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Mrs. Bossier
Aunt Helen is Sybylla’s maternal aunt who lives at Caddagat. Sybylla describes her as a noble and brave woman, whose heart was broken in youth by a man who left her for another woman only a year after their wedding. Due to sexist double standards, the divorce had little impact on Helen’s husband, but it ruined her socially and she has never recovered. Helen’s tragic past represents the dangers of womanhood and the power that women grant to men by accepting their advances. Of the residents of Caddagat, Helen is the most openly loving toward Sybylla, and she works to improve both Sybylla’s appearance and her self-confidence. However, once Sybylla is in Barney’s Gap, Sybylla’s belief that Helen understands her is broken when Helen suggests that Sybylla bear her cross patiently. Sybylla writes a bitter reply, and Helen never speaks to or about Sybylla again. The loss of Helen’s companionship challenges Sybylla’s belief in any kind of meaningful friendship, since the one person whom she thought understood her has proven untrustworthy.
Aunt Helen Quotes in My Brilliant Career
The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Aunt Helen or refer to Aunt Helen. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8
Quotes
The pleasure, so exquisite as to be almost pain, which I derived from the books, and especially the Australian poets, is beyond description. In the narrow peasant life of Possum Gully I had been deprived of companionship with people of refinement and education who would talk of the things I loved; but, at last here was congeniality, here was companionship.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26
Quotes
After this auntie and I were to have our three months’ holiday in Sydney [...]. Who knows what might happen then? Everard had promised to have my talents tested by good judges. Might it not be possible for me to attain one of my ambitions—enter the musical profession? joyful dream! Might I not be able to yet assist Harold in another way than matrimony?
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Aunt Helen Quotes in My Brilliant Career
The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Aunt Helen or refer to Aunt Helen. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8
Quotes
The pleasure, so exquisite as to be almost pain, which I derived from the books, and especially the Australian poets, is beyond description. In the narrow peasant life of Possum Gully I had been deprived of companionship with people of refinement and education who would talk of the things I loved; but, at last here was congeniality, here was companionship.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26
Quotes
After this auntie and I were to have our three months’ holiday in Sydney [...]. Who knows what might happen then? Everard had promised to have my talents tested by good judges. Might it not be possible for me to attain one of my ambitions—enter the musical profession? joyful dream! Might I not be able to yet assist Harold in another way than matrimony?
