Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill” Essay

Katherine Mansfields short story flatten brill is an great example of how a writer lowlife persona assorted literary techniques to lead the indorser to a better reckoning of get by brill the character. Instead of merely stating the message of the story, Mansfield used various literary techniques to allow the proofreader to draw his own conclusions close to the character. Using these literary aspects to reveal a truth about a character to the reader is often referred to as characterization. Four of the most easily recognized literary techniques used in Mansfields mislay brill are her use of symbolism, setting, allusion, and pictures of flock used by different characters in her story.Symbolism rooks a very large part in understanding throw away brill the character. This underside easily be serven by the relationship between Miss brill and her alter-ego, the fur. A symbol is a person, object or number that suggests more than its literal meaning. In other words, it is s omething that has two levels of meaning on the literal level it is what it is, for example, Miss brills fur is scantily a fur. It can homogeneouswise represent a more secluded meaning such as the fur being a symbol for Miss brill herself. Miss brill lives for the days that she spends in the park, this can be seen when she rubs the life endure into her furs dim little eyeball. This inverted comma reveal that the trips to the park help to rub life hold up into Miss Brill.The condition of the furs eyes also imply that Miss Brill is not as full of life as he one time might incur been, but as long as she can see the beauty and worth still in her fur, she can continue her sense of worth. Mansfield uses the bond between Miss Brill and the fur the assign how deeply she needs to belong. For example, throughout the story when Miss Brill is riant the fur is also felicitous, and when the fur is insulted then Miss Brill is also insulted. Perhaps the best example of this bond is whe n Miss Brill is academic term in her loo-like room and puts her fur out, and thinks that she hears something crying. Rather than facing the rue and disappointment of the day, she attributes her sadness to the fur.The setting of Miss Brill is an important shoot a line of the story because Miss Brill defines herself in relation to the setting. As she walks about the park, she feels more and more in tune with her setting, as she notices thatall of the commonwealth at the park, including herself, are actors in a weekly play. Her sense of herself in relation to the setting changes drastically, of course, when she overhears the puppyish couple ridiculing her. As the story opens, she is wellbeing and happy watching the other mint in the park. After the young couple mock her, we see the sadness as she walks slowly back to her apartment, her cupboard.Mansfield also uses allusion to reinforce the theme of the story. We number one see Miss Brills allusions to a cupboard as she descri bes the other elderly people in the park. She seems to sympathize with them because they are not a part of this grand play like she is. After being confronted by the young couple, Miss Brill realizes that she also lives in a room like a cupboard. This allusion Mansfield gives to Miss Brills room is valuable because of two reasons. She first used the term cupboard to describe the homes of the funny old people in the park either Sunday.It does not occur to Miss Brill that she is also one of these funny old people , however, Mansfield tells the audience that she is hence one of these funny old people when she describes Miss Brills room to the reader. The used of the term cupboard is also important because it demonstrates the way out setting can have on the readers opinion to the characters true nature. The quote referring to Miss Brills cupboard room, also gives the reader a look at the point of captivate that Miss Brill has. When Miss Brill is happy her room is not so bad, however , when she is depressed then her point of view is that she is like those funny old people that she notices in the park every Sunday.In Miss Brill, the limited omniscient point of view allows the reader to see that Miss Brill remains unchanged when the story ends. The point of view is based strictly on what Miss Brill sees and feels, without being biased by her rose-colored view of life. Upon arriving at the park, Miss Brill fixs to take in the details of her purlieu. She seem to cling to the best qualities of her surroundings t here were far more people than last Sunday, the band sounded louder and gayer, and the director was wearing a new coat. As she sits in her special topographic point she is disappointed that the odd man and seated next to her. She had become preferably an expert at listening as though she didnt listen. She views her eavesdropping as active participation inconversations surrounding her. Although she continues to watch the others in the congregation in a nd awe and fascination, she views the elderly people in the crowd quite differently.She calls them odd, silent and nearly all oldand they looked as though they had just come from dark little rooms or make up even cupboards. Trying to keep her mid of the elderly people, Miss Brill convinces herself of her importance in this grand play and that no doubt, somebody would have noticed is she hadnt been there. When the young couple seated beside her begin to talk, Miss Brill listens intently to their conversation. It is then that she hears them talk of her the way she has been wake the other elderly people throughout the afternoon. Why does she come here at all who wants her? The omniscient point of view allows the reader to view this conversation as it actually occurred, not as Miss Brill would have no doubt changed it in her mind. When she returns home to her room like a cupboard without getting her usual slice of honey cake, we see that she scene at the park has affected her. Yet, she is not changed by it. When she puts away the fur, she thinks she hears something crying. As a defense mechanism, she attributes her grief and pain to the fur, qualification it possible to carry on in her fantasy world.Mansfields Miss Brill is an excellent example of how a reader can progress to an understanding of a character through characterization. The reader is allowed to understand and register the story utilizing their own methods. Mansfield uses the literary methods of symbolism, setting, and points of view to enable the reader to understand the story and this get the greater meaning.BibliographyA Short Story Katherine Mansfields Miss Brill. http//www.op.org/domcentral/study/ashley/arts/arts404.htmMansfield, Katherine. Miss Brill. Literature An conception to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 7th ed. New York 1999. 33-37.Symbolism. http//www.kysu.edu/artsscience/LLP/211/symbolsm.htm