SHORT STORY: THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

BY JAMES THURBER

SYNOPSIS

The short story title " The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber tells the story of the aging Walter Mitty on a trip into town with his overbearing wife, Mrs. Mitty.  Walter is inept at many things.  He is an absent-minded driver, he can't handle simple mechanical tasks, and he forgets things easily.  What makes Walter exceptional is his imagination.  While Walter goes through a days of ordinary tasks and emands, he escape into a series of romantic fantasies, each spurred on by some mundane reality.  As he drives his car, he imagines he is commanding "a Navy hydroplane" through a terrible storm.  When he rides past a hospitals, he imagines he is world-famous surgeon saving a VIP's life.  When he hears a newsboy shouting about a trial, he imagines he is a crack shot being interrogated in the courtroom.  As he waits for his wife to finish at the hairdresser's.  Walter sees pictures of German plane and imagines he is a British pilot willing to sacrifice his life for his country.  Lastly, as Mitty waits outside against a wall for his wife to buy something in a drugstore, he fantasizes that he is a bold and brave man about to be shot by a firing squad.  The story ends with the inscrutable Walter Mitty awaiting this romantic death.

QUESTION 1

What are the moral values that you have learnt from the short story?

Answer:

The moral value that I have learnt is Walter should put the same energy he uses to daydream into transforming his social world and his  marriage.  His wife seems too condescending and Walter seems to come across as a hopeless dreamer.  This is a chicken and the egg situation.  Is it Mrs.  Mitty's nagging that turns Walter to his imagination, or is it Walter's mental absence that drives his wife to frustration?  Here the moral is that neither engaging the problem.  The problem, it seems to me, is they are bored with the redundancy of their lives.

QUESTION 2

Who is your favourite character in the short story.  Provide reasons for your answer.

Answer: 

The favourite character in this short story is Walter Mitty.  He is not anything special.  He gets bossed around by his wife a lot.  He cannot do simple mechanical things.  He is forgetful.  He is not a great driver and people always seem to be either yelling or laughing at him for one blunder or another.  To compensate for his failings in the real world, Mitty creates an entire "secret life" for himself a series of fantasies in which he is a powerful, decisive man admired by those around him, everything he is not in reality.

QUESTION 3

Provide an alternate ending to the short story.

Answer:

The alternate ending for this short story is Mrs. Mitty steps into the drugstore to grab some last minute item.  Mitty stands against the wall outside and imagination that he is standing before a firing squad.  This is the last of his five fantasies.  It is important note that "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" both begins and ends inside Walter's fantasies.  In this way,  you might argue that the plot of the fantasies themselves and not the plot of the real world dominates the text's action.Another way to interpret this is as a sort of victory on Mitty's part, as far as the story is concerned.  He uses his fantasy world to combat at what he dislikes about reality, and it would seem that his fantasies are winning out.  At least as far as this story is concerned.  They dominate reality.  On the other hand, Walter is facing a firing squad, hardly victorious.  He is about to be shot.  You could view the firing squad symbolically, as representative of the people in the real world who has hassle Mitty about being a dreamer.  In this sense, the ending seems like a defeat for Mitty.  He can dream all he wants, but there are always going to be people who "shoot" him for it.

SHORT STORY : MANGO MOODS

BY REETA MANI

SYNOPSIS

The short story title "Mango Moods"  by Reeta Mani tell about a woman in marital life.  Her name was Chitra.  She lived near the mango trees laden heavily with fruit.  She liked to eat mango with salt and a shocking red chili powder.  She like to eat mango because she was pregnant.  She caressed her discernible abdominal bulge and heaved a sigh of relief.  Just one month to go and the family heir will be born.  At the same time the mango turn luscious ripe and saccharine sweet.  Next, Narayani amma was his mother-in-law.  her mother in law really care about her when she knew Chitra was pregnant.  Before this happen, her mother in law did not like Chitra because she can't pregnant.  Chitra's mother suggest to get adopted child but Narayani amma angry and did not want a adopted child.  Other than that, Prasad was Chitra's husband. Prasad also happy and really love Chitra's when he knew Chitra was pregnant.  Before this, he always fight because Chitra can't get a child.  Prasad really want a child.  Next, the cool winter months from December to February would herald the mango flowering season, clusters of tiny rose-white florets contrasting with the green leaves.  By the end of the May, it would be time to harvest the mangoes.  Since childhood, mangoes were a way of life for Chitra.  her Grandma used to tell her that the Mangai pachadi symbolize our life-a blend of sweet, sour, spicy and bitter.  Lastly,  Narayani amma get a grandson .  She snuggled her grandson to her bosom and wept with joy.  Her prayers had been finally answered and the heir family had arrived.  her grandsons looked like an angle, especially with the dark mop of a curls on his tiny head.  

