Miss+Brill+reaction

Acting in school plays, it is often interesting to try and imitate a character to the point where the the actor truly becomes the character-- in mind and body. Noting this, I found this short story very relatable and interesting. Miss Brill was able to turn a walk in the gardens into a sort of her own personal show, where everyone performed and had their own character to represent. The band that played even seemed like a pit orchestra, in that as Miss Brill focused on different "scenes," or interactions between two people, the music of the band seemed to change with the mood of the characters. The whole story took shape of a woman watching a play, but the Katherine Mansfield skillfully scatters images of the outdoors and the people in order to keep the reader in rememberance that Miss Brill was simply taking a different view on how the people around her interacted. Overall, I found the story quite relatable and interesting. -Thomas Moran

I think that Katherine Mansfield used imagery throughout her story very well. She was very descriptive when explaining the people and even the park. I believe that she did a really good job relating to the reader, because we all know that from time to time we secretly watch and listen to others’ conversations. Also, I believe she did a really good job relating Miss. Brills’ life to a play because everyday people fall into the same old routine and never ever realize. Neither did Miss. Brill until she realized her life was a play that constantly replayed over and over again, which relates to everyone. When Miss. Brill got made fun of by the two young people it was very easy to feel her sadness because it happens’ everyday. This is why I enjoyed this story very much due to the fact that it is very close to reality, which allowed me to understand the text in a whole new way. -Nikita Lewis

Katherine Mansfield used a lot of detail that made to short story, “Miss Brill” quite enjoyable. The setting of the story was very light and cheerful and as a result, it held my interest. The story did not have a lot of suspense, but it was so relatable it did not have to. Miss Brill seemed like a typical older woman that was enjoying life. I thought Katherine Mansfield did a good job of making Miss Brill relatable by explaining her Sunday routine. Everyone has a routine and Miss Brill’s seemed to be a typical and relaxing Sunday. I like the comparison to the play because it illustrated how Miss Brill believed that it was the perfect day. She was a star in her own life and was truly enjoying life. I really enjoyed this short story because it had a happy and upbeat tone that held my interest throughout the whole story. -Melissa Belanger

“Miss Brill” was a story that I somehow felt like I had a connection to because Miss Brill reminded me of my grandma even though she didn’t own a giant fur coat. Just as Miss Brill would go to the park and observe all the other people around her in great and vivid detail, my grandma used to take walks around the block and observe her surroundings. She would only be able to say hi to other people because that was all the English that she knew. This connection is somewhat relatable to any foreign or Asian person that lives in an area where he or she is only able to see those around him or her, but cannot verbally communicate with them in a way that makes sense. That’s how I would feel at least if I couldn’t speak English and I was around a bunch of people that only spoke English...Other then that though, this story sucked because the whole idea of a fur coat was stupid and didn’t make sense. -Raymond To

I was quite impressed with the short story __Miss Brill__, It was interesting and held my attention all the way through. Miss Brill and her fur coat take a Sunday stroll in the park, just the two of them, it seems like a relaxing idea, although a little strange for her to be talking to her coat, but seeing the weather is just now changing, she is simply reuniting with it. While in the park Miss Brill and her coat eavesdrop, or I guess you could call it people watching. I myself enjoy doing this once in a while, so it made the story very relatable. I enjoyed the descriptions of the other people in the park, sitting around the lady, also listening to the band. I could imagine myself actually being there, listing in on these people’s lives. This story didn’t have a purpose or a lesson, but I enjoyed it anyway, I would probably enjoy reading other stories written by author Katherine Mansfield. -Leah Schultz

I thought the short story, "Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield, was an average story. I thought it was a little random, with the fur coat and all but it somewhat demonstrated the personality of the old woman. The way she strokes her fur coat and what goes on through her head when she wears it seems a little odd, but that's just the way she is. I enjoyed the descriptions of the people and their activities taking place in the park. It was a lot more interesting than the other stories we've read. The way they describe the music playing and all the interactions between the people was quite interesting. Although, the ending was a little confusing. I was unable to comprehend what exactly was "crying" in the very last sentence. I'm not sure if the answer is obvious but i was unable to figure it out. Otherwise this story was not all that bad. -Megan Kane

I really enjoyed the short story __Miss Brill__. It has been my favorite short story so far. Even though the story was kind of pointless and had no real meaning or moral, just the plot of it was entertaining. Miss Brill talking to her fur coat was kind of creepy but the whole fact that she was sitting in the park on a Sunday just to listen to a bad was entertaining. Also, the whole people watching she does was entertaining. I mean, the descriptions of the older people and just the fact that she is reading people and listening to what they are saying for her own entertainment is cool. __Miss Brill__, even though not really relatable, was entertaining to me because it was just a pointless little story that kept my attention the whole way through. -Shelby Friend

