Two of the short stories you read this semester are "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and "After Twenty Years." Choose one of these stories. State the theme in a complete sentence. Then briefly explain why it is a valid theme of the story.

Escapism, as in to escape something. This fundamental theme of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is evident throughout the book as Walter fantasizes about amazing and different adventures when in reality most of his life is quite boring. He escapes to this different reality to deal with the issues in his own life. Modern day equivalents for many people include alternate online personalities where shy people can be courageous, much like Walter Mitty's escapes and imaginary adventures.