QUESTION 1

Did Grandma have a premonition of the bitterness she was to face in her marital life?

Answer:

I want to comment about the sentences. the sentences means Chitra affraid if Grandma knew about her marital life.  Chitra suffer a lot when she can't get a child after she married with Prasad.  Chitra was thinking about his marital life.  Our life like a blend of sweet, sour, spicy and bitter.

QUESTION 2

Provide an alternate ending to this short story.

Answer:

An alternate ending to this short story are Chitra and her husband, Prasad were happily because his son was safley born to their family.  Narayani amma also happy and take care of her grandson with love and joy.  Her prayers had been finally answered and the heir to her family had arrived.  They all were happy with the child.  He looked like an angle, especially with the dark mop of curls on his tiny head.

QUESTION 3

Prasad is portrayed as a filial son.  Support this claim.

Answer: 

Prasad is portrayed as a filial son because he is always follow his mother distruction.  He do not fight to her mother when Chitra's mother has choose to get adopt child.  Prasad to chosen to keep mum.  Other than that, Prasad had chose not to defy his mother, lest he incur her wrath.  He started spending more time at office to avoid any altercations.

SHORT STORY: TWELVE AND NOT STUPID

BY ZURAIDAH OMAR

SYNOPSIS

The short story title "Twelve and Not Stupid" by Zuraidah Omar tell about a child, her name was Sasha that was forced by her Papa to lie to her Mama about Papa go to Auntie May's house.  Next Sasha had to keep quiet and not to tell her Mama about her Papa.  She always thinking about Auntie May.  Mama and Papa were fight due to late return home.  Sasha maybe taught her Papa having an affair with Auntie May.  Other than that, Papa and Mama were plan to having a dinner at the restaurant.  When we were arrived at Chinese restaurant, Sasha was very shocked to find out that Auntie May and his son Kassim also with them.  They were sit and Mama and Sasha salam her.  They were having their dinner with a big bowl of shark's fin soup.  Mescellaneous, Papa and Auntie May were not having an affair.  Auntie May was second wife to Yem, Papa's older brother.  Yem neglecting her and the boy.  Yem was married to Auntie May without Jah's knowledge.  Papa and Mama were want to helps Auntie May.  Lastly they went home.

QUESTION 1

If your were 'I' in this story, what would you think of the relationship between Papa and Auntie May?  Provide some reasons.

Answer:

If I were in this story, I would think Papa and Auntie May having an affair out there.  This is because Papa and Auntie May look really closely.  Other than that, I would think like that because Papa was go to Auntie May's house and come back home late at night.

QUESTION 2

Do you like the story in general?  Why?

Answer:

Yes, I like this story in general because this story was make me thinking who is probably Auntie May.  I really want to know about Auntie May.  Next, I like this story because it was really suspen when Papa go to Auntie May's house.  I will though Papa and Auntie May having an affair, but rather because Papa told me to lie to Mama when time to return home.

QUESTION 3

Imagine that you are going to film this short story.  Describe the film in terms of the choice of actress/actresses, scenes and place.  Provide some reasons to your description.

Answer:

I want to choose actress or actresses to film this short story.  Hero for this film is Shaheizy Sam  and the heroin is Lisa Surihani.  This is because Character for this short story suitable to Shaheizy Sam and Lisa Surihan.  Character for Auntie May is Yana Samsudin because she look like a Chinese woman and suitable for this character.  Next,  Sasha's character I choose Mia Sara Nasuha because she is intelligent and talkative.  She may be can thinking why her Papa asked her to not tell about Auntie May.  The places for this film is Kuala Lumpur.  This country is very social and famous about party and everything.