Critical Review of My Brilliant Career from a Feminist Perspective

This critical review looks at unique novel From a feminist perspectives and conducts a critical review focusing on the narrative and characterization of the main protagonist in the novel Sibylla Melvyn in context of feminism and womanhood. The main issues which are covered in the critical review in context of my brilliant career are the representation of femininity and masculinity through the protagonist characterization along with its role in understanding feminist issues related to fiction writing.

Critical
Review
1

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Summary of the Novel............................................................................................................3
Critical Review of the Novel..................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFRENCES...................................................................................................................................8
2

INTRODUCTION
My brilliant career is one of the most celebrated novels in Australian literary Canon. the
novel was written by Stella Maria Sarah miles Franklin also known as miles Franklin who was a
prominent Australian author and feminist during the 20th century (Kent, 2018). My brilliant
career was published in the year 1901 by blackwoods of Edinburgh And continues to impact the
Australian literary environment even today. This critical review looks at unique novel From a
feminist perspectives and conducts a critical review focusing on the narrative and
characterization of the main protagonist in the novel Sibylla Melvyn in context of feminism and
womanhood. The main issues which are covered in the critical review in context of my brilliant
career are the representation of femininity and masculinity through the protagonist
characterization along with its role in understanding feminist issues related to fiction writing.
This critical review provides a mixed evaluation of the novel by relating the characterization and
literary themes provided in the novel in context of modern feminism along with its role as a
feminist literature fiction work.
Summary of the Novel
The brilliant career is an engaging tale of an inspiring writer choosing professional
ambitions over a conventional life as the protagonist of the novel reject's proposal marriage. It is
then indicated that the protagonist Sybylla Melvyn will never have a brilliant career as a writer
fulfilling the main desire of the protagonist (Dalziell, 2004). The novel includes a series of
circumstances which help the main character Sybylla Melvyn overcome insecurities regarding
appearance and gain the confidence to follow ambition to become a writer with a satisfying
ending of choosing writing aspirations over marriage proposal. The noble describes the
background of the protagonist Sybylla Melvyn as being from upward financial state which
indicates that the protagonist will face many challenges in fulfilling the dream of becoming a
writer as the profession of writing in the 19th century was not accessible to women from humble
backgrounds.
The circumstance which initiates journey of Sybylla Melvyn towards becoming a writer
is when Sibylla is sent to live on her grandmother's property which leaves her from living a
mountainous life in farmlands of possum Gully. After this Sybylla Melvyn is able to live a more
prosperous farm which helps Sibylla discover her own element and indulged in the love father
arts and performing. The appreciative audience present in the farm which includes a grandmother
3

aunt and uncle, Sybylla Melvyn is able to discover growth opportunities to become a writer. This
includes opportunity to be guided by a family friend lawyer Everard grey to become a performer
in Sydney.
These plot points improved perception of insecurities the protagonist about physical
appearance and gain confidence to follow the career of writing. After this the main circumstance
which obstructed Sybylla Melvyn from becoming a writer is the rejection of the marriage
proposal offered from the prosperous neighbor Harry Beckham who was indulgent enough to
allow Sybylla freedom to write a book (Franklin, 2021).
This rejection reduced the opportunities of Sybylla to become a writer as there were no
financial means present which can support the dream of becoming a novel writer in the 19th
century. Another plot point of the story which acted as an impeding element to writing career of
Sybylla was the actions of the alcoholic father which increased the debt on the family end
created circumstance which forced Sybylla to work as a governor for the family of how much
poorer neighbor. This acted as the initiator for Sybylla’s physical breakdown and return to
family home.
Critical Review of the Novel
The claim position by the critical review on my brilliant career is that it is an inspiring
coming of age novel which provides a feminist perspective on the values Faced by women in
achieving dreams off building a profession in the literary industry. In addition to this the
contrast between femininity and masculinity in terms of the realism and romance showed in the
novel exclaimed in the critical review.
The focus of the review is to understand the ways in which romances and realism is used
to depict the social construct of gender in the characterization of the main protagonist Sybylla
Melvyn. After this the critical review also centres around challenges faced by women in
achieving their literary professional goals as they have to face financial and social barriers. The
novel provides a engaging depiction of gender through characterization and writing along with a
critical analysis of the barriers faced by women writer in a patriarchal society to achieve their
dreams (McCarthy, 2021).
The main negative aspect of the novel is that the beginning of the novel is slow and the
pros used in a novel can be distracting and boring for some in the beginning of the novel. This
disadvantage of my brilliant career alienates young readers and individuals only reading
4

