The Old and the Lonely
Many times people refuse to see themselves as others view them. This is the case in Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill" (reprinted in Arp and Johnson 180-186). Miss Brill is an elderly lady who does not want to admit she is as old as the people in her community say she is. As she leaves her role of spectator and joins the "actors" in her performance, she is rejected and her fantasy is shattered. Although she is the protagonist in the story, she is also the antagonist because she is in conflict with herself. Arp and Johnson point out that the antagonist is something or someone that may place force against the protagonist (108). She is also considered to be a round character. According to McKeague, "Round characters truly seem real to us because of the way they are developed by the author. Like us, they have experience that can change the way they look at life..." (49). Because of Miss Brill's lack of interaction with other people, she lives a life of loneliness, fantasy, and extreme sensitivity. On one of her Sunday "performances" in the park, she experiences an epiphany that shows the sad reality of her life. Miss Brill's loneliness is brought about by her lifestyle and daily activities. One reason Miss B
As readers examine this dynamic story by Katherine Mansfield, they should look on the inside and relate to Miss Brill, and compare her to the many elderly people they may encounter throughout their lives. She does not really know what happens in their lives. rill is lonely is because she lives by herself in a small apartment. If everyone would look outside of their own environment, they would see people who are even lonelier than they are. She really hears the truth when the young man insults her by saying, "But why, because of that stupid old thing at the end there? Why does she come here at all. " To feel connected to the people in her community, she fantasizes about them being in a theatre production: "They were all on stage. Peltier says, "She has now withdrawn so far from the world that has hurt her, that she does not realize that it is she who is crying" (Peltier 3). Miss Brill's life of extreme sensitivity will bring a sad reality to her life. And so, Mansfield does a superb job of demonstrating how elderly people can become lonely and sensitive and how they deal with these traits by fantasizing about their lives. Another way her loneliness is brought about is not having a true male companion in her life. Even she had a part and came every Sunday. Finally, in the end of the story, she goes back to her "little dark room. No doubt, someone would have noticed if she hadn't been there; she was part of the performance, after all" (Mansfield 185). This man also is not able to bring happiness into her life.
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