Miss Brill Literary Analysis

Everyone knows the feeling of being lonely; when a person is lonely, they can begin to display strange behaviors, they can become paranoid, hallucinate or begin to project inner thoughts into their realities, and so is the case in Katherine Mansfield’s short story “Miss Brill”. Miss Brill displays her feelings of loneliness by using the lives of others to fulfill her enjoyment, and to fill the void of companionship that she is so lacking. She wants nothing more than to find love and acceptance from others, but soon finds out that the reality of it all is truly devastating. Miss Brill is a very predictable elderly school teacher, whose weekly rituals consist of Sunday afternoon strolls in the park. She started her ritual every Sunday

She absolutely loved listening to the band play their music, but most of all loved to listen in on other people’s conversations. By doing this, Miss Brill felt a sense of belonging and worthiness. When she was in the park listening to others, she felt as if she was part of them. Mansfield described the eavesdropping as “She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn’t listen, at sitting in other people’s lives just for a minute while they talked around her.” (309). Miss Brill is yearning for the need to feel loved, and so she creates a fantasy world instead of facing the harsh reality of her own lonely life. Though she really enjoyed observing and listening to others, she describes the people as being “odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as if they’d just come from little dark rooms or even-even cupboards!” (310). This fantasy world that Miss Brill created was almost a shield protecting her from the harsh reality of her lonely life. Critic Steven Kellman describes Miss Brill’s encounters with others as “She reflects that most of the people that she sees in the gardens are old and strange, but hopes for their happiness.” (1660). This is definitely a true display of irony, due to the fact that Miss Brill would like nothing more than to be part of these strange people’s

While sitting and listening to the music and to other people’s conversations, she also imagined herself as playing a part in a play, a play, in which everyone in the park was a part of. She feels that her acting plays a meaningful role in the production of this play. Mansfield describes it as “They weren’t only the audience, not only looking on; they were acting. Even she had a part and came every Sunday. No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn’t been there; she was part of the performance after all.” (310). This revelation gives Miss Brill a false sense of connection with those around her and a false view of herself. It also reveals how odd, lonely and out of touch she is with herself and her surroundings. Critic Miriam Mandel describes Miss Brill’s imagination as “The images that bring the scene to life simultaneously reduce it: we see not only what Miss Brill sees, but we see how she sees what she sees, as it is reported in her own language.”