In ‘The Story of an Hour’, Mrs. Mallard’s experiences take place within the physical confines of her home. In ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, Mitty is on a visit to town with his wife, conducting a series of errands. There is a similarity, however, in that both of these characters escape into their own imaginations. Walter has several daydreams which take him into a hospital, a courtroom and various battle scenarios-
“It takes two men to handle that bomber, and the Archies are pounding hell out of the air.”
Mrs Mallard imagines her future life, unencumbered by her husband and the bonds of marriage-
...she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.
Both characters are oppressed by their setting and the circumstances around them. They are both confined to restrictive and unfulfilling marriages, and both create an ideal setting in their minds where they can be free.
Since there are only two characters in this story, and since they are very different in so many ways, it would seem that a comparison and contrast between Walter Mitty and his wife would be an excellent topic for an essay.
Walter Mitty is an introvert. His wife is an extrovert. This combination is not unusual in marriages. Either the husband or the wife takes care of practical matters, including social activities. It is often the husband who is introspective and the wife who takes over the planning and the doing. This can work out successfully for both partners, as C.G. Jung states in his book Psychological Types.
It actually has worked out for Mr. and Mrs. Mitty. They seem to be permanently married. She complains about him but is not thinking of getting a divorce because she apparently enjoys mothering him. He is an extreme introvert and needs somebody to look after him, to pick out his clothes and tell him what to wear. He escapes from her in his imagination but...