James Thurber, a renowned American writer known for his short stories, cartoons, and essays, was influenced by significant life experiences, including losing an eye from an arrow shot by a friend. His notable works include 'The Catbird Seat' and 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' and he received accolades such as a special Tony Award. Thurber's writing style combines sophistication and wit, fostering a legacy recognized through the annual Thurber Prize for American humor.

1. The Catbird Seat
James Thurber
Jesper Silva
BSEd II-A, English

2. JAMES THURBER
Notable Life Experiences:
 Both of his parents greatly
influenced his work.
 William Tell shot James in
the eye with an arrow, and
Thurber lost that eye.
Genre: Short stories,
cartoons, essays

3. JAMES THURBER
Notable Works:
 My Life and Hard Times
 "The Dog That Bit People"
 "The Night the Bed Fell"
 CLASSICS
 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
 The Catbird Seat
 A Couple of Hamburgers
 The Greatest Man in the World

4.  If Grant Had Been Drinking at
Appomattox
 75 fables  The New Yorker (1939)
Fables for Our Time &
Famous Poems Illustrated
(1940)
Further Fables for Our Times
(1956)
 PROSE IN THE NEW YORKER
JAMES THURBER

5. WRITING STYLE:
 Full of sophistication, charm and wit, his
stories and essays manifest a comic style
that is never folksy but still quintessentially
American.
NOTABLE AWARD:
 Thurber won a special Tony Award for the
adapted script of the Carnival.
JAMES THURBER

6. LEGACY:
 Established in 1997, the annual Thurber
Prize honors outstanding examples of
American humor.
DEATH:
 66  Pneumonia
JAMES THURBER

7. ON THE PROCESS . . .

8. WORD GAME: DIAL IT!
5—2—
7777—7—
33—777
gemstone: a
red, iron-
bearing
JASPER

9. CODES
1. 222—88—66—
66—444—66—4
2. 333—2—555—
555—444—22—
555—33
3. 7—777—666—
333—2—66—33—3
4. 2—7—7—2—
555—555—33—3
5. 7-33—222—222—
2-3—444—555—

10. ANSWERS
1. CUNNING
2. FALLIBLE
3. PROFANED
4. APALLED
5. PECADILLO

11. CHARACTERS
 Mr. Erwin Martin - decides he must kill
Mrs. Barrows
 Mrs. Ulgine Barrows - an assistant that is
redoing the format of the company
 Mr. Fitweiler - the owner of the company
 Miss Paird - Mr. Fitweiler's other assistant

12. TRIVIA
Satire
 Vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings
are held up to ridicule, ideally with the
intent of shaming individuals,
corporations, government or society itself,
into improvement.
 To draw attention to both particular and
wider issues in society using wit

13. TRIVIA
 Strong irony or sarcasm but parody,
burlesque, exaggeration, juxtaposition,
comparison, analogy, and double entendre
are all frequently used in satirical speech
and writing

14. Jesper Silva
BSEd II-A, English
TRIVIA GAME

15. Who wrote The Catbird Seat?

16. Who is the antagonist in
the satire?

17. Who was Thurber’s inspiration
for most of his characters in
his stories?

18. What genre of literature does
The Catbird Seat belongs?

19. James Thurber is known for
being a _________.

20. This is an illness which
James Thurber has.

21. Who is the protagonist in
the story?

22. He maybe inherited his comic
ability from his _______.

23. In the satire, he is the boss.

24. He was the cause of James
Thurber’s lost vision.

25. Analysis
Jesper Silva
BSEd II-A, English

26. Catbird
Seat
• phrase
meaning to
be sitting
pretty, or in a
good position
What’s with
the title?
Literal

27. Section One
“Planning the Mysterious Revenge”
What is the point of view?
Describe the main character.
Why is it that the main character has a
plan?
Does the main character need to grow out
of something (Stop) or grow into
something (Start)?

28. VOCABULARY STOP
Rub out – fixing a mistake
Ex. 2.Mr. Martin had decided to rub out
Mrs. Ulgine Barrows.
Tearing up the pea patch – to go on a
rampage
Ex. 4.Are you tearing up the pea patch?
Expression of Red Barber, an
announcer, over the radio about Dodger
games

29. Section Two
“The Revelation”
How did Mrs. Barrows entered the scene?
Why is Mrs. Barrows plan to reorganize
the company?
What is the problem in the story?
What is the goal?
What is the conflict?

30. Section Three
“The Revenge”
What is the main character’s approach to
solving problems? Does he at first confront
a dilemma head-on (Do-er), or does he
adapt himself to the situation at hand (Be-
er)?

31. Section Four
“Facing a Crossroad”
What was the original plan of Mr.
Martin?
Why did he tend to change it all of a
sudden?

32. Section Five
“The Trophy Laughter”
At the end of the story, has the main
character changed or remained the same?
Is the outcome of the story a success or a
failure?

33. Reflection
What can you observe from the way James
Thurber described Mrs. Ulgine Barrows?
Do you agree that the satire should be
titled The Catbird Seat? Why?
What is your insight from the satire?

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