Verified Document

Characters Were Similar And Different In Their Essay

¶ … characters were similar and different in their ways, personalities and attitude. This paper also highlights some quotes from the stories to support its claim. Compare and Contrast

Rose For Miss Emily by William Faulkner and Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield relates the stories of two women who had been through a lot in their past lives and were trying to relive their past in their present. The characters of both Miss Emily and Miss Brill are the same. While Miss Brill relates her past to her present with happy thoughts, Miss Emily considers her present an era that is trying to drift her away from her past. Both the characters of Miss Brill and Miss Emily symbolize loneliness. While Miss Brill tries to communicate with the outer world, Miss Emily on the other hand shuts herself away from her neighbors and town people. Both the characters are the same and yet so different in their attitude and their personality.

A the beginning of both the stories, the audience very well realizes that both women are lonely. While Miss Brill tries to fight her loneliness away, Miss Emily tries to make her peace with it. Miss Brill would come out every Sunday out into the park and witness the people around her go through so much. She would sit in her seat and watch all the actors perform for her.

There were a number of people out this afternoon, far more than last Sunday. And the band sounded louder and gayer. That was because the Season had begun. For although the band played all the year round on Sundays, out of season it was never the same....

It was like some one playing with only the family to listen; it didn't care how it played if there weren't any strangers present" (Katherine Mansfield, Miss Brill).
Miss Emily finds it hard to let go of her past after her father's death. She, unlike Miss Brill possesses an obstinate outlook towards life and completely refuses to change her style of living. "After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all" (William Faulkner, A Rose For Miss Emily).

As a result of loneliness, both Miss Brill and Miss Emily are dependent upon certain figures in their lives. Miss Brill is dependent upon the band and her fur, her companions during the times of forlornness.

Miss Brill put up her hand and touched her fur. Dear little thing! It was nice to feel it again. She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes... Oh, how sweet it was to see them snap at her again from the red eiderdown!... But the nose, which was of some black composition, wasn't at all firm. It must have had a knock, somehow. Never mind - a little dab of black sealing-wax when the time came - when it was absolutely necessary... Little rogue! Yes, she really felt like that about it. Little rogue biting its tail just by her left ear. She could have taken it off and laid it on her lap and stroked it (Katherine Mansfield, Miss Brill).

The above quote shows how concerned and attached she was to the fur, as if it were some living creature. Miss Brill had come to know everyone around her all by herself and only through her observation. She would notice all the changes, if there were any in the people around her. This is clearly seen when she notices the conductor's new coat. It only showed only frequently…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Katherine M. Miss Brill. Available on the address http://www.geocities.com/short_stories_page/mansfieldmissbrill.html. Accessed on 8

Feb. 2004.

William F. A Rose for Miss Emily. Available on the address http://www.online-library.org/fictions/emily.html. Accessed on 8 Feb. 2004.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Character Relationship the Relationship Between
Words: 1438 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

The subordination still exists on the outside and this is shown more and more through Amir's despotic behavior towards Hassan. The subordination has moved beyond its tacit acceptance phase and into a clearly recognizable perspective. It is, however, completely irrational and comes, in fact, from Amir's own shame and being a coward and not doing anything to save Hassan. His incapacity develops on more than one levels and it is

Character Education and Segregation Practices
Words: 1265 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

Character Edu Case Reflection #1 First come up with three qualities that constitute being a "Good Citizen." Your group members must agree on three qualities. Trustworthiness Respect Civic Virtue What are the three qualities? What factors did you consider in order to agree on these qualities? How difficult was it to agree on three qualities? When considering which three qualities constitute being a "good citizen," we considered all of the six pillars of character, and the Boggs

Character Development in Toni Morrison's
Words: 1042 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

The moment when Sula accidentally kills Chicken Little plays an important role in her relationship with Nel. While both girls are inclined to feel guilt as a result of their involvement in the child's death, Sula believes that her action was caused by her destructive nature and that it is perfectly natural for her to put across immoral behavior. In contrast, Nel gradually detaches herself from the event and

Character Identification: The Graduate 1967 "Plastics." Although...
Words: 673 Length: 2 Document Type: Thesis

Character identification: The Graduate (1967) "Plastics." Although The Graduate was made in 1967, it is difficult not to identify with the protagonist Benjamin Braddock. Benjamin is a recent college graduate, adrift in the world and uncertain of his life's purpose. Benjamin finds himself constantly pressured by the adults in his life to select a stable career path and to settle down. Benjamin is disturbed by the emptiness and misery of the

Soliloquies When Characters Stop Being
Words: 4420 Length: 15 Document Type: Essay

Juliet herself, though ostensibly a virgin, is certainly not innocent in this regard; though certain strains of chauvinism have been purportedly found in this and others of his plays, Shakespeare certainly cannot be accused of granting males a monopoly on lust. In the shorter monologue that she delivers in the same scene, unaware of Romeo's presence, she famously asks, "What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, / nor arm,

Animated Characters in Advertisements the
Words: 5194 Length: 20 Document Type: Dissertation

On the one side are those who argue against advertisements aimed at children due to a belief that children are uniquely susceptible, and on the other side are those who sell advertisements and advertising, such as ad agencies and business school textbook authors, out of a belief that advertising is able to effect product preference in any meaningful way. In short, both of these groups are incorrect, because advertising,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now