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Mr. M’Swat
Mr. Melvyn is Sybylla’s father. In her early life, he is Sybylla’s hero: supportive, chivalrous, gentlemanly, ambitious. However, that ambition leads to his undoing when Mr. Melvyn moves the family to Possum Gully in the hopes of pursuing a career in stocks. This ambition falls through, and Mr. Melvyn descends into alcoholism. He stops providing for his family and becomes a burden on them. Sybylla takes on the responsibility of following him around the pubs in town so she can walk him home once he is too drunk to continue. He takes on loans that he cannot pay back, and this debt is what forces Sybylla to work for the M’Swats. His fall from a loving father to a burden on his wife and children represents the dangers of both ambition and marriage.
Mr. Melvyn Quotes in My Brilliant Career
The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Melvyn or refer to Mr. Melvyn. 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 1
Quotes
My mother remonstrated, opined I would be a great unwomanly tomboy. My father poohed the idea.
“Let her alone, Lucy,” he said, “let her alone. The rubbishing conventionalities which are the curse of her sex will bother her soon enough.”
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Chapter 2
Quotes
The fact of the matter was that the heartless harridan, discontent, had laid her claw-like hand upon him. His guests were ever assuring him he was buried and wasted in Timlinbilly’s gullies. A man of his intelligence, coupled with his wonderful experience among stock, would, they averred, make a name and fortune for himself dealing or auctioneering if he only liked to try. Richard Melvyn began to think so too, and desired to try. He did try.
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Chapter 3
Quotes
Dick Melvyn of Bruggabrong was not recognizable in Dick Melvyn, dairy farmer and cocky of Possum Gully. The former had been a man worthy of the name. The latter was a slave of drink, careless, even dirty and bedraggled in his personal appearance. He disregarded all manners, and had become far more plebeian and common than the most miserable specimen of humanity around him. The support of his family, yet not, its support. The head of his family, yet failing to fulfil the obligations demanded of one in that capacity. He seemed to lose all love and interest in his family, and grew cross and silent, utterly without pride and pluck. Formerly so kind and gentle with animals, now he was the reverse.
Chapter 8
Quotes
This was life as proved by my parents! What right had I to expect any better yield from it? I shut my eyes and shuddered at the possibilities and probabilities of my future. It was for this that my mother had yielded up her youth, freedom, strength; for this she had sacrificed the greatest possession of woman.
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Mr. Melvyn Quotes in My Brilliant Career
The My Brilliant Career quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Melvyn or refer to Mr. Melvyn. 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 1
Quotes
My mother remonstrated, opined I would be a great unwomanly tomboy. My father poohed the idea.
“Let her alone, Lucy,” he said, “let her alone. The rubbishing conventionalities which are the curse of her sex will bother her soon enough.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2
Quotes
The fact of the matter was that the heartless harridan, discontent, had laid her claw-like hand upon him. His guests were ever assuring him he was buried and wasted in Timlinbilly’s gullies. A man of his intelligence, coupled with his wonderful experience among stock, would, they averred, make a name and fortune for himself dealing or auctioneering if he only liked to try. Richard Melvyn began to think so too, and desired to try. He did try.
Related Characters:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3
Quotes
Dick Melvyn of Bruggabrong was not recognizable in Dick Melvyn, dairy farmer and cocky of Possum Gully. The former had been a man worthy of the name. The latter was a slave of drink, careless, even dirty and bedraggled in his personal appearance. He disregarded all manners, and had become far more plebeian and common than the most miserable specimen of humanity around him. The support of his family, yet not, its support. The head of his family, yet failing to fulfil the obligations demanded of one in that capacity. He seemed to lose all love and interest in his family, and grew cross and silent, utterly without pride and pluck. Formerly so kind and gentle with animals, now he was the reverse.
Chapter 8
Quotes
This was life as proved by my parents! What right had I to expect any better yield from it? I shut my eyes and shuddered at the possibilities and probabilities of my future. It was for this that my mother had yielded up her youth, freedom, strength; for this she had sacrificed the greatest possession of woman.
