Review and Character Analysis of Katherine Mansfield's Miss Brill

Immediately after the news of her husband's death, Mrs. Mallard races upstairs into her room where she settles into “a comfortable, roomy armchair” (para.4). The armchair symbolizes the rest from the oppressive life she had and freedom from society's expectations. Since it was tradition for women to be married by a certain age, Louise Mallard must have obligated to marry Brently. Sitting in the armchair, she gazes out of the window and starts indulges in deep thought, which establishes her as an intelligent individual.

When first introduced to the narrator, readers quickly pick up on how observant she is to the world around her. However as the novel draws to a close, many quick events take place with little to no explanation or commentary from the

In the short story “Miss Brill” the protagonist, Miss Brill, is a lonely and isolated woman who likes to spend her Sunday afternoon’s in the park observing everyone around her and listening to their conversations without them knowing. We can infer that Miss Brill has created her own fantasy world to escape the harsh reality of her own life. At the end of the story the audience can come to the conclusion that Miss Brill experienced an epiphany that will change her life.

One of the most vital elements of the story though is the classification of Miss Brill as a dynamic character. Being a dynamic character entail that the knowledge about the character grows and that some kind of change takes place because of the action occurring in the plot. In "Miss Brill" this hinges on the fact that Miss Brill spends her time alone, with almost no actual human contact. Her only means of living life is through that of those around her, she watches their actions, listens to their conversations and acts like a hidden parasite, drawing her own meaning in life by observing others, or as she put it "... there was always the crowd to watch" (Mansfield 259).

for Mrs. Braling and rebels against Mr. Braling .Two lines from the story demonstrate this,

When the narrator first encounters the girl, his friend's older sister, he can only see her silhouette in the “light from the half-opened door”. This is the beginning of his infatuation with the girl. After his discovery, he is plagued by thoughts of the girl which make his daily obligations seem like “ugly, monotonous, child's play”. He has become blinded by the light. The narrator not only fails to learn the name of his “girl”, he does not realize that his infatuation with a woman considerably older than himself is not appropriate. He relishes in his infatuation, feeling “thankful [he] could see so little” while he thinks of the distant “lamp or lighted window” that represents his girl. The narrator is engulfed by the false light that is his futile love.

She tries to find satisfaction through what the conversationalists communicate to one another but her selfishness fails for her heart to be fulfilled. The elderly lovers sitting next to her brought her frustration, “They did not speak. This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation… ’Dear me! Miss Brill didn’t know whether to admire that or not!’” (Mansfield 183; 185). Miss Brill focuses solely on her happiness and struggles to find contentment. This causes Miss Brill dissatisfaction in what she encounters. She displays inconsiderate behaviors, “Only two people shared her ‘special’ seat… She’d glanced, sideways, at the old couple, Perhaps they would go soon. Last Sunday, too, hadn’t been as interesting as usual” (Mansfield 183). In Miss Brill’s eyes, she sees herself as the only human who trying to locate comfort and love. She thinks the action at the garden would not be the same without her because she appears a part of the plot. She considers her “special seat” as if she owns it and will only part with whoever brings a fascinating

Miss Brill alters her perception of reality to avoid facing unpleasant aspects of her life. Therefore, she lives her life in an illusion that she is an actress and the director of a play. “Yes, have been an actress for a long time”(4), from this passage an individual could evidently suggest that Miss Brill sees herself as an actress. However, in reality, she’s not

While at the park, she feels that it is a place that she belongs. The sense of belonging is shattered when the young couple makes a harsh and petty remark. This is the moment that the character of Miss Brill is revealed. She starts to feel conious of her age and her place in the world. In a instant her dreams are annihilated and her world starts to crumble around her.

“[The old couple] did not speak. This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked forward to the conversation” (176).

Miss Brill often finds herself personifying this fox fur, giving it gendered pronouns as opposed to objective pronouns. This indicates how the fur seems to be the only companion or friend that she has, and that she projects her loneliness onto this fox fur. The style of Mansfield’s writing shows that Miss Brill deeply cares about this fur, showing some of Miss Brill’s internal monologue as she takes the fox fur out of its box that afternoon. In the park, Miss Brill finds herself listening in to people’s conversations, as she feels like she can be a part of their lives this way even if it was just for a moment. The deep isolation and loneliness that Miss Brill experiences causes her to long for human connection -- though she never figures out how to achieve it. Also, it is interesting to see how Miss Brill describes the other elderly people in the park around her. She observes that they looked as though they had “just come out from dark little rooms or even — even cupboards!” This is significant because she compares them to her fox fur, which is something that she keeps in a cupboard until she is ready to leave her house again. She makes this comparison between the other elderly people at the park, however she does not make this connection to herself. This could show how Miss Brill separates herself from the other elderly people, because she longs for

She pays attention to the smallest details. "Wasn’t the conductor [of the band in the park] wearing a new coat, too? She was sure it was new. He scraped with his foot and flapped his arms like a rooster about to crow… Now came a little ‘flutey’ bit—very pretty!—a little chain of bright drops. She was sure it would be repeated. It was; she lifted her head and smiled" (98). Even if she’s only an observer, Miss Brill is an involved observer. She draws enjoyment from simply being in the park atmosphere. However, her enjoyment is more than a passing mood. It’s actually an indication of a deeper emotion—a kind of happiness. This becomes clear after Miss Brill has paid close attention to several small exchanges between people at the park. "Oh how fascinating it was! How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, watching it all!" (99). That Miss Brill does not actually participate in anything is clear to the reader, but not to her. Vicarious involvement in other people’s lives seems to be fulfilling for her, even though there is no actual interplay with others. The most telling evidence that Miss Brill is happy (and that her happiness is based on a false impression) is when she comes to the conclusion that she’s somehow needed at the park. "No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn’t been there; she was part of the performance after all… Miss Brill nearly laughed out loud" (100). This realization eventually moves Miss Brill to

The details as told, seem to be coming directly from Miss Brill at times. The narrator gets us settled into the park with Miss Brill and tells us that she sees those around her as “odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though they’d just come from dark little rooms or even-even cupboards!” This tells me that Miss Brill sees herself differently than she sees others, not odd or funny. She is a part of all this life and activity at the park! An actor in the grand play and “somebody would have noticed if she hadn’t been there.” She really loved to be out with others and thought that she was very much a part of the world and not apart from it. Don’t we all feel this way? Some people are truly introverted and care little of interacting, but I think the majority of us strive to become part of the world and at times feel like this life is one big drama and we have a big part. Our role might only be important for one scene, but we feel like the leading man or woman at times. The narrator leads us to what appears to be a fitting climax; a crescendo of music and song, with all players involved. Miss Brill’s dreams of this were quickly shattered. The comments by the young people, “Why does she come here at all-who wants her? Why doesn’t she keep her silly mug at home?” leaves Miss Brill with the cold realization that she is in fact like the odd, old people that she watches in the

Miss Brill is a single woman, probably in her mid to late fifties. She lives alone in a very small space without even a cat or bird. She has a collection of vintage clothing. Her physical appearance is only alluded to in the 18-paragraph short story by Mansfield, but in reading about a day in her life, one has the impression of an intelligent, sensitive

When the characters in the play are silent, Miss Brill imagines what they must be saying. However, their silence makes eavesdropping on their lives quite difficult (Wilson 2: 145). She also has a tendency to judge the characters, seeing them in ways that others in the garden likely view her. For instance, she finds many of the older people in the garden “odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though