My Brilliant Career

by

Miles Franklin

Everard Grey Character Analysis

Everard Grey is the orphaned son of English aristocrats and the adopted son of Mrs. Bossier. He is sophisticated, worldly, and well-educated on all artistic subjects. He compliments Sybylla’s singing and ability to perform, and praise from such an artistic man brings her great joy. Everard asks Mrs. Bossier if he may bring Sybylla to Sydney to train as a performer, but Mrs. Bossier refuses. He persuades Mrs. Bossier to allow Sybylla to visit him in Sydney the following year, but when Mr. Melvyn’s financial straits force Sybylla to leave Caddagat, that visit is canceled. Everard represents Sybylla’s hopes of a “brilliant career” in the world of performing, and his disappearance from Sybylla’s life mirrors the loss of that dream as a viable option.

Everard Grey Quotes in My Brilliant Career

The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Everard Grey or refer to Everard Grey. 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:
Womanhood Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

Career! That is all girls think of now, instead of being good wives and mothers and attending to their homes and doing what God intended. All they think of is gadding about and being fast, and ruining themselves body and soul. And the men are as bad to encourage them.

Related Characters: Mrs. Bossier (speaker), Sybylla, Everard Grey
Page Number: 75
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Why did not social arrangements allow a man and a maid to be chums—chums as two men or two maids may be to each other, enjoying each other without thought beyond pure platonic friendship? But no; it could not be. I understood the conceit of men. Should I be very affable, I feared Everard Grey would imagine he had made a conquest of me. On the other hand, were I glum he would think the same, and that I was trying to hide my feelings behind a mask of brusquerie.

Related Characters: Sybylla (speaker), Everard Grey
Page Number: 81
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?

Related Characters: Sybylla (speaker), Aunt Helen, Everard Grey
Page Number: 176
Explanation and Analysis:
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Everard Grey Quotes in My Brilliant Career

The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Everard Grey or refer to Everard Grey. 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:
Womanhood Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

Career! That is all girls think of now, instead of being good wives and mothers and attending to their homes and doing what God intended. All they think of is gadding about and being fast, and ruining themselves body and soul. And the men are as bad to encourage them.

Related Characters: Mrs. Bossier (speaker), Sybylla, Everard Grey
Page Number: 75
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Why did not social arrangements allow a man and a maid to be chums—chums as two men or two maids may be to each other, enjoying each other without thought beyond pure platonic friendship? But no; it could not be. I understood the conceit of men. Should I be very affable, I feared Everard Grey would imagine he had made a conquest of me. On the other hand, were I glum he would think the same, and that I was trying to hide my feelings behind a mask of brusquerie.

Related Characters: Sybylla (speaker), Everard Grey
Page Number: 81
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?

Related Characters: Sybylla (speaker), Aunt Helen, Everard Grey
Page Number: 176
Explanation and Analysis: