'Mentale' Misfits

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The “Mentale” Misfits There are contrasting elements between the characters Emily Grierson and Miss. Brill because of each one’s “social status”. However there are similarities as well, even though they’re stories were told in the setting of about 25-50 years apart. This was due in part because of societies mind set of what a ‘good” woman should be (She would be married, have children, stay home, cook, clean, take care of their husbands and keep the house clean). This was society’s mindset in the setting in both of these stories. If women did not have this, there was something wrong with them. The contrasts between Ms. Emily Grierson and Miss Brill are based mainly on the social…show more content…
This is important to know in the story because of the social status that Ms. Emily had. The town looked upon Miss Emily Grierson as “a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation” (Faulkner, 221). Her family name had earned respect but as generations died off and new, younger generations were born and became town officials, this was the outcome of the town’s sentiment towards Miss Emily. When the town folk spoke about her, it was said out of earshot of Miss Emily. Her name alone earned Miss Emily certain privilege’s (“when Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went out to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity”) (Faulkner. 220). Miss Emily was an introvert, a person who stayed to herself and did not interact well with others and preferred to be alone. Throughout the story we see that the town’s people go for long periods, even years, without seeing her at all. (Faulkner. “A Rose for…show more content…
Brill was nothing more to society but an “old spinster”. She had never married, lived by herself, and did jobs for the era that were befitting of one with her social and marital status. She taught English and took care of an elderly gentleman. Miss Brill was a lonely older woman who dealt with her loneliness by pretending. She is an extrovert, I believe, and shy. She enjoyed being around other people although she did not interact with them except in her mind. (Mansfield. 241-244) Every Sunday she would go to the park, sit on the same bench and eaves drop on other’s conversations. In her reality, she believed that she was a part of something bigger then herself and her surroundings. We know that she had reality issues right away as she describes the fur around her neck, “Little rogue! Yes, she really felt like that about it.” (241). She “played” her part well as she imagined about different people in the park, “They weren’t the only audience, not only looking on; they were acting. Even she had a part and came every Sunday” and a couple of sentences later tells the older gentleman she works for, “Yes, I have been an actress for a long time”.
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