Before we analyze this short story and get to the heart of the matter, let's talk about the theme and what it really means. Initially, when we think of theme, we may think that it is the summary or plot of a story (Clugston, 2010), when that is not the case. The theme itself is more complex than that; A theme is the representation of the idea behind the story. "What does this mean?" you can ask; Well, a theme is not what happens in the story. The theme tells you what the story is about. Everyone's answer to what a theme is may vary slightly due to individual interpretations. The short story I chose to analyze is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. This short story is about a man named Walter and his stubborn wife; More so, Walter and the way he reacts to his wife and his daily interactions with people. I believe the idea behind this short story was to imply that whenever you want to free your mind from worries or problems, you can get lost deep in your thoughts. Walter was very good at dreaming, he could do it while driving a car as illustrated in the short story in the first chapter (Clugston, 2010). Not to be confused with plot which tells what happens in a story, theme cannot be defined as a word. To find the answer to the question: what is a theme? We must ask ourselves the question: how (Clugston, 2010)? Two literary elements in this short story that contribute to the theme are the plot and the character of Walter Mitty. Story plot is defined as a dynamic element of fiction, a sequence of interrelated and contradictory actions and events that usually reach a climax and result in a resolution (Clugston, 2010).WALTER'S THEMEIn Life secret of Walter Mitty, the plot revolved around Walter and his vivid daydreams...... middle of paper ... or even the character would radically alter the theme of this short story or change it completely. In conclusion, the theme of a story is the purpose behind the story, not the summary or moral of the story. All stories, short stories and even movies have themes. You can usually point out the theme of something after reading or watching it. Plot and character are just two of the many literary elements of a story; there are several others, such as setting, tone, or point of view. The next time you read a book or watch a movie, try pointing it out. It can be very fun and entertaining.WALTER'S THEMESReferenceClugston, RW (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Works Cited Clugston, R.W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc..