Miss Brill

What do the symbols of the fur necklet, the red eiderdown, and the honey-cake reveal about Miss Brill’s character? Relate her character to a major theme of this short story in your explanation.

Is Miss Brill more of a spectator or an actor in life? What effect does each role have on her character? Consider the way she occupies both of these roles throughout the short story, particularly in terms of the ending.

How do the young lovers symbolize the reality of the world? In the end, does it matter whether Miss Brill lives in “reality” or the world of her imagination? Explain.

Is “all the world a stage”? Discuss this theme in terms of at least three characters in the short story. Some suggestions: the woman in the ermine toque, the young couple, the old couple on the bench when Miss Brill arrives, and Miss Brill. What does this theme suggest about the relationship between art and reality?

The story begins and ends with Miss Brill alone with her fox fur necklet. Discuss the significance of the necklet. Why is it personified? What does it symbolize? What is the nature of Miss Brill’s connection to it?