"Miss Brill"
Katherine Mansfield
In this story, Mansfield (more successfully than Melville) evokes great pity for the elderly English teacher, Miss Brill. Primarily, the use of the fur as a symbol for Miss Brill's acceptance and participation in society conveys the level of and her reaction to her alienation.
First of all, like the fur, Miss Brill's acceptance in society is dead- at least at the beginning of the story. However, this does not deter Miss Brill from going to the Jardins Publiques in the slightest. She simply needs to spruce up her sociability a little: "But the nose, which was of some black composition, wasn't at all firm. It must have had a knock, somehow. Never mind- a little dab of black sealing-wax when the time came- when it was absolutely necessary... Little rogue!" (Mansfield, 182).
This sense of pride in her place in society continues into the story. When she attends the weekly concerts at the gardens, she takes time to know all of the frequent comers. Furthermore, she comes to the realization that she is a key character in the performances; everyone is. All of life is a stage, and her part was to attend concerts every Sunday: a part she plays excellently.
Regardless, two little punks decide to remind Miss Brill of the popular opinion. Just like her fur, her ostensible participation in the weekly concert is laughable and annoying. Defeated, Miss Brill returns to her home to forget about her dreams of finding her place. Nevertheless, as she puts away her fur, she cannot escape the fact that she is throwing away her pride.
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