Symbols

Katherine Mansfield relies heavily on symbols to convey deeper meanings in “Miss Brill”. The symbolic elements in the story are connected to its themes and characters.

The clothes

The clothes are an important symbol which helps with Miss Brill’s characterisation.

The fur is a symbolic element in the story, as it mirrors many aspects of Miss Brill’s life. Like Miss Brill, it is old and comes from a box which is similar to Miss Brill’s small and dark room. Miss Brill projects onto the fur her need for connection and affection. However, by the end of the story, it becomes a symbol of her rejection, as she is mocked not only for her age but also for the decaying appearance of the fur. In this sense, the fur’s meaning is transformed – from a beloved object it becomes an object which marks her as an outsider from the young couple’s point of view). At the end of the story, the fur returns to its small box, ...