Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘My Brilliant Career‘ transports the audience to the early 20th century in the Australian countryside. It follows the story of a young woman named Sybylla Melvyn, who is pulled out of her poverty-stricken family to live with her rich grandmother. The idea is to polish and dress her up for high society so she can find a rich husband and settle down, while also helping her family in the process. Sybylla, however, sees it as a chance to relish opportunities she wouldn’t otherwise have and to further her ambitions as a writer. Her life takes many twists and turns as she explores the true meaning of pursuing her dreams and ambitions. Presented through a realistic lens, the show grounds the protagonist’s character, making her story feel deeply relatable. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Sybylla Melvyn is a Fictional Version of the Author
‘My Brilliant Career’ is based on the novel of the same name by Miles Franklin. Published in 1901, the book follows the story of Sybylla Melvyn, whom the author partially based on her own experiences. The character and her story have some autobiographical elements, but they are presented from a highly fictionalized, somewhat satirical perspective, meaning that Sybylla bears faint similarities to the writer. Franklin was 21 years old when the novel was published, and Sybylla and her quest for a brilliant career as a writer were inspired by the author’s own desires to make it as a writer. The Australian author was born in the late 19th century in her grandmother’s house and initially received her education from a private tutor.
Later, however, her family fell into financial despair, which forced them to move to a small dairy farm. Life became much more difficult, and education took a backseat, but Franklin’s love for books and stories did not diminish. At the age of 19, she started working on a story whose protagonist, while modeled on herself, was the rebellious and headstrong person that the author herself wished to be. Later, she lived the dream of becoming a published author, having written several novels, while also working a job and making her own money, which is what the protagonist, too, wants for herself. Much like Sybylla, Franklin, too, was averse to the idea of marriage and notably remained unmarried her entire life.
Through her and other characters, Franklin also sheds light on the broader struggles of women in society, despite women receiving greater equality on paper. Through characters like Augusta, she highlighted the importance of the suffragette movement, while through other characters, she turned the spotlight on inequalities, such as women not being able to own property and being denied jobs despite proving themselves highly qualified. In that sense, the title, ‘My Brilliant Career,’ was somewhat of an ironic choice, especially considering that the author ended the novel on a somewhat less optimistic note than the adaptation.
Philippa Northeast Enriched the Character With Her Own Experience
Before playing the role of Sybylla Melvyn in ‘My Brilliant Career,’ Philippa Northeast had already been a huge fan of the book and its protagonist. She was introduced to the story by her mother, another fan, at a young age. The actress read the book again as a teenager and again as an adult when she got involved with the Netflix adaptation. Having read Miles Franklin’s work at different points in her life allowed her to understand the character from different lenses. Each reading experience shed light on something new and brought her closer to Sybylla.
At the start of her career, she also saw parallels between herself and Franklin’s heroine, in that they both wished to live their lives on their own terms while balancing society’s expectations. In her preparation, apart from re-reading the book, the actress turned towards the archives of the State Library of New South Wales. She found Franklin’s journals, reading which helped her understand the author and her vision for Sybylla. She was moved by Franklin’s own journey, which made her even more adamant about doing justice to her fictional character on screen. Apart from a great script and excellent locations, the actress also had great costumes and makeup to slip into the character.
To reflect her somewhat wild and unpolished nature in the beginning, the makeup department made her hair and skin appear more untamed while her dresses reflected her humble origins. Over the course of the season, she receives a makeover, being dressed up to appear more formal for the sake of polite society. However, she eventually becomes more confident in her statement through her clothes. So, while her tastes appear more refined, they still have her feminist touch, reflecting who she really is. Through all these details, the actress and the costume and makeup department breathed life into Sybylla, making her feel real and relatable despite her fictional nature.
Read More: Where Was My Brilliant Career Filmed?
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