Putting It All Together Miss Brill Grade Ten Close Reading Questions : Remember 1. Look up all unfamiliar words before reading the story: ermine, toque, rogue, eiderdown, rotunda, etc. 2. As you read the story, write down details you observe about Miss Brill where she goes, what her nationality is, whom she observes, what she notices, what seems important to her, etc. : Remember and Understand Katherine Mansfield characterizes Miss Brill indirectly, not directly. As close readers observe Miss Brill in the public gardens, they will note that she reveals quite a bit about herself in the people she observes and the way she sees herself. In fact, Miss Brill is not aware that she is revealing herself to be a certain kind of person, for she sees herself quite differently. 3. Create a chart like the one below. Write the details Miss Brill reveals that show us her character as she sees herself. Then write the details that show her as others see her. One example for each section is done for you. Details that reveal Miss Brill as she sees herself How she would describe herself Details that reveal Miss Brill as a careful reader sees her How the reader would describe her Little rogue! Little rogue biting its tail just by her left ear. She sees herself as quite daring and fashionable to possess this fur. There were a number of people out this afternoon, far more than last Sunday. Only two people shared her special seat. She comes every Sunday to the gardens creature of habit? Nowhere to go? No friends or acquaintances? Finding Patterns and Contrasts : Remember, Understand, Apply, and Analyze 4. Try to find a pattern in the people Miss Brill observes during the course of this visit to the garden: a. conductor with a new coat b. old man in a velvet coat c. big old woman knitting 61
d. Englishman and his wife last Sunday e. old beggar who had his tray fixed to the railings f. little boys with big white silk bows under their chins g. little girls, little French dolls, dressed up in velvet and lace h. tiny staggerer with its small high-stepping mother, like a young hen i. two young girls in red met by two young soldiers in blue j. two peasant women with funny straw hats k. cold, pale nun l. beautiful woman with violets m. ermine toque and a gentleman in gray n. funny old man with long whiskers o. beautifully dressed boy and girl in love What Is Metonymy? Metonymy is a form of metaphor. In metonymy, the name of one thing is applied to another thing with which it is closely associated: e.g. The pen [written language] is mightier than the sword [physical force]. 5. Find the detail above which is an example of metonymy. 6. Why do you think this person out of all those Miss Brill observes is described in this way? 7. Connect the ermine toque to Miss Brill s fur at the beginning and the ending of the story. 8. Discuss this pattern in the short story: There was something funny about nearly all of them and toward the end of the story It s her fu-fur which is so funny Also note that both j and n above use the word funny. 9. A major shift in tone and narrative structure occurs in the last paragraph of the story. But the events that lead to this shift happen earlier in the story. Trace the place in the story where this shift begins. What was happening earlier in the story Shift in action Shift in characters 62
10. Mansfield reveals two new characters, the last to be introduced in the story, through dialogue. Why do you think this is the only true dialogue in the story? 11. How do you know this dialogue has had an effect on Miss Brill? 12. Discuss the pattern in these sentences from the story: a. (from the beginning of the story) And when she breathed, something light and sad no, not sad exactly something gentle seemed to move in her bosom. b. (from the end of the story) And what they played was warm, sunny, yet there was just a faint chill a something, what was it not sadness, no, not sadness a something that made you want to sing. 13. Discuss the pattern in these sentences from the story: a. (from the beginning of the story) They were odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though they d just come from dark little rooms or even even cupboards! b. (from the end of the story) But today she passed the baker s by, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room her room like a cupboard and sat down on the red eiderdown. : Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate 14. Music plays a significant role in this short story. Find at least three details that refer to music. 15. How does Miss Brill see herself in terms of music? 16. What interrupts her view of herself as still soundlessly singing? (right before the beautifully dressed couple appears) : Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create 17. Write a dialogue between the beautifully dressed couple, a dialogue that would confirm Miss Brill s view of herself in her own eyes. Write at least half a page. Be sure to begin a new paragraph with each new speaker. Be sure to use quotation marks correctly. Grammar/Syntax Questions Rhetorical Analysis Based on Syntax : Remember 1. Go through the story and highlight all the dashes. 2. What kind of information is usually included between the dashes? 63
: Remember and Understand The story contains a preponderance of compound sentences that are created in two ways: the clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction preceded by a comma, or they are joined by a semicolon. 3. Highlight or copy down as many of these sentences as you can find. Make sure you do not include any complex sentences; make sure no dependent clauses are present. Remember that dependent clauses begin with words called subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns. Here is a partial list: when where why, what since as after until although than because before that unless if : Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze 4. Consider Mansfield s rhetorical purpose in using so many compound sentences. What is the effect of these sentences? What Is Epanalepsis? Epanalepsis is the repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause: e.g. Common sense is not so common. (Voltaire) 5. The following sentence contains an example of epanalepsis. Note the epanalepsis and discuss the rhetorical effect. She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn t listen, at sitting in other people s lives, just for a minute while they talked round her. 6. The story contains several rhetorical fragments, sentence fragments purposely written to create a certain effect. Find one such sentence in the story and write it. Noting carefully the sentences that precede and follow it, analyze the effect of the rhetorical fragment. What Is a Balanced Sentence? In a balanced sentence, the phrases or clauses balance each by virtue of their likeness of structure, meaning, or length: e.g. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal. (Ecclesiastes 3, King James version) 7. This is a balanced sentence: They were beautifully dressed; they were in love. Put the sentence in context and discuss the rhetorical effect. 64
