"Mansfield's characters share the topical hopelessness that characterized much of early Modernist writing. Characters like Miss Brill seem to be living on the brink of personal disaster; the sense of community has vanished; they are largely alone" (Devi). Miss Brill must face the dreadful truth that the community she felt so much a part of could easily go on without her. By the time she reaches her dark room, she is already gone. Robert Peltier maintains, that she "has now withdrawn so far from the world that has hurt her, that she does not realize that it is she who is crying" (Peltier). Finally, Miss Brill has the right, albeit, the most painful perception of the world. Miss Brill" is a story that forces us to consider our place in the world and it also challenges us to question our place in the world from time to time. Miss Brill lived a life vicariously but she also deluded herself into thinking that anyone cared about her. Perception is not reality and sometimes we need to take both into consideration as we walk through life. Perhaps the most striking aspect of this story is that no real crime has been committed in this tale and its meaning comes from the fact the world is a rather cold place regardless of our involvement in it. Miss Brill was not actively involved with her world but she was certainly doing no harm to it by being an innocent bystander. We cannot let the world around us define who we are like Miss Brill; instead, we must...

EBSCO Resource Database. Information Retrieved November 8, 2008. http://search.ebscohost.com/
In this essay, Gayatri provides various literary contexts of "Miss Brill," including historical, societal, and religious context. In addition, Scientific and technological contexts are applied to the short story.

Mansfield, Katherine. "Miss Brill." The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Meyer, Michael, ed. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press. 1993.

Robert Peltier. "An Overview of Miss Brill." Short Stories for Students. 1997. GALE Resource Database. Information Retrieved November 8, 2008. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com

In this brief essay, Peltier provides an overview of "Miss Brill," pointing out significant aspects of the story along with a small segment that explains Mansfield's writing style.

Thorpe, Peter. "Teaching Miss Brill." College English. 1962. JSTOR Resource Database. Information Retrieved November 8, 2008. http://jstor.org

In this essay, Thorpe examines the way in which Mansfield sets up Miss Brill for her tragic fall. He looks at the various stages of perception and follows them through to the painful reality. He also touches on the significance of symbolism in the story.