A persons
perception usually differs from reality. Authors often use this to
their advantage when writing, to create dramatic and surprising
narratives. The short stories Identities by W.D. Valgardson and
Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield are both about protagonists who
have a very high opinion of themselves and their own appearance,
and who judge the appearances of others around them quite heavily.
In the end, others around them reveal that the
protagonists self image turns out to be a contrast to how
others see them. In the short stories Identities by W.D. Valgardson
and Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield, the authors use point of
view, perspective, and irony to prove the theme that the identities
we prescribe to both ourselves and others
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In Identities,
the main character is very egotistical, and assumes that the people
waiting by the store are going to try and rob him, crafting a whole
plan in case they try to talk to him. His plan is to say that the
ten [dollars] is all hes got, that he stole the car
(Identities
2) whereas in reality, those people probably were not even paying
attention to him. At the end of the story, when the protagonist is
confronted by the police officer, he is so sure that everyone knows
how important he is that he reaches his hand not in the air as he
was ordered to
(Identities 2), showing that from his perspective,
he could disobey orders because the police officer would definitely
view him as the important, high class man that he sees himself to
be. In Miss Brill, the main character perceives her weekly visits
to the park as some sort of play, and that she is an important
part of the performance (Brill 3). She views herself with utmost
importance, thinking No doubt somebody would have noticed if she
hadnt been there... (Brill 3). The reader finds out this
perception is wrong though near the end when a young man at the
park questions who wants her? (Brill 3). Through both
protagonists perspectives, they are important people, however they
are faced with reality when they find out that they are just like
the people that they look down
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