Miss Brill Analysis and Themes

"Miss Brill"

• Point of View (POV): Limited omniscient, shifting to objective later in story
• Setting: France, a public garden, Sunday, after World War I (1922)
• Occupation: Teacher
• Character Perception: Miss Brill imagines others as theatrical, almost observing them from a distance. She views herself as an actress
• Dramatic Irony: Miss Brill's fantasy self-image contrasts sharply with her reality (the silent, old people in the park). The passage on the cupboard is referenced for a key theme in the exam.
• Internal Conflict: She feels a sense of isolation, loneliness and alienation, contrasted by her attempts at creating her own fantastical life in anticipation of social interactions
• Themes: Loneliness, alienation, the difference between perception and reality, and an aging protagonist struggling with loneliness, imagination, and isolation. The desire to escape reality.
• Symbolism: The image of the almonds in cake signifies a small moment of joy that highlights a life of routine and boredom. The fur and cupboards represent a desire to escape reality
• Plot: Miss Brill spends time in a public garden, observing others, and imagining their lives. She feels a sense of connection to them, despite their anonymity, even to the point of romanticizing them. Her fantasy self-image is contrasted with the reality of the people in the park.

"Hills Like White Elephants"

• Author: Ernest Hemingway
• Setting: Spain
• Characters: A man and a woman (Jig), who is pregnant
• Point of View (POV): Objective- The reader only knows the surface level actions, words, and thoughts of the characters, not their thoughts or inner motivations.
• Conflict: The woman is facing a difficult choice regarding an abortion.
• Theme: The struggle for communication and decision-making during a crisis.
• Symbols: The white elephants represent the difficult or unwanted choice faced by the main character. The barren/fertile landscape represents the woman's choice between one path or another.
• Plot: Conversation in train about an abortion, exploring the choice to keep or terminate her pregnancy. The characters' words and lack of communication become a central facet, indicating a deep disconnect. The conflict is revealed through subtle physical and internal imagery.

"Everyday Use"

• Author: Alice Walker
• Setting: Southern United States, 1970s
• Characters: Mama, Dee (Wangero), Maggie, John Thomas
• POV: First-person narrative, told through Mama's perspective. Focuses on the characters' thoughts and expressions.
• Tone: Mama is not overtly angry with Dee, but she is frustrated by her perspective and actions.
• Themes: Family, heritage, tradition, materialism, and identity
• Conflict: Tension between the mother and daughter regarding Dee's desire to distance herself from her heritage while Mama and Maggie value and hold on to it.
• Symbols: The quilt represents heritage, tradition, and family ties. The settings and actions of the characters and their beliefs reflect the main concepts through plot and narrative.

"Araby"

• Author: James Joyce
• Setting: Ireland, a poor neighborhood (in which the narrator lives), early 20th Century
• Characters: Young narrator, Mangan's sister
• POV: First person account of the narrator
• Theme: Disillusionment, coming-of-age, and the disappointment of dreams
• Plot: Narrator's desires for Mangan's sister and his anticipation of a visit to Araby. The bazaar and his expectations prove to be a disappointment. His disappointment reflects the broader theme of a coming of age. His hopes, along with his perceptions of the girl, the atmosphere, and the holiday, influence the way he experiences the story.
• Symbols: Araby represents the narrator's romantic idealism. The bazaar's emptiness and the overall events of the story represent a clash of idealism and reality, illustrating this theme.

"I Stand Here Ironing"

• Author: Tillie Olsen
• Setting: American home during the Great Depression era, with a time period shifting after World War II.
• Characters: Emily, the narrator's daughter.
• POV: First-person account. Reveals a sense of regret reflecting from a mother.
• Tone: Regretful and poignant, reflecting the mother's struggles and sacrifices for her child.
• Themes: Mother-daughter relationships, responsibility, sacrifices of mothers, and poverty. Family struggles against poverty and financial hardships, along with the economic struggles that shaped the emotional state of the narrator.
• Plot: A mother's reflection on her daughter's life and her experiences, conveying a sense of loss, regret, and the weight of responsibility in raising a child.

"Susan"

• Characters: Susan, Emily (Emily and Susan are contrasted by their personality, behavior, and overall outlook on life).
• Themes: Mother-daughter relationships, responsibility, family struggles
• Plot: Counselor's insights reveal Susan and Emily's contrasting personalities, highlighting cultural or societal expectations in this specific family. Cultural and societal expectations are explored in this short analysis.