Reproductive Imagery In Miss Brill Summary

Mandel, Miriam B. "Reductive Imagery in 'Miss Brill.'" Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 26, no. 4, Fall 1989, pp. 473-477. EBSCOhost, aclibproxy.actx.edu. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018. “Reductive Imagery in ‘Miss Brill’” attempts to explain that “Miss Brill” contains more figurative language rather than actions. In particular, it explains that “Miss Brill” depends generally on images of sense and sound, but the senses of taste and touch are also displayed, “a faint chill, like a chill from a glass of iced water before you sip… She felt a tingling in her hands and arms” (1). Mandel explains that Miss Brill is a single, aged, lonely, immigrant woman who does not have any family or friends, but tries to reduce the world to make herself feel superior. As

"An overview of ‘Miss Brill.’" Short Stories for Students, 2002. Literature Resource Center, link.galegroup.com. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018. This article summarizes the character of Miss Brill by writing that she finds pleasure in her life by visiting the same park every Sunday and comparing each of her visits. Peltier mentioned that Miss Brill feels a sense of belonging when she sits in on other people’s conversations. He added that Miss Brill has such a big imagination she decides to leave her role as a spectator and become a “part of a play”, imagining all of the other park goers as actors too. Since “Miss Brill” takes place in the fall, Miss Brill pulls out her fur like the other women, attempting to be what is so called normal. “An Overview of ‘Miss Brill’” states Miss Brill’s fur is old and dirty, but she thinks it is a lovely companion. That is stated to explain who she is and what little she has, “Miss Brill put up her hand and touched the fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again. 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…Little rogue biting its tail just by her left ear. She could have taken it off and laid it on her lap and stroked it”

This article points out many forms of imagery and expresses the true character of Miss Brill. Terry White quoted, “Miss Brill’s life is one of shabby gentility and pretense”(n.p.), which sums up Miss Brills life as a whole. The part of White’s article conversing about Miss Brill not having any love in her life so she cares so much for her fur, “Maternally caressing the fur” will be a useful topic in my essay. White wrote that readers “behold her pathetic attempt to build a fantasy life to protect her from the harsh facts of her existence” (n.p.), and I agree with White. Also Terry White sums up the story of “Miss Brill” by writing, “Like the insidious illness that seems to be creeping to life inside her, Miss Brill is abruptly forced to confront the reality that her imagination seeks to escape”(n.p.). This part of White’s article will be a great focus in my paper and will provide me information to write my