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Life Dependency and Miss Brill

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The human brain can be the most dangerous tool in the human race. The brain can be a useful and productive tool when used in the right way, such as building the knowledge of an individual to use in a specified field to contribute to society. On the flip side, the brain can be a detrimental tool to anyone who suffers a psychological problem, because the brain continues to think about the negative aspects in life and continues to dwell on them until the individual is so deep within his/her own mind that one cannot escape. David Hellerstein states, “Take depression as an example: common symptoms include mood changes (obviously) but also difficulty with cognitive functioning-trouble remembering things, difficulty making decisions, planning, setting priorities, and taking action.” When someone is fighting against themselves, there is nowhere to retreat to, causing an individual to create an alternative reality that he/she will retreat to within his/her own mind to hide from such a problem. In the case of Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill,” Miss Brill is wrong for seeking refuge from her loneliness in her self-created, imaginary life because it is not healthy. Miss Brill is wrong because her imaginary life is built solely around her depression. Campos et al. state, “Individuals with dependent depression are preoccupied with interpersonal issues such as feelings of loneliness, neglect, and abandonment” (17). Miss Brill portrays to have most, if not all, of the interpersonal issues mentioned by Campos et al. In the story, through Miss Brill’s point of view, the reader sees a lonely woman who enjoys her ritual Sunday outing to the park. Every Sunday, Miss Brill goes to the park to escape what Mansfield calls the “little dark room” in which Miss Brill stays (150). She receives so much enjoyment from the simple acts of listening and passively embedding herself in the company of others. Miss Brill innately incorporates herself with other people to alleviate the depression caused by the loneliness that she has built up throughout the week of being by herself. Her main purpose in participating in the weekly ritual is to fulfill her need to be a part of something. Miss Brill is seeking a sense of community or a sense of purpose and/or inclusion with the strang

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