Alienation in "Miss Brill"

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Alienation in Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill” In Katherine Mansfield’s short story, “Miss Brill,” we as readers are confronted with the idea that fantasizing can alienate a person from the world or society and can make us lonely. “Miss Brill” displays this alienation through her fantasies of being youthful, having companions, and being important. Miss Brill visits the park and fantasizes her entire life so much that she doesn’t notice she has grown old alone. Miss Brill always speaks to her only friend, her fur stole, so much that she hasn’t thought to make any other friends. Miss Brill fantasizes so much about being important and that ”somebody would [notice] if she [wasn’t] there” (135), that she didn’t realize what the community actually thinks of her. Fantasizing one’s entire life about staying youthful, having friends, and being important to the community can alienate a person from his or her society. Miss Brill has been coming to the park “every Sunday” (135) and has been judging everyone she sees at the park. Miss Brill even takes note of the people that come regularly to the park, like the band. Miss Brill is “sure that [the coat the conductor was wearing] was new” (133). She spends her time remembering the smallest details of other people at the park so much, that she didn’t realize that she didn’t accomplish the main goals in life, like getting married. Mansfield gives us the idea that Miss Brill is young by the title being “Miss Brill.” However, later on in the story we are confronted with the fact that Miss Brill is in fact old when the young boy refers to her as an “old thing” (136). Miss Brill also calls herself “an actress!” (135). An actress often symbolizes a young and beautiful woman. Fantasizing, judging and remembering other people’s lives leads Miss Brill to be alienated from the society. Throughout the story, Miss Brill

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