Miss Brill Character Analysis
Character Analysis of Miss Brill & Miss Emily
In both stories “A Rose for Emily” and “Miss Brill” the two main characters experience harsh criticism from the outside world. Rejection, isolation and loneliness are the major experiences that each character faced, but the way they were handled and done were different. Another different thing about them is that Emily Grierson avoids her townsmen and Miss Brill embraces her townsmen and wants to be a part of their world. Emily Grierson and Miss Brill not being able to step into reality, meaning a big part of both stories, leaves the characters struggling for happiness. Both tend to live in their past and can’t accept the fact of change. With twists and shocking events from both characters in the story, Emily Grierson and Miss Brill lead themselves to a crazed ending.
Rejection is shown from each of these stories because both characters are rejected, but in different ways. Emily Grierson was waiting for Homer Barron to ask her to marry him, but never did. Readers never know why but have a theory he was a homosexual. “-he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks ' Club- that he was not a marrying man” (Faulkner p# 224). This quote explains much, but not all the details to infer he was a homosexual. In “Miss Brill” the old woman is sitting on the bench as usual until she overhears a couple’s conversation. The couple argues about Miss Brill always being at the park, “Because of that stupid old thing at the end there” (Mansfield p# 243). Miss Brill feels rejected by society and the environment around her, Miss Brill began to realize the difference between reality and fantasy that day. She didn 't stop by the bakery like she usually did, and she put the old fur that she was wearing away in a box, symbolizing a shift in Miss Brill 's view on the world around her and a transformation of herself.
Loneliness also, showed in both “A Rose for Emily”, and “Miss Brill”, is a key factor on both
In both stories “A Rose for Emily” and “Miss Brill” the two main characters experience harsh criticism from the outside world. Rejection, isolation and loneliness are the major experiences that each character faced, but the way they were handled and done were different. Another different thing about them is that Emily Grierson avoids her townsmen and Miss Brill embraces her townsmen and wants to be a part of their world. Emily Grierson and Miss Brill not being able to step into reality, meaning a big part of both stories, leaves the characters struggling for happiness. Both tend to live in their past and can’t accept the fact of change. With twists and shocking events from both characters in the story, Emily Grierson and Miss Brill lead themselves to a crazed ending.
Rejection is shown from each of these stories because both characters are rejected, but in different ways. Emily Grierson was waiting for Homer Barron to ask her to marry him, but never did. Readers never know why but have a theory he was a homosexual. “-he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks ' Club- that he was not a marrying man” (Faulkner p# 224). This quote explains much, but not all the details to infer he was a homosexual. In “Miss Brill” the old woman is sitting on the bench as usual until she overhears a couple’s conversation. The couple argues about Miss Brill always being at the park, “Because of that stupid old thing at the end there” (Mansfield p# 243). Miss Brill feels rejected by society and the environment around her, Miss Brill began to realize the difference between reality and fantasy that day. She didn 't stop by the bakery like she usually did, and she put the old fur that she was wearing away in a box, symbolizing a shift in Miss Brill 's view on the world around her and a transformation of herself.
Loneliness also, showed in both “A Rose for Emily”, and “Miss Brill”, is a key factor on both
Cited: Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily.” Compact Literature. Eds. Kirszner and Mandell. Boston. Random House/Vintage. 25