The Singing Lesson: Foil 2 key examples

Meanwhile, Miss Meadows sees the season as one of anguish: it reflects her own aging, coupled with the loss of joy and romantic prospects that aging brings. The students' names also serve as an important point of contrast. Mansfield gives the girls first names—Mary, Monica, and the briefly mentioned Muriel—to highlight their youth and personhood. Miss Meadows's title, meanwhile, defines her as an unmarried woman rather than a distinct individual. This difference similarly calls attention to Miss Meadows's fear of aging, as she has lost touch with her youth and the identity she once possessed. Thus, it is partially through the girls that readers understand Miss Meadows's initial despair.

Miss Wyatt is headmistress, but the fact that she still works at the school, has received such a promotion, and still goes by by "Miss" all suggest that she is an older woman who remains unmarried. This is the exact condition that Miss Meadows fears for herself. Mansfield also defines Miss Wyatt by her disgruntled attitude, highlighting her position as undesirable and despair-inducing. Miss Wyatt therefore presents a potential, woeful future for Miss Meadows, and it is partially through Miss Wyatt that readers understand why Miss Meadows is so desperate to marry.