The Confluence
Student Type
Graduate
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This paper examines the moral formation of the protagonist of the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) through the framework of Aristotelian virtue ethics. Though extensive research has been conducted on the use of film as a vehicle for moral education and a tool for ethics pedagogy, there exists a demonstrable gap in research which applies the principles of virtue ethics to character analysis in film. This paper presents a scene-based, qualitative analysis comparing the actions of the main character to the model of habituation of virtue as presented in The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. In observing the state of the protagonist's moral posture chronologically, it will be demonstrated that his character arc engages with familiar virtue ethics concepts such as habituation (ethos), disposition (hexis), practical wisdom (phronesis), friendship (philia), contemplation (theōria), and ultimately eudaimonia. The concluding arguments will present Walter Mitty’s moral development as a roadmap to understanding his personal journey to eudaimonia through habituation, supportive friendships, and engagement with reality. Finally, a film analysis framework constructed on the tenets of virtue ethics will be proposed using this film as a case study. The analysis in this paper is intended to contribute to evolving conversations surrounding film philosophy, ethics pedagogy, and narrative screenwriting by encouraging contemporary filmmakers to adopt similar patterns of character formation which can depict authentic human flourishing on screen.
Recommended Citation
Stroud, Eric W.
(2026)
"The Purpose Of LIFE: An Analysis of The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty as a Cinematic Guide To Eudaimonia,"
The Confluence: Vol. 4:
Iss.
3, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2150-2633.1098
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theconfluence/vol4/iss3/4
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Date
May 9, 2026
Included in
Applied Ethics Commons, Other Philosophy Commons, Screenwriting Commons, Visual Studies Commons
Author Bio
Eric W Stroud is a graduate student pursuing his MFA in Interdisciplinary Media Arts at Lindenwood University. He currently serves as an Instructor of Communications at Cedarville University.