Discussion Topic
The development and alteration of narrative and character evolution in Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill."
Summary:
In Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill," the narrative and character evolution are intricately developed through the protagonist's internal monologue and her interactions with the world around her. Miss Brill's character changes from a sense of belonging and self-importance to a painful realization of her own isolation and insignificance, culminating in a moment of self-awareness and disillusionment.
How does Miss Brill's character evolve throughout the story?
What changes in Miss Brill is her self-perception, a perception symbolized with the fur necklet that she inspects after pulling it from its box.
"'What has been happening to me?' said the sad little eyes." And, after looking fondly at it, "something light and ...gentle seemed to move in her bosom."
Miss Brill has been "looking through a glass darkly," perceiving herself as an integral part of those gathering at the Jardin Publique for the Sunday concert. She has distanced herself from those older couples sitting silently, and
they looked as though they'd just come from dark little rooms or even--even cupboards!
All the time, however, she has been a part of these silent people, for in the ending of the story, Miss Brill passes the baker's and climbs the stairs to her "little dark room--like a cupboard"--and sits for a long time. Finally, she unclasps the necklet, without looking...
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at it, for it resembles the old ermine torque on the head of the rejected woman at the park. When she puts the lid on it, Miss Brill hears crying, the moaning of her heart, for she knows that she can never again go to the park on Sunday for the concert with the same spirit.
but now she sees clearly after overhearing the young couple who sit in place of the older ones.
How does the narrative in Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill" develop and alter throughout the story?
To begin, the narrative is full of fresh and invigorating imagery, and the narrator playfully mimics Miss Brill's own tone when describing anything. The "blue sky [is] powdered with gold and great spots of light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques." This simile, comparing the light to splashes of white wine, is very positive in connotation and bright in mood. When Miss Brill takes out her fox fur, she imaginatively gives it life, and the narrator calls it a "Little rogue!" just as she would. We do not realize for some time what Miss Brill's real situation is like because she does not seem to realize it herself, and so the narrative continues brightly and optimistically like this for some time. She imagines herself to have a vital role in the theatrical performance that she comes to believe everyone at the park is taking part in, and her "eyes filled with tears [...]" when she thinks how they all share this extraordinary life.
Then, however, a young man and woman sit down next to her, and without realizing she can hear, he refers to Miss Brill as a "stupid old thing" who'd please everyone by staying home. The young woman makes fun of the fur that Miss Brill so adores. At this point, there is a break in the narrative where we do not see Miss Brill's reaction, although we have witnessed all her reactions to the conversations on which she eavesdrops up until now. After this break, the narrator's tone has changed. It is much less playful, and it no longer romanticizes the minutiae of Miss Brill's life. The narrator says that, instead of stopping for a slice of cake as she always does, Miss Brill goes straight home, home to "the little dark room -- her room like a cupboard [...]." This is the way the narrator previously described how Miss Brill imagined the homes of all the other old people at the park, and it indicates that Miss Brill now realizes that she is just like them. This sad realization accounts for the change in the narration and mood, and explains why Miss Brill hears crying when she puts her fur away.