Miss Brill

A detailed Summary of Miss Brill

Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill" is a story that makes one consider the inevitability of growing older. The events of the story are told through the eyes of Miss Brill. In the beginning of the story, the reader is given the impression that Miss Brill is a young, confident woman. But in the end, one is shocked that she must be an older, even elderly, lonely woman.

Mansfield gives the idea of a confident Miss Brill when she writes,

But the nose, which was of some black composition, wasn't at all firm. It must have had a knock, somehow. Never mind-a little dab of black sealing-wax when the time came-when it was absolutely necessary[...] Miss Brill put up her hand and touched her fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again (120).

These statements give the reader a feeling that Miss Brill is so vibrant and sure of herself. She says "nevermind", as if nothing can stand in her way (120). And, the way that she interacts with her fur that she enjoys so much, leads one to believe that she is feeling "

After watching the crowd as if invisible, even willing the "boring, old couple" away, Miss Brill gets her own judgement at the end of the story. A young couple, whom she had been observing until now, comes and sits at the same bench. In her eavesdropping, she overhears the girl say,

When Miss Brill attends the Sunday afternoon concert, she watches everyone, leading the reader to believe that she is somewhat of an outsider. And as she watches, she forms opinions of all those around her. She always points out whether the person is "old", and comments often on the fact. Once, it was even said, "She glanced sideways at the old couple. Perhaps they would go soon. Last Sunday, too, hadn't been as interesting as usual" (120"). This is often an attitude of a younger person; they think that because someone is old, that are also in some way inferior and boring.

Mansfield let's us believe that Miss Brill may even feel superior to those around her. She speaks of "peasant women with funny straw hats", and "a cold, pale nun" (121). Also, she thinks of those around her as odd, even stating,

Miss B

Some common words found in the essay are:
Miss Brill, Miss Brill's, miss brill, Assignment WRT, miss brill feel, miss brill's, brill feel,

Approximate Word count = 746
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Miss Brill

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