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What nationality is Miss Brill? What is the setting of the story? Why is it important?

Miss Brill seems to be an English woman who now lives in France and teaches English. At one point, she references her "English pupils" and considers telling them what she does on Sundays. 


The story is set in France, and the action takes place at Miss Brill's home as well as the Jardins Publiques (or the public gardens, a large park). The story begins in her apartment, and then she walks to the park on a brisk and bright Sunday morning.


These facts are important because they help us understand that Miss Brill is very much alone. She clearly worries that no one would miss her if she disappeared, and this is why the fantasy of being in a play is so attractive to her. Believing that she plays a role allows her to think that she would be missed if she didn't show up one day. Miss Brill doesn't fit in at the most basic cultural level—she's a foreigner—and this undercurrent of alienation helps us to understand just how completely untethered by relationships she is. It helps us see why she creates a fantasy world in which she becomes important.

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