"Creative expression allows people to attempt to escape from what they view as painful realities of human existence" This essay explains this statement with proof from 3 novels.

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 has a very boring and dull life, which seems to be run by his wife. To escape from the dullness of everyday life, Walter Mitty lets his imagination go wild. Walter imagines himself as a hero who is always there to save the day. In Walter's imaginary world, he is assertive and quick thinking, which contradicts to the real Walter Mitty. Walter uses his imagination to help him get through dull and mundane tasks such as driving his wife to have her hair done; "The Commander stared at the ice forming on the pilot window. He walked over and twisted a row of complicated dials. "Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!" he shouted. "Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!" repeated Lieutenant Berg. "Full strength in No. 3 turret!" shouted the Commander. "Full strength in No. 3 turret!" The crew, bending to their various tasks in the huge, hurtling eight-engined Navy hydroplane, looked at each other and grinned. "The old man will get us through" they said to one another. "The Old Man ain't afraid of Hell!" . . . "Not so fast! You're driving too fast!" said Mrs. Mitty. "What are you driving so fast for?"

"Hmm?" said Walter Mitty. He looked at his wife, in the seat beside him, with shocked astonishment. She seemed grossly unfamiliar, like a strange woman who had yelled at him in...