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Will Thornton

Mr. Shelton

English 8, Period 7

29 January 2002

A Comparison of Smithers and Mitty

“The Two Bottles of Relish,” by Lord Dunsany, written in 1932, tells the story of Smithers, a relish vendor and London resident, in his quest to sell his product, Num-numo and, along with his new roommate, Linley, solve the murder of Nancy Elth. The 1942 short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” by James Thurber, documents the fantasies of ordinary man Walter Mitty as he attempts to escape his mundane life. Both Smithers and Mitty have low self-esteem and are ambitious in different ways, but they differ in imagination.

Both Smithers and Mitty have low opinions of themselves and permit others to push them around. Smithers shows his feelings of inferiority when he readily admits, “I’m what you might call a small man and in a small way of business”(42). He acknowledges his low opinion of his work of selling relish when he says, “ . . . it is quite easy to push . . . I wouldn’t have gotten the job if it weren’t”(42). Smithers concedes that Mr. Linley is superior when Smithers agrees to sleep in the hall to be out of Linley’s way and to do the leg work to get the clues so that Linley can solve the murder. Walter Mitty exposes his feelings of inadequacy as he remembers bungling the removal of chains from his tires and having to pay a mechanic to correct his mistake. He is totally managed by his wife which is proven when she orders him to buy overshoes, and when he protests,

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she continues to put him down by saying, “ ‘We’ve been through that . . . You’re not a young man any longer’”(273). Mitty further demonstrates his inability to stand up for himself when he tolerates being given orders by the parking attendant. The actions of Smithers and Mitty verify that they have no confidence in themselves.

Each man is ambitious; however, Smithers sets realistic goals, but Mitty’s aspirations have no basis in reality. Smithers simply wants to be a better salesman and proves his desire when he becomes excited about living with Linley because Smithers thinks by learning to sound more sophisticated he can sell to a larger clientele, and he proclaims, “ If I picked up only a quarter of it from this Mr. Linley I’d be able to double my sales”(43). Smithers is so committed to his goal that he is willing to pay more rent than he can afford to soak up Linley’s knowledge. Also, Smithers displays the initiative to solve the murder and does all the work by traveling to Unge to gather the clues needed to solve the mystery. He displays his determination to sell his product in Unge after he finds out that Steeger, the prime suspect in the murder, had bought two bottles of Num-numo relish, and Smithers says, “ A murder certainly stimulates people’s minds, and Steeger’s two bottles gave me an opportunity that only a fool would have failed to make something of”(51). Mitty’s ambition is unrealistic and is proven when he pretends to be a hydro-plane pilot and to understand the use of complicated dials on the plane. Another example of Walter Mitty’s ludicrous dreams is his imagining he is a doctor who is completely relaxed while operating on one of the most important people in the country and is poised in a high stress situation when he fixes an anaesthetizer with a

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fountain pen. Mitty’s ambitions are unrealistic, while Smithers’ goals are not too difficult to attain.

Walter Mitty portrays a vivid imagination, but Smithers shows none. Mitty uses his imagination to escape the reality of his life, and he creates intricate fantasies in which he is a Navy pilot, a world renowned surgeon, a defendant in a courtroom, a bomber pilot in a war, and a brave man facing a firing squad. Any time that Mitty cannot make a decision, he escapes the situation by using his imagination, such as pretending he is a surgeon after he drives by a hospital when he is looking for a place to park. In addition, Mitty’s fantasies show his imagination through the use of intricate details such as using a Webley-Vickers 50.80 weapon in the courtroom trial and his describing a dark-haired woman who lands in his arms. On the other hand, Smithers is focused on selling relish and gives no indication of having an imagination. This trait is shown when he answers the question about how he might murder Nancy Elth; he replies, “ If I’d murdered poor Nancy Elth?” . . . “ I can’t ever imagine doing such a thing”(52). Also, Smithers has all the facts that he needs to solve the murder after he goes to Unge, but his lack of mind’s eye prevents him from solving the murder. Mitty’s imagination allows him to escape into fantasy, and Smither’s lack of imagination keeps him ordinary.

Smithers and Mitty feel inadequate and are ambitious in different ways; however, they differ greatly in their use of imagination. Smither’s characteristics result in an ordinary man; Mitty’s traits result in a man who arouses sympathy.

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Works Cited

Plunkett, J. M. D. “The Two Bottles of Relish.” 1932. 21 Great Stories.

Ed. Abraham H. Lass and Norma L. Tasman. New York: Mentor, 1969. 42-55.

Thurber, James. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” 1942. 21 Great Stories. Ed.

Abraham H.Lass and Norma L. Tasman. New York: Mentor, 1969. 272-277.

Pledge

“ I have read the entire book and have written this essay without assistance. I have used no Cliffs Notes, Monarch Notes, or Barron’s Notes.”