"Oh, how fascinating it was! How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting here, watching it all! It was like a play! It was exactly like a play!"(pg 86, Mansfield)
Miss Brill is so hungry to be a part of something that when she realizes that her Sunday afternoons in the park remind her of a play, it bring her great joy. A play that everyone has a role in. That people would miss her if she didn't come sit in her special seat every Sunday. She is a part of this show! Thinking about all of these things she get emotional, thinking of all of the beauty of this productions brings a smile to her face. Even the sky looks painted to her just like a beautiful set. These Sundays are very important to her. She even puts time into what she wears on this day, "She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth-powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into its dim little eyes." (In reference to the fur she wore. pg 84, Mansfield) She much enjoyed this Sunday ritual.
I feel like Miss Brill is someone we all know. I have known several "Miss Brills" in my life. The lonely old lady type, that is thirsty for any conversation and purpose, and would get all dolled up just to go out and get the mail. I feel like this is why I feel so sorry for her at the end, its because I feel like I know her.
I do think the young couple at the end hurt her feelings. When she was putting her fur away, "She unclasped the necklet quickly; quickly, without looking, laid it inside" (pg 87, Mansfield) I think she was ashamed of it or felt silly about it. It certainly was not put away with as much care as it was taken out.
I wonder, do you think she was more of a "Type" (the lonely old lady) or did the author make her seem like a whole person?
ReplyDeleteI'm more used to reading novels than short stories and I notice that I want more information than a short story provides. I wondered, how did she get so lonely. What traits does she have that make people not want to be friends with her?
I completely agree with your blog post! She seemed extremely joyful of her Sunday afternoons. It was interesting how Mansfield made it so Miss Brill knew everything about everyone and in a sense had her eves drop on the conversations. "She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didnt listen, at silling in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her" (Mansfield, 85).
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