monument- and the bridges”. When he dies, he says that the only item worth anything to him is a picture of him as a small boy. This he wants given to Frank along with a small message of which he tells how sorry he is for leaving him. He finishes that description of his life on a sour note by saying “I failed to find a place in this great assembly, I am better of out of it”.

Quickly after finishing that story he clears his throat and starts to speak louder. “Such is the general impression about me. Now, it is a remarkable circumstance which forms aim and purpose to my story, that this is all wrong”. He starts to tell the probably slightly shocked guests, of how this first explanation of his life was a fad, totally unreal. This second story has much more life to it and tells how he once lived with his cold mean but rich uncle in a castle. He used to come down each morning in the freezing cold to be greeted with the same breakfast in the long stone room. When his uncle Chill died Michael automatically inherited his wealth and castle, but Michael fell in love with someone who his uncle disagreed of. His uncle tells him that no longer is he initialled to his money if he marries Christina, so Michael leaves his uncle with his new wife and they start a happy life together. He describes of how where he lives now he does not know what loneliness is, as all his children or grand children are always about, and Little Frank regularly visits.  

As it turns out this second story is a total lie and the first story that we were told is the truth.

Michael is the kind of person that could be lead in the wrong direction easily because all his misfortunes are the result of other people letting him down, so he is easily taken advantage of. “That I failed in love, because I was ridiculously trustful- in thinking it impossible that Christina could deceive me. What makes Michael a loser or inadequate in some ways is the loss in his life. At the moment he is fifty-nine years old and is living in a small room that he must evacuate during the day. He survives on a small allowance that John the party host generously gives him. The three main things that turned his life was the loss of his inheritance from his uncle, which was due to him falling in love with Christina who only wanted him for his money. And the loss of his business. That shows how most people treat him, no one seems to have much time for him “Sometimes one of my relations or acquaintance is so obliging as t ask me to dinner. Those are on holiday occasions”. Out of the whole year he is only invited to dinner about twice or three times. His family know that he is poor, and at holiday time they probably feel that they have to ask him, it is not about wanting him to come.

Unlike Mitty I think that Michael’s misfortune is mainly his own fault, he can’t see deeper than appearance and doesn't know what people think of him, that's how Christina took advantage of him and he cannot see that his relations don’t really want him about.

Michael dream life is a description of how he would like his real life to be because everything that has gone wrong for him is perfect in his dream. . I think he now realises why so many things went wrong for him but realises that it is a bit late in is life for much to go write in the way that he talks about dying.