# Individual vs. Society in My Brilliant Career

> Theme guide for My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin.

Sybylla's intense individuality, artistic temperament, and unconventional views set her apart from her family and community, making her a 'lonely being' who struggles to find her place in a conformist world.

## Where it surfaces

- [Special Notice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/special-notice): The poet is described as 'companionless—alone! fearfully alone in the midst of his fellows,' illustrating the isolation of the individual who differs from the common mass.
- [I: I Remember, I Remember](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/i-i-remember-i-remember): Sybylla refuses to show deference based on social rank, treating a prince no differently than a shearer.
- [VI: Revolt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/vi-revolt): Sybylla feels alienated from her family and society's expectations, struggling to find her place.
- [IX: Aunt Helen's Recipe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/ix-aunt-helen-s-recipe): Sybylla feels misunderstood and isolated, while Aunt Helen speaks of the universal burden of being misunderstood, highlighting the individual's struggle against societal norms.
- [X: Everard Grey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/x-everard-grey): Sybylla's theatrical talents and unconventional behavior are praised by Everard but constrained by family expectations and bush life.
- [One Grand Passion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xii-one-grand-passion): Sybylla's refusal to conform to societal expectations of marriage and her assertion of personal autonomy.
- [XIV: Principally Letters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xiv-principally-letters): Sybylla's solitary reflections on social issues and her torn letter to Everard show her struggle between personal expression and societal expectations.
- [Same Yarn (Continued)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xx-same-yarn-continued): Sybylla's impulsive, unwomanly act isolates her from social norms and places her in conflict with expected feminine behavior.
- [XXI: My Unladylike Behaviour Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xxi-my-unladylike-behaviour-again): Sybylla's refusal to apologize or feel shame for her actions pits her personal conscience against Grannie's societal expectations of female propriety.
- [My Journey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xxvii-my-journey): Sybylla feels lonely and insignificant on the platform, contrasting with the collective care of the male passengers, underscoring her isolation as a young woman navigating a male-dominated world.
- [XXVIII: To Life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xxviii-to-life): Sybylla feels trapped and alienated in the M'Swat household, struggling to maintain her identity and standards against the overwhelming filth and ignorance.
- [XXIX: To Life (Continued)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xxix-to-life-continued): Sybylla's defiance of Mrs. M'Swat and her assertion of authority over the children reflect her struggle against the social and familial constraints imposed on her.
- [Mr. M’Swat and I Have a Bust-Up](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xxxi-mr-m-swat-and-i-have-a-bust-up): Sybylla's intellectual and emotional needs clash violently with the crude, materialistic values of the M'Swat family, leading to her explosive confrontation.
- [XXXVII: He That Despiseth Little Things, Shall Fall Little by Little](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/chapters/xxxvii-he-that-despiseth-little-things-shall-fall-little-by-little): Sybylla feels alienated from her mother's world of recipes and orthodoxy, and from the narrow expectations of her community.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/themes/individual_vs_society
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/my_brilliant_career_se/themes