Skip to main content

What is the mood of "Miss Brill" up until the very end?

The mood of "Miss Brill" is fairly whimsical and imaginative in the beginning. The first line of the story and the initial description of the setting is quite pretty and cheerful, introducing this mood, with "the blue sky powdered with gold and great spots of light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques." The connotation of words like powdered and goldare quite positive, and the simile which compares the light to splashes of...

The mood of "Miss Brill" is fairly whimsical and imaginative in the beginning. The first line of the story and the initial description of the setting is quite pretty and cheerful, introducing this mood, with "the blue sky powdered with gold and great spots of light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques." The connotation of words like powdered and gold are quite positive, and the simile which compares the light to splashes of white wine feels both fun and sophisticated. Further, Miss Brill's own jaunty mood, especially as regards her little fox fur, which she refers to affectionately as a "Little rogue!" confirms the whimsy of the mood as well.


We do get small clues throughout the story that not all is as it seems to Miss Brill, though, so the mood change isn't as abrupt as it might seem at first glance. Miss Brill's fantasy that "They were all on a stage" is imaginative, but the strength with which she seems to believe and commit to the idea should strike us as a bit strange. Moreover, her plans to tell the man she reads to that she is "'an actress'" and has been "'for a long time'" make her seem rather more delusional than whimsical. In addition, the strange sentence, "No doubt somebody would have noticed if she hadn't been there," begins to point to Miss Brill's loneliness and sense of emptiness in her life, feelings of which she seems to be in denial until the end.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more