Loneliness and Desire for Connection in “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield

Theme of Loneliness and the Desire for Connection

The protagonist of “Miss Brill” spends every Sunday watching people at the park and seeing herself as a part of their lives, underscoring the movie’s central themes of loneliness and the desire for connection. Recurring words and phrases highlighting Miss Brill’s observation of people and her anthropomorphization of her fur necklet help to identify this topic. Her emotional reaction when a couple breaks her sense of connection with youthful lovers emphasizes it even more.

Symbolism of the Fur as a Surrogate Companion

Miss Brill’s love for her fur poignantly illustrates the loneliness she feels. “Miss Brill raised her hand and stroked the animal’s fur. Kindly, little one! That was lovely to experience that once more,” says Mansfield. Miss Brill’s time grooming her fur for the day and her loving attention to it highlight her loneliness. She gives an inanimate thing life and personality in an attempt to find companionship; this is an obvious indicator of her loneliness.

Miss Brill’s Observations as a Reflection of Her Inner World

The plot heavily relies on Miss Brill’s meticulous observations of the park’s visitors. She reveals her intense yearning for connection by using the terms “watching it all,” “they were all on the stage,” and “even she had a part” (Mansfield). The strong emotions that Miss Brill is experiencing and her yearning to be a part of the community, even if just as a mute observer, are highlighted by Mansfield’s word choice. Miss Brill finds solace in this all-encompassing show, where she views life as a big drama and uses it as a vital means of escape from her loneliness.

The young couple’s nasty comments, “Because of that stupid old thing at the end there?” caused the rapid tone change. Moreover, Mansfield’s “It is her fu-fur which is so funny” firmly highlights Miss Brill’s isolation’s true nature. By forcing Miss Brill out of her fantasy world, the brutal ridicule highlights her isolation, lack of real human interaction, and an urgent yearning for connection. The contrast between Miss Brill’s illusory sense of belonging and her starkly different solitary reality is crystallized in this heartbreaking moment, further intensifying the narrative’s thematic examination of loneliness and alienation.

Works Cited

Mansfield, Katherine. “Miss Brill.” The Garden Party, and Other Stories. Gutenberg.org, 1922, Web.

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StudyCorgi. "Loneliness and Desire for Connection in “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield." October 3, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/loneliness-and-desire-for-connection-in-miss-brill-by-katherine-mansfield/.

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StudyCorgi. 2025. "Loneliness and Desire for Connection in “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield." October 3, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/loneliness-and-desire-for-connection-in-miss-brill-by-katherine-mansfield/.

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