Miss Brill - Question #3

"How old is Miss Brill? What are her circumstances? Why does she listen in on conversations?"

In my opinion Miss Brill seems to be a middle-aged to older woman; however, she attempts to "pass" as a younger version of herself. In the beginning she mentions how she has to unbox her extravegant fur. If the fur was boxed away, maybe she wore it a long time ago and now she's bringing it out for her younger look. Also, she describes many people she obbserves as "old" (the "old couple") and other as "young". This gives me the impression that she is somewhere in between the two extremes. Miss Brill is living in France (foreign to her) while teaching her own English language and culture to others. She is mentioned to be constantly watching people and listening in on their conversations. I think this is because she is a lonely woman. On page 185 she says that "somebody would have noticed if she had'nt been there." She is making herself believe that she is wanted and not the lonely old woman that is described.