Language

In “Miss Brill”, Katherine Mansfield uses moderately complex language – however, it is generally easy to understand.

Style of writing

The choice of words indicates a formal style of writing, which also contributes to Miss Brill’s characterization, showing that she behaves in a dignified way. The sentences are generally long, and the author uses ellipsis, marked by a set of dots (…), to create a pause between ideas and convey the main character’s feelings. For example, the ellipsis in the following sentence is meant to emphasise Miss Brill’s affection for the fur and perhaps a sense of nostalgia: “Oh, how sweet it was to see them snap at her again from the red eiderdown!...” (ll. 12-13)

We also encounter the em dash (—), which is used by the author to emphasise ideas or to connect them: “And when she breathed, something light and sad – no, not sad, exactly – something gentle seemed to move in her bosom.” (ll. 21-23); “And what they played was warm, sunny, yet there was just a faint chill–a something, what was it?–not sadness–no, not sadness–a something that made you want to sing.” (ll. 141-143)

Imagery

Imagery plays a very important part in the story as it helps with creating the setting but also with Miss Brill’s characterization.

Imagery is used from the beginning of the story to introduce readers to the physical setting (ll. 1-6). Imagery is also used to describe Miss Brill’s actions and convey her affection for the fur: “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 the dim little eyes.” (ll. 9-11)

Through imagery, readers also learn that Miss Brill notices the outer appearance of those around her: “An Englishman and his wife, he wearing a dreadful Panama hat and she button boots.” (ll. 47-48)

Furthermore, imagery is used to show the extent of Miss Brill’s fantasy – she imagines that a big, beautiful play is taking place in the park (ll. 144-151). Imagery is also used at the end of the story. After a boy and girl humiliate Miss Brill by comparing her fur to a fried fish (ll. 165-166), she hurries home and in her “little dark room – her room like a cupboard”, she quickly puts the fur away and believes she hears someone crying (ll. 181-184).

Onomatopoeia (the use of words to indicate sounds) also helps create imagery and suggests a vivid setting: a baby suddenly sits down, “ ‘flop’ ” (l. 66) and the band plays “Tum-tum-tum tiddle-um! tiddle-um! tum tiddley-um tum ta! (ll. 77-78).

Metaphors and similes

Mansfield frequently uses metaphors and similes in her story. They help create the setting and convey the main character’s perspective on her surroundings and state of mind.

The “blue sky powdered with gold and great spots of light” (ll. 1-2) is a metaphor meant to create an almost magical atmosphere. In fact, it is merely a sunny day, but this description is meant to allude to Miss Brill’s romantic perspective on her circumstances. The light is compared to “white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques” (ll. 2-3), a glamorous description which also alludes to Miss Brill’s distorted perception of reality.

The old people next to Miss Brill are compared to statues (l. 56), a simile meant to suggest that Miss Brill herself might look the same. Other old people in the park are indirectly compared to small,...