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Misinterpretation In Katherine Mansfield's Miss Brill

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Misinterpretations When people are different and feeling cut off in a certain society, they cope in different ways. Some people become lonely and sad. Others may become delusional and see things that they think are real, but are truly a misrepresentation of the reality around them. In Katherine Mansfield’s short story “Miss Brill” we see that one person’s misinterpretations of her reality can lead her to pure unhappiness and misery in the society in which she lives. In this short story, Miss Brill is an elderly English woman in a modern French society. Miss Brill has no companions to talk to her or spend time with, so she persuades herself that a piece of clothing is a friend. Her fur fox piece that was in fashion back in her day symbolizes the loneliness and the delusions she starts to have just to be accompanied by a friend. “Little rogue,” (Mansfield) is what Miss Brill refers to as she is conversation with the piece of hair with a face. Miss Brill is so attached to her only friend, the fur, she even needs contact from the piece to reinsure that the fur is there for her: “She had taken it off and laid it on her lap as she stroked it” (Mansfield) Miss Brills sad misinterpretation of her one …show more content…

Brill dwells in everyday leads her to strange delusions and making strange decisions. While she has no companions in her life, she always finds someone to be a part of. She always seems to ease her way in to being in a social interaction with them, but without saying a word: “And still soundlessly singing, still with that trembling smile, Miss Brill prepared to listen.” (Mansfield) As she sees her eavesdropping as quite a skill, people around her seem to disagree. The short story states how people continue to walk on and ignore her as thou she isn’t even present in the park. Miss Brill’s delusion of her being a part of other people’s lives by eavesdropping really shows us the lonely and secluded side of this older, senile

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