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Mr. Melvyn
Gertie is Sybylla’s younger sister. Unlike Sybylla, Gertie is pretty, polite, and obedient, and both Mrs. Melvyn and Mrs. Bossier find her easier to get along with than Sybylla. In this way, Gertie models idealized youthful femininity: she is the girl Sybylla wishes she could be. Despite this, Sybylla does not resent Gertie. Rather, she craves Gertie’s affection, even though Sybylla acknowledges she has never been kind enough to Gertie to earn that love. When Gertie meets Harold Beecham at Caddagat, Sybylla assumes that Harold will prefer Gertie to herself. The rest of the family also assumes that Gertie and Harold will be married, but Harold only sees Gertie as a little sister. At the end of the novel, Gertie has not followed Sybylla’s journey from girlhood to womanhood, instead remaining youthful, happy, and “butterfly-natured.”
Gertie Quotes in My Brilliant Career
The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Gertie or refer to Gertie. 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 6
Quotes
Was I mad as mother had said? A fear took possession of me that I might be. I certainly was utterly different to any girl I had seen or known. What was the hot wild spirit which surged within me? Ah, that I might weep! I threw myself on my bed and moaned. Why was I not like other girls? Why was I not like Gertie? Why were not a new dress, everyday work, and an occasional picnic sufficient to fill my mind?
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Gertie Quotes in My Brilliant Career
The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Gertie or refer to Gertie. 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 6
Quotes
Was I mad as mother had said? A fear took possession of me that I might be. I certainly was utterly different to any girl I had seen or known. What was the hot wild spirit which surged within me? Ah, that I might weep! I threw myself on my bed and moaned. Why was I not like other girls? Why was I not like Gertie? Why were not a new dress, everyday work, and an occasional picnic sufficient to fill my mind?
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