The story Miss Brill is another uneventful and dull story. It is simply about a woman in a fur coat who wants someone to talk to. She finally, after numerous lonely hours, is proclaimed an actress by a man in the park. The descriptions of the band playing don’t exactly add depth to the story. This woman is not at all relatable to me which hurt the story’s evaluation in my eyes. Little was accomplished in the story however the ending was briefly interesting. This ending leaves the reader with some questions that aren’t easily answered making the reader consider the concept of this story. The woman seems to be having a hard time. The story Miss Brill is largely uneventful and simply not interesting. -Zack Hutton Personally I did not like the stoy __Miss Brill__ by Katherine Mansfield, the story was too boring and basically nothing happened. I did not like how there was no action and not really a plot, this just was not able to keep me interested with the story. Although I did find some aspects of the story to be good and which i actually liked. I thought the way Mansfield used her details and imagery were great. She did a good job creating a picture for the reader. She described the park and the fur coat very well and I feel like it is much easier to read a story if you can picture what is going on. I also like how the details were not straight forward but made the reader think. An example of this is that Mansfield never said the season was changing but her details let you infer this. But overall as a story i did not enjoy reading this due to the lack of action and slow pace. -David Morse

I liked the story __Miss Brill__ because of the detail the author went into by making the character very observant to her surroundings. However, I felt bad for Miss Brill because while she is looking at everyone around her you can tell all she every wanted was for someone to come and talk to her, or even notice her. And the first time someone does notice her the couple starts talking bad about her. The lady takes this to heart because not only does she not have anyone in her life to turn to, but since she is not used to someone acknowledging her, the fact that her first incident of that she gets talked bad about she gets very upset. Although a happy ending would have been good, it is always expected in the story so I enjoyed the twist. Even though the fur coat really creeped me out throughout the story!

-Jacqueline Pyros

I did not enjoy the story “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield because it basically has no point. I suppose the story is supposed to express the sadness and loneliness that elderly people feel but the author chooses to do so in a strange way. The fur coat, which Miss Brill often gazes at lovingly and talks to, is accentuated for some reason but the reason is never made clear. She must have a mental condition or is unfortunately just very lonely because she has such a weird connection with a coat made out of a dead animal. The story also has a horrible ending because nothing happens to Miss Brill and she accomplishes nothing so basically there is no point to the story. I did feel badly for her when the young couple was rude to her, but I feel like that is an even better reason to buy a piece of honey cake so I don’t understand why she didn’t.

-Emma Kurfis I thought the story //Miss Brill// by Katherine Mansfield was a very boring story that I did not like to read. Although the author did a great job with cramming all that detail into a very shot story, it seemed like there was no actual plot. I enjoy stories when things are happening, mysteries being solved or something, not an elderly woman walking around the park. I did feel bad for the woman that the younger couple made that rude remark about her, but I didn't really understand what that had to do with the story besides make her realize she was alone in life, and if thats the only reason then this is one dull book. Once the ending finally arrived I prayed something interesting would happen, but this prayer of mine unfortunately did not come true.

Greg Plachta

Although I definitely do not, and probably will not for the rest of my life, own a fur coat or is an old woman-- yet, I did feel somewhat of a connection to Miss Brill in this short story. Highschool is no walk in the park, I assure you, but if we all take a step back and just examine our surroundings during our average school day, the typical interactions between our fellow classmates and how it differs from clique to clique, can seem play-like as well. If we all took the time to just look around instead of always rushing and walking with our heads down, we could see some marvelous things (not exactly in school, 'cause God knows nothing interesting happens here, but out in the real world). Miss Brill could be another face in the crowd going along with her day, but instead she decided to cherish her time on earth to simply find out what is around her, and enjoys every minute, whether she is teased about it or not. I think Miss Brill could be a role model to us all. So let us, at one point of our lives before it's too late, just sit back, and enjoy the ride-- it doesn't last too long anyways.

--Haley Jacob

"Really? That's it? That was awful." That is what I said when I somehow finished this piece of work. If I said, "Hey I'm going to make a story about an old lady in a fur coat being lonely and depressed in the park" you would reply, "Are you high?". Once again I was forced to read a story that did not accomplish anything and did not have any action, mystery, or humor. I actually was relievd when this story ended. It was like a nervous student was giving a speech in front of class, sweating, mispronouncing words and shaking and all you can do is pray that it ended. That is what I felt. I did, however, feel bad for Miss Brill when the two teenagers were making rude remarks at her. Then, when I thought this story could not get much worse, it just ends without a point.