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“But why? Because of that stupid old thing at the end there?” asked the boy. “Why does she come here at all—who wants her? Why doesn’t she keep her silly old mug at home?”
The boy and girl sit on the bench where the old couple had been sitting. He believes that the girl refuses his amorous advances because of Mrs. Brill’s presence. Perhaps, he thinks, the girl fears Mrs. Brill’s disapproval. When the boy calls Miss Brill “that stupid old thing,” he shows his cruelty. He is not the romantic lover Miss Brill expected him to be, the hero of her fantasy. He dehumanizes her by calling her a “thing.” He insults her face by calling it “her silly old mug.” He feels that the park is for young people; old people like her should stay at home. From the boy, readers finally get an outsider’s perspective of Miss Brill, which does not match her self-image.
“Ah, be off with you!” said the boy in an angry whisper. Then: “Tell me, ma petite chere—”
Some time after the silent old couple leaves the bench, the talkative, flirtatious boy and girl replace them. Miss Brill should be glad of the change, since the older couple weren’t providing her with conversation to overhear, but the new couple’s comments are painful to listen to. The boy blames Miss Brill’s presence for the girl’s refusal of his advances. For this, he banishes her from the bench and the park. He angrily dismisses her, but in a whisper, not a shout. His words are like an assassin’s dagger rather than a warrior’s sword. They are quiet but devastating. Having dismissed Miss Brill, the boy immediately ignores her, returning his attention to the girl and his attempts to woo her, leaving Miss Brill’s shattered identity in his wake.
