My Brilliant Career · Chapter
VII: Was E’er a Rose Without Its Thorn? explained
Sybylla reflects on her discontent with life at Possum Gully, her sense of being out of her sphere, her struggles with faith and atheism, and her anguish over her plain appearance.
What happens
Sybylla reflects on her discontent with life at Possum Gully, her sense of being out of her sphere, her struggles with faith and atheism, and her anguish over her plain appearance. She receives a letter from her mother to Aunt Helen revealing plans to send her to Caddagat to improve her prospects, which both wounds her pride and fills her with longing for the home of her childhood.
Themes in this chapter
Ambition and Discontent
Sybylla's restless longing for a life beyond Possum Gully, her desire for action and the 'stream of life,' and her frustration with the narrowness of her existence.
Appearance and Self-Worth
Sybylla's anguish over being called plain, her belief that a plain woman is unforgiven, and the societal pressure linking female value to beauty.
Religion and Cynicism
Sybylla's struggle with atheism, her failed attempts to find God, and her cynical view of the world and its injustices.
Characters to notice
- Sybylla Penelope Melvyn
Narrates her deep discontent, intellectual isolation, struggles with atheism, and pain over being called plain; she eagerly anticipates returning to Caddagat.
- Mother
Writes to Aunt Helen detailing Sybylla's faults and plainness, and arranges for Sybylla to go to Caddagat; Sybylla feels betrayed by her mother's lack of discretion.
- Aunt Helen
Recipient of the letter from Sybylla's mother; she is asked to take Sybylla in and help improve her prospects.
- Gertie
Sybylla's younger sister who sets the table to save Sybylla from a scolding and shows care for her.
- Grannie
Sybylla's grandmother at Caddagat, whom Sybylla loves dearly; the letter mentions her intention to help Sybylla marry.
Key passages
“A plain woman will have nothing forgiven her. Her fate is such that the parents of uncomely female infants should be compelled to put them to death at their birth.”
An unattractive woman is shown no mercy; it would be kinder to kill ugly baby girls at birth.
Sybylla's bitter hyperbole about society's harsh judgment of plain women.
“I was discontented and restless, and longed unendurably to be out in the stream of life. 'Action! Action! Give me action!' was my cry.”
I was deeply unhappy and yearned desperately to experience the world beyond my dull routine.
Sybylla's passionate desire for a more exciting and meaningful life.
“I turned and cursed God for casting upon me a burden greater than I could bear—cursed Him bitterly, and from within came a whisper that there was nothing there to curse. There was no God.”
I angrily blamed God for my suffering, but then realized there was no God to blame.
Sybylla's crisis of faith and her conclusion that God does not exist.
“I was to be given more time on account of being ugly—I was not a valuable article in the marriage market, sweet thought!”
I was being sent to Caddagat because I was plain and needed extra time to find a husband.
Sybylla's sarcastic and painful reaction to her mother's letter.