My Brilliant Career
--Fact and Fiction through Film--
My Brilliant Career- Miles Franklin
Source: http://www.tvmem.com/OZST/ffilms/M-FFILM/MYBRILLI.htm
Précis
Sybylla Melvyn is a headstrong, free-spirited young woman. Her enthusiasm towards wanted to be different in the 1890’s and become a writer, became a struggle but turns out well when her book gets published. She defied the expectations of the society’s expectations to become the woman she wanted to be, and all without the use of a man.
Harry Beecham, a stereotypical young man, which believed that women were maids, child bearers and cooks. After an expedition to Sybylla’s Grandmothers house, and an indescribable meeting, his expectations are drastically changed.
Aunt Helen is a woman, whose husband left her, and degraded her stature to neither widow, nor wife, nor maid. Because of this, she was not considered a legitimate woman within 1890’s society and was felt and seen as useless. She is well educated because of the riches of her family, but without a husband, wasn’t seen as worthy.
Sybylla is a stubborn and opinionative young woman that grew up in the early 20th century, in Australia. She has the opportunity to marry a rich, young man, but rejects him to fulfil her dream and keep her independence. Around the time of her meeting the rich man, named Harry Beecham, her father became in debt to a neighbour. As her father started to get behind on his debts, she takes a job as governess/housekeeper to keep her family afloat.
The statement, “These issues are not relevant to a contemporary audience. Young people today are more concerned with other issues” is not entirely true. Some families still follow the older traditions, but there are not as many nowadays. Women are more respected now, married or not, in