Miss Brill: Point of View

"Miss Brill"
Katherine Mansfield

The point of view in "Miss Brill" contributes greatly to the overall meaning of the story. It is told in third-person omniscient point of view, meaning that we get to observe Miss Brill from an outside perspective while still gaining insight into her perceptions of the world around her. This combination of information allows the reader to sympathize with Miss Brill while still maintaining a rational view of the whole situation. The isolation felt by Miss Brill is conveyed through her thoughts, but the comments of others around her also help to cast her out from society. In the end, this specific point of view lets the reader classify Miss Brill as they choose: an elderly woman slowly losing her grip on reality or a social outcast deserving of our pity.

Miss Brill, suggested to be an old woman herself, refuses to relate with the old people on the benches around her claiming that "they were odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though they'd just come from dark little rooms," (Mansfield, 184). To add to her isolation, Miss Brill views her life as a musical, giving her thoughts an unrealistic feel. Participating in the drama of her life does not allow Miss Brill to connect to anyone negatively or positively. Even the people for whom she does not care are still viewed as characters performing their stage directions in the theatre of life.