Been sick, got well, ‘nough said. Bit late, but here’s my post on the topic of “character.”
Many novels have been written about strong young heroes trying to find their places in the world. Such inherently dynamic characters are a rich source of writing material. Katherine Mansfield’s character, Miss Brill, however, is quite the opposite. Old and set in her ways, no one would ever expect Miss Brill to undergo any life-altering changes. She is the type of character who is interesting because of where she is, not where she is going. But Miss Brill’s unchanging existence is shattered on a chilly day in Autumn when she comes face to face with rejection, something she is utterly unfamiliar with.
The first insight Mansfield gives us into the character of Miss Brill comes from the story’s style. The style seems to reflect Miss Brill’s stream of conscience, but is rendered in third-person. An adjective that could be used to describe it is “chatty”; Miss Brill’s thoughts jump around a lot and contain little editorial asides. Examples include: “Never mind–a little dab of black sealing-wax when the time came–when it was absolutely necessary….Little rogue! Yes, she really felt like that about it,” “And when she breathed, something light and sad–no, not sad, exactly–something gentle seemed to move in her bosom,” and “Now there came a little ‘flutey’ bit–very pretty!–a little chain of bright drops.” Miss Brill’s mind does not harbor the kind of calm reflection associated with academics.
Miss Brill is very certain about how the world works and is always satisfied when it behaves according to her expectations. This is first demonstrated when she is listening to the band and hears a musical theme she likes: “She was sure it would be repeated. It was; she lifted her head and smiled.” Miss Brill is always delighted when the world acts according to her plans. This is part of what leads to the pivotal moment at the end of the story when the world suddenly surprises her. Miss Brill always has an opinion about things, from music to fashion to people’s behavior. She makes it her business to sit in the park every Sunday afternoon and eavesdrop on as many people as she can.
This Sunday starts off as a good day for Miss Brill. She thinks of a new way of viewing the world: “They were all on the stage.” Miss Brill is delighted to think of the world as a stage, with everyone playing their part. Above all, it makes it easier her her to think of her part as being just as important as anyone else’s. She goes as far as to assert that people would miss her if she didn’t show up one Sunday and is comforted by the fact: “No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn’t been there; she was part of the performance after all.” Her reclusive nature was already obvious, but this facet of the story shows something more; she is a recluse who does not realize that she is a recluse, nor does she notice how different her behavior is from everyone else’s. Other people do things, but Miss Brill just watches. This is the change that takes place at the end of the story, Miss Brill is made painfully aware of the fact that she is somehow separate from the people around her — she is not accepted.