character analysis

A detailed Summary of character analysis

"Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield is a short story about how a lonely woman's idealist behavior and optimistic outlook on life eludes her apparent loneliness and naivety. Miss Brill has made a ritual of going to the park every Sunday afternoon to observe and include herself in the lives of the patrons. She sits down in her usual "special seat" and observes the patrons as if it were a staged performance. Witnessing her thoughts and reactions throughout the course of the day, one may notice the suppressed feelings and concealed depression in her character.

Miss Brill's character could be defined as a dreamer. Her conscious effort to bring to life the events she observes at the park, and the way she includes herself in the action is often realized. She allows herself to become a participant in the lives of others. For example: pg. 51, "Oh, how fascinating it was! How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, / watc

hing it all! It was like a play. It was exactly like a play!...No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn't been there; she was a part of the/ performance after all." Miss Brill has convinced herself she plays a part in the lives of the patrons, and moreover that they actually note her existence. She often imagines these little scenarios where she is actually conversing with the patrons, or even sharing her experiences with her pupils. She prides herself in believing she plays a significant role, and embraces the notion that she would be missed.

It is not until the end of the story that Miss Brill somewhat reveals her suppressed lonely disposition. As she happily sits in her "special seat" she eavesdrops on a young couple. She then hears them mocking her, telling her to go home. pg 52, "Why does she come here at all-who wants her? Why doesn't she keep her silly/old mug at home?" For the first time Miss Brill realizes how lonely she actually is, k

Some common words found in the essay are:
Miss Brill, Miss Brill's, Katherine Mansfield, miss brill, miss brill obviously, brill obviously, fox fur, staged performance, crying miss brill, miss brill convinced, pg 52, lives patrons, special seat, ideal world, example pg, brill convinced,

Approximate Word count = 653
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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character analysis

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