: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate 8. Since the narrator sees everything from the vantage point of Miss Brill s thoughts, Mansfield seems to be making a connection between the many compound sentences and Miss Brill s character. Explain a possible connection between the type of sentences and the character of Miss Brill. What Is Polysyndeton? Polysyndeton is the deliberate use of many conjunctions for special emphasis to highlight quantity or mass of detail, or to create a flowing, continuous sentence pattern. 9. Write a sentence or two evaluating the rhetorical effect of the polysyndeton in the following sentence: And the band changed again and played more quickly, more gayly than ever, and the old couple on Miss Brill s seat got up and marched away, and such a funny old man with long whiskers hobbled along in time to the music, and was nearly knocked over by four girls walking abreast. : Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create What Is an Absolute Phrase? The absolute phrase possesses a unique rhythm and sound and is a sophisticated grammatical structure to use in your writing. Basically, it contains both a noun and a participle. Many times, the absolute phrase may be recognized by the fact that if the verb was or were were added, the result would be an independent clause. Example: His head pounding, he reached for the aspirin bottle. Add was, and you would have a separate independent clause: His head was pounding, and he reached for the aspirin bottle. The beauty and function of the absolute phrase, however, is to subordinate an idea to the main idea. The main clause is he reached for the aspirin bottle. Rather than write a separate sentence, the writer may add the information his head pounding as secondary in importance to the main clause and produce a more compact sentence with a unique sound and rhythm. 10. This short story contains no absolute phrases. Find two sentences in the story; alter each one to add a participial phrase and an absolute phrase. Two examples are provided for you. Example One: Mansfield s sentence: She felt a tingling in her hands and arms, but that came from walking, she supposed. Participial phrase added: Tingling from anxiety, Miss Brill kept walking. Absolute phrase added: Her hands and arms tingling, Miss Brill realized walking had made her feel this way. 65
Example Two: Mansfield s sentence: She hurried on the almond Sundays and struck the match for the kettle in quite a dashing way. Participial phrase added: Hurrying on the almond Sundays, she struck the match for the kettle in quite a dashing way. Absolute phrase added: She hurried on the almond Sundays, her arm striking the match for the kettle. Composition Activities Expository/Analytical Mode What Are Static and Dynamic Characters? A static character changes little over the course of a narrative. These characters are often one-dimensional and may resemble stereotypes. Things happen to these characters, but little happens in them. A character that changes in response to the actions through which he or she passes is called a dynamic character. 1. Using evidence from the text, write two separate paragraphs, arguing opposite positions. Reread the last sentence of the story: But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying. Position A: Miss Brill hears herself crying. Position B: Miss Brill thinks she hears her fur crying. Which one of your paragraphs establishes Miss Brill as a dynamic, not static, character? Write a third paragraph explaining fully. 2. Write an essay showing how Mansfield uses the resources of language to characterize Miss Brill. Note: The term resources of language is sometimes worded differently: rhetorical devices, an author s style, stylistic devices, etc. Persuasive Mode What Does It Mean to Qualify an Assertion? In a persuasive essay, other than defend or challenge, the writer often has the option of qualifying his or her position. To qualify is more intellectually difficult and subtle but, if handled well, is quite effective. Qualifying basically means agreeing or disagreeing according to a certain set of circumstances. For instance, if students are asked to respond to the prompt For in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow, those who qualify this assertion might write that seeking knowledge is surely a worthy pursuit, but when a person seeks this knowledge to the exclusion of other necessary parts of life family, friends, socializing, recreation, creativity, work, etc. certainly sorrow may result. 66
3. Defend, challenge, or qualify one of the following assertions in an essay. True inner happiness can come only from knowing and facing the truth about oneself. It is possible to construct a satisfying inner life based on a delusion. Old age is a lonely and depressing stage of life. We never completely see ourselves as others do. 4. After you have written a draft of your essay, work with a partner to improve the way you have used language. Use the Revision Workshop guidelines that follow. Revision Workshop : Remember and Understand 1. Read the essay carefully to determine whether or not the writer tends to use a variety of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex. 2. Read the essay carefully to determine whether or not the writer has included dashes and used them correctly. : Remember, Understand, Apply 3. If your partner does use lots of simple sentences, help him or her to combine sentences using subordinating conjunctions and/or relative pronouns. 4. Help your partner to create compound sentences by using semicolons in some cases and a coordinating conjunction preceded by a comma in others. 5. Help your partner to write at least one balanced sentence. : Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze 6. Read the essay carefully to determine if your partner has used participial phrases. 7. Determine if your partner has used an absolute phrase somewhere in the essay. 8. Determine if your partner has used polysyndeton to create a sense of a list that goes on and on and on. 9. Help your partner to include at least one example of each of the above elements. : Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create 10. Help your partner to write an original example of metonymy. 11. Help your partner to write a rhetorical fragment and to explain the intended rhetorical effect. 67