Miss Brill Symbolism

In “Miss Brill”, by Katherine Mansfield, the main character comes to realize that her role in society is not as significant as she once thought. Through symbolic representations, change in her thoughts of her role in society, and the incident with the young couple, Mansfield is able to use Miss Brill's character as an example of the importance of human emotional bonds. It is clear through the story that without relationships with others, loneliness soon takes its toll. Miss Brill is a developing character whose realization of her role in society is formed through symbols like the fur necklet, the orchestra, and the bonds between others who surround her.
Miss Brill builds up the idea that she is a very important actress in a play after continuous visits to the park every Sunday. The orchestra aids in the fantasy Miss Brill creates. The tone of the music coordinates with the actions taking place within the fantasy and is symbolic of Miss Brill’s emotions. On a particular Sunday, the band played louder than usual as a new season had begun. When the woman in the ermine toque was rejected, “the band seemed to know what she was feeling and played more softly” (Mansfield 267). When the rejected woman acted as though nothing had happened, “the band changed again and played more quickly, more gaily than

The fur necklet is a representation of Miss Brill because it is taken out of its small, dark box as Miss Brill leaves her home to go to the park on Sundays. After the encounter with the young couple and Miss Brill’s realization that she is not an actress, Miss Brill and her fur necklet return to their small, dark home alone. She returned the fur to its box, “but when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying” (Mansfield 269). The fur is symbolic of Miss Brill's emotions as she realizes she is