It has been said that, "creative expression allows people to attempt to escape from what they view as painful realities of human existence." The validity of this statement can be proven upon examining James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, secondly, Jeremiah S. Chechik's film Benny & Joon, and finally, Tennessee Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie. James Thurber's short story, tells of a man named Walter Mitty. In the story, Walter Mitty …showed first 75 words of 1672 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1672 total…helps her to forget how different she is from other people. James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Jeremiah S. Chechik's film Benny & Joon, and Tennessee Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie, are all examples of how the mind can be used to escape from the drab or hurtful realities of life. Works Cited Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie, New Directions Publishing Corporation, Toronto Ontario, 1986. Literary Experiences, Prentice-Hall Canada Inc, Scarborough Ontario, 1990