contemporary literature because the stylized writing used in the novel along with slow beginning
can be challanging literary experience for young readers.
The sorrow ending makes this novel inaccessible for some readers which is a major
disadvantage in universally depicting feminist ideas to a young age audience for whom this book
was initially made as the author wrote this book at the age of 16. In addition to this another
disadvantage of this novel is the negative ending as the protagonist is not able to achieve the goal
of becoming a successful writer and at the end of the day had to go back to the household with
dominating parents and lack of opportunities two follow a career in the writing profession (Dane,
2020).
The negative ending is the disadvantage of the novel because initially the novel sets up
story as though the character will be able to achieve their dreams by the end. Plot points such as
meeting the lawyer Everard grey who can provide opportunities to reach Sydney and also
attracting a suitor like Harold Beckham who agrees with sybylla following a writing career
create hope in the reader that sybylla will be able to achieve the dream of becoming a successful
writer.
The primary positive aspect of my brilliant writer is that it utilize is in the novel. This is
completed in a stereotypical manner which can be read as a manifestation of gender performance
division theory. This type of writing showcases that the main protagonist of the novel, sybylla is
not stereotypically masculine or feminine as it does not follow strictly realist or romanticized
approach to writing (Henderson, 1997). In this way the writing provided in the brilliant career
create a narrative which is beyond rigid gender-based identities and identifies individuals on the
basis of gender performance todays of romanticism and realism.
The lack of consistency between realism and romanticism in my brilliant career a lack of
consistency and absence of a complete closure the protagonist is able to develop a gendered
performance theory. The main character is present in either realist romanticized mode which can
be linked to Judith Butler’s gender performativity theory.
The author of my brilliant career also does not shy away from provides readers a feminist
position by providing a confident female protagonist through an unreliable narrator and
inconsistency in using romanticism or realism as a form of expression. This is an advantage of
the novel because it helps, we don't know but from modern feminist perspective by giving space
for identifying the main protagonist through the gender performance theory.
5

In addition to this another factor which is an advantage of the now with my brilliant
career is that it highlights the problems faced by women in writing fiction and pursuing the
career of becoming a professional author. This is similar to the feminist perspectives presented
by Virginia Woolf in the sea room of one's own.
The essay written by Virginia Woolf as an important writing about feminism and depicts
women’s struggle because it enables women to have their own room English speaking practice
learn and gain privacy to pursue various careers (Robinson and Smith-Laing, 2017). This is
similarly highlighted through the problems faced by Sybil in my brilliant career as protagonist is
not able to pursue the career of writing due to the main financial struggle faced by the family.
The plot of marriage proposal by prosperous suitor is another indicator that the lack of
financial freedom forces women to accept marriage proposals in order to gain decent economic
conditions which enable them to pursue careers in any field. In this way my brilliant career is an
effective novel presenting feminist idea relevant in the contemporary times independence in
order to support growth of women in the workforce there (Hogarth, 2022). Financial
independence of women is essential to make decisions on the basis of their personal expectations
instead of forcefully making a decision for a better economic future suggest selecting a marriage
proposal.
6

CONCLUSION
From the above report it is determined that my brilliant career is an important Australian novel
you just not only ground breaking literature about feminism in the 19th century that also
provides reduce it care transitions and clothes which are relevant to contemporary times in
modern feminism. The inconsistent use of romanticism and realism helps ensure that gender
identity of the protagonist is not formed and it can be used as a fictional literature peace and
word getting the gender performance theory. Finally, novel is also able to provide critique of
patriarchal society by looking at little of financial independence of women in supporting their
professional careers. This is relevant feminist perspective even times which makes the book my
brilliant career classic and important element of the feminist literature.
7

REFRENCES
Books and Journals
Dalziell, T., 2004. Colonial Displacements: Another Look at Miles Franklin’s My Brilliant
Career. ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature, 35(3-4).
Dane, A., 2020. Gender and Prestige in Literature. Springer International Publishing.
Franklin, M., 2021. My career goes bung. Good Press.
Henderson, I., 1997. Gender, genre and Sybylla's performative identity in Miles Franklin's My
Brilliant Career. Australian Literary Studies, 18(2). pp.165-173.
Hogarth, N.E.C., 2022. Resisting Linguistic Rules in French-Australian Writing. Australian
Journal of French Studies, 59(1). pp.60-72.
Kent, J., 2018. A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, a Literary Life. NewSouth.
McCarthy, G., 2021. Indigenising Australian Studies in China. Journal of Australian
Studies, 45(2). pp.265-280.
Robinson, F. and Smith-Laing, T., 2017. An Analysis of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own.
Macat Library.
8