Miss Brill- Life is a Play

    The first things I noticed about Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield was the imagery and similes. In the first paragraph alone she describes the beautiful sky, and then describes the air using a simile, "like a chill from a glas of iced water before you sip..." (Mansfield 182). This did not seem unusual as I continued reading; she is simply noticing and appreciating a beautiful day. Even when she started describing the people that she observed along the way, I thought it was normal. This illusion ended when I realized that she not only did this on a regular basis, but also that she saw it all as a play. "It was exactly like a play. Who could believe the sky at the back wasn't painted?" (Mansfield 184). To me, I believe this shows that she is somewhat disconnected with reality. These scenes she is witnessing are not scenes of a play, and it is almost as if she is living vicariously through them. In a way, she is living behind the scenes, unrealistically. Lastly, I am not sure what the significance of the fur is, but I feel that it might just be another symbol of her clash with reality.