Doe !

John Doe
Isabelle Bertolotti
English 5102 - 2
4 April 2016
Ms. Brill as a Modern Day Cyberbully

Ms. Brill is a short story written by Katherine Mansfield and published in 1920. This

work is about an old woman who enjoys judging others at the local park in reaction to her

feelings of loneliness. On this particular day she goes back home, wounded by others comments

about her. This story is excellent because the author highlights the meaningful theme, that some

peoples criticism of others stem from a personal feeling of loneliness, through characterization,

symbolism and setting.

To begin, the story is excellent because the author highlights the theme effectively

through characterization. Firstly, Miss Brill is very snobby. As she sits and listens to the music

band, she judges the other characters at the park based on the clothes they wear: An Englishman

and his wife, he wearing a dreadful Panama hat and she button boots(1). Next, she comes across

as strongly judgemental. She comments about the people sitting around her in the park that

...there was something funny about nearly all of them. They were odd, silent, nearly all

old.... (2). It is clear that Miss Brill is judgemental and that this character trait reflects part of the

theme strongly.

To continue, the story is excellent because the author highlights the theme effectively

through symbolism. Firstly, the fur she wears is symbolic of her loneliness. It is removed from its

small, dark place and brought out into the open only to be returned to its lonely box at the end:

She had taken it out of its box that afternoon(1), and She unclasped the necklet quickly;
 Doe !2

quickly, without looking and laid it inside(4). To add, the fur also symbolizes Ms. Brills

sadness. The fine fur is described with the sad little eyes (1). The symbolic items used to

highlight Ms. Brills sadness in this story are very effective.

To end, the story is excellent because the author highlights the theme effectively through

setting. Firstly, the sunny day described in the story contrasts Ms. Brills dark emotions of

sadness. The day she spends outside is brilliantly fine - the blue sky powdered with gold and

great spots of light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiques (1). Next, the park is a

place that gathers people together. On that day in particular there were a number of people out

this afternoon, far more than last Sunday (1). The fact that she is friendless on a park bench

highlights her loneliness. Finally, her return home from a bustling park highlights her reality. Her

home is described as the little dark room - her room like a cupboard (4). Mansfields

construction of the setting displays the theme persuasively.

To summarize, Katherine Mansfield has written a great story for readers. She has

highlighted the main idea, that sometimes people who react negatively to others can be lonely,

through strong characterization, symbolism and setting. Perhaps Ms. Brill is the earlier version of

todays cyberbullying and cyberhate phenomena where people verbally attack others virtually in

a nameless manner. This story reflects the possibility that these haters might just be lonely after

all and and if society listens carefully, it might hear something crying (4).