“My Brilliant Career’ by a young Miles Franklin explores the traditional

role of women at the turn of the 20th century. No other character

exemplifies this as much as Sybylla’s Aunt Helen who lives with her
mother at Caddagat. While Sybylla embodies the new age of the
adventurous, independent young woman, Helen epitomises the helpless,
traditional woman, left at the mercy of her male companion or relatives.

Helen’s key role, as laid out by Franklin, is to guide Sybylla through the
tumultuous time in her life by imparting her wisdom to her. She appears
as the voice of reason among a sea of advice that Sybylla is confronted
with. “Aunt Helen’s Recipe.” the title of Chapter 9, is a pivotal moment
for Aunt Helen as she is given the opportunity to comfort and advise
Sybylla. Sybylla recognises that the beauty of Aunt Helen is that she
“never fussed over any one or pretended to sympathise.” Aunt Helen’s
sincerity shines through as Franklin portrays her as an affectionate,
compassionate and considerate person who acts in a selfless and
helpful manner. Not only does her concern illustrate her kindness, it also
alludes to the role and purpose of women as the comforters and the
more sensitive and caring gender. Aunt Helen’s role, as an advisor, is
vital in the novel as her guidance is central in the development of
Sybylla’s character, however Helen herself lacks any tangible
development and is instead a symbolic character that experiences little
growth.

The symbolism surrounding the character of Aunt Helen, is both a

statement of historical context, and a cautionary tale that provides as a
warning to the young Sybylla. Contextually, Aunt Helen represents those
women who have fallen victim to the cruelties of men. Her past, which
includes a loving marriage, unfortunately resulting in abandonment,
indicates how relentlessly barbaric society was regarding the treatment
of women. Helen was left “neither a wife, widow, nor maid” meaning,
despite her kind heart, she was tainted and therefore useless to society.
This banishment that Helen faced because of the fault of her estranged
husband, was not uncommon for women of that era. As Sybylla put it, it
was the “religion of the world…to cast the whole blame on the wife.”
Religion, meaning both societal expectations and the literal christian
denomination of religion that dominated Australian culture and life in the
20th century. Divorce was widely condemned by the church, and it was
women who suffered worse from the effects of divorce or spousal
separation. Aunt Helen is a product of this condemnation of such acts as
she, since the short duration or her marriage, has been confined to living
with her mother, in a predictable and secluded life. Furthermore, Helen’s
background also provides the basis for a cautionary tale implied by
Franklin that warns Sybylla of the dangers of the indulgence in love,
particularly with men. The young, excitable, loveable Helen described is
not so different for the adolescent Sybylla whose world is beginning to
open up for her. Helen is projecting her life choices onto Sybylla as a
warning about the temptations of intimacy and love. While Helen does
imply that there can be unpleasant interactions with men, she still
accepts that a women’s role is to marry and serve a husband. She says
“the shortcomings of men are no excuse…to be unwomanly.” Although
her dealings with men have been unfortunate she does not discourage
Sybylla from accepting a marriage proposal. She believes that “to play
with a man's heart…is one of the most horribly unwomanly actions our
sex can be guilty of.” By saying this, she is implying that although her
husband deserted her, she still, in some way, hold herself, and women
accountable for the shortcomings of a marriage.

The character of Aunt Helen is consistently referred to as a specimen of

human beauty. When she was young, she is described as “one of the
most beautiful and loveable girls in Australia,” not just exemplifying her
kindness, but her physical, feminine beauty. Her physical appearance,
as understood by her startling beauty, only further emphasises her
personality on an external level. It is through this understanding of her
character, that readers are able to connect Aunt Helen with Sybylla. Not
only does Helen provide a form of maternal guidance to Sybylla, she is
the representation of what the future may hold for Sybylla. Alternatively,
Sybylla is a reflection of what Helen was in her younger years. Both
characters transcend their physical form in the novel and become each
other as a former or future representation of each other.

The character developed by Miles Franklin in “My Brilliant Career”,

Sybylla’s Aunt Helen, provides a multi-dimensional perspective of what it
meant to be a woman in early 20th century Australia. She is a symbol of
the traditional, feminine Australian that provides valuable historical
perspective. Moreover, she is a guiding light for Sybylla as an advisor
and mentor, appearing as the projection of her possible future self and
the product of the brutality of a patriarchal system that punishes women
and forgives men. Not only is she a kind and loving Aunt, she is
physically striking and beautiful, even as an older, grown woman. Helen
is the embodiment of what a woman was in the time that Franklin wrote
her novel, and does not appear as a hero, but a normal, orthodox
women of mainstream views and values.