Virginia Woolf novel - To The Lighthouse

Hello, readers here my blog part of activity. This blog sumitted to Department of  English Maharaja KruashnKumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20 th century authors and also a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. She write Novel 'To The Lighthouse' . 

This questions is upon To The Lighthouse' novel.
1) How can you explain that 'What' Virginia Woolf wanted to say ( for example, the complexity of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones, the struggle of a female artist against the values of middle/ upper class society etc) can only be said in the way she said?

Virginia Woolf used stream of consciousness technique in her novel " To the Lighthouse". The narrative technique which Virginia Woolf has chosen is the best way to say what she wanted to convey.

In the novel Virginia Woolf tried to present person behaviour and person inner mind complexity of feelings and memory towards the people with whom we live our life, and how our emotions and impressions are continuously shifts. She showing the complexity of human relationship, the every battles that people are at in there relationship with their near and dear one.

In novel she shows battles between husband and wife, son and father even including battles. Mr.Ramsay battles with Mrs. Ramsay character through Virginia Woolf show Mr. Ramsay character like he is self dramatising domestic tyrant husband and Mrs. Ramsay like obedient wife of Mr. Ramsay.

Mr. Ramsay and James between battle in one dialogue in this dialogue Virginia use stream of consciousness technique through visuals James mind.

2) Do you agree: " The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay?

I agree with this point that the novel also represented both the side of tribute and critique in character of Mrs. Ramsay. Mrs. Ramsay is one of the central character in the novel because all things were happening around herself. Mrs. Ramsay considered as an 'Angle of the House' in the novel and if we talk about culture than the ladylike Mrs. Ramsay will maybe favorite in the future also.

She is reaming live in others minds because she gives her best to her family members but somewhere she was not happy inside so we have seen these both situations.

When we read the different articles than we can feel that Ramsay took as a so-called angel in the novel.  Women writing about women so sometimes I have felt that the writer has portrays herself in Lily's character and she want to say that, in the patriarchy women like Lily not liked by males.

She is also doing activities like painting and writing so she breaks that an idea women cannot paint can't write. So the novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay.

3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stands for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator( Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? Key: Take help from the presentation on symbolism to connect Mrs. Caroline Ramsay with Lighthouse. Secondly, the narrator / author cannot fully disappear from the novel and this the stoicism of Lighthouse.

Yes I think at some extent Lighthouse symbolically stands for Mrs. Ramsay. For  whole family and guests she is the one who stands with light in her hand to show directions to the others. She suffers alone from all miseries of her self and of others also. In this novel Virginia Woolf herself represents by Lily.



But Mrs. Ramsay character is like central figure in the novel symbolically ligh stand for Mrs. Ramsay not Lily. Mrs. Ramsay like she is everywhere with husband, children and friends even her death after Mr. Ramsay remembering her and Lily thik about her for her painting so here central finger character is the novel because she drawing Lighthouse and prove herself woman can painting.

 4. In the article by Joseph Blotner, two myths are patterned together. Name the myths? How they are zeroed down to the symbols of 'window' and 'Lighthouse'? How does the male phallic symbol represent feminine Mrs. Ramsay?( Key: The strokes of light - beams.)

In the Bible one myth of Adam and Eve also connected here. Human being spreed through women. Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives or stories that play a fundamental role in a society. In Greek mythology famous myth of pagan primordial Goddess and Oedipus. Oedipus who kills his father and marry his mother. The relationship between James hatred Ramsay are somewhat like that so here see Oedipus myth.

Rhea and Demeter . Mrs Ramsay is compare with Rhea. Rhea is Greek goddess and her husband is killing all her child but he saves the Zeus somehow. We can see same with Mrs Ramsay as she is also saving James form Mr. Ramsay.

'The window' is symbolically female and ' The Lighthouse' is symbolically male. Virginia Woolf has shown female as love and life giver while on the other hand she has shown male has hatred, violence and are fatal.

5. What do you understand by the German term 'Kunstlerroman' ? How can you justify that  'To the Lighthouse' is 'Kunstlerroman' novel?

'Kunstlerroman' German: "Artist's Novel" , class of apprenticeship novel, that deals with the youth and development of an individual who becomes or is on the threshold of becoming a painter, musician, or poet. 'Kunstlerroman' meaning "Artist's Novel" in English, is a narrative about an Artist's growth to maturity. To the Lighthouse is 'Kunstlerroman' novel because in this novel growth in this novel. Through her depiction of a women Artist, Lily Briscoe , Woolf devises a broad definition of art as that which crystallizes the moment, that which captures the moment from the flow of time.

6) In light if this remark, explain briefly Lily's dilemma in 'To The Lighthouse'.

Lily Briscoe had difference thoughts rather than another woman characters in the novel. As we know that this novel designated biographical way by Virginia Woolf ' To The Lighthouse'. Lily is in dilemma because of patriarchy.

Mrs. Ramsay also gave support to patriarchy and she is also trying to teach follow the same rule of patriarchy and we know that here Lily want to live with freedom who nroken all rights of women. During dialogue between Mrs Ramsay and Lily, one thing notify that Lily has not needed of men for better living her life.

It means that Lily's thought opposite in front of Mrs. Ramsay's thoughts. So that Lily didi not influenced or controlled in any way by other people but at the end of the novel she thought about Mrs. Ramsay without variation. That Mrs Ramsay remains in everyone's heart even after her death. So she is in dilemma, what she has to do.

7. You have compared the 'beginnning' and the 'ending' of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg. Do you think that the movie? If yes, do you ascribe the fact that the power of words is much greater than that of the screen/visuals?

Both the beginning and ending of novel and movie are different. In novel we war wandering by the mind of the characters, while movie is giving introduction to all. We can see in movie we can understand but the sharp narrative is in the novel.

At the end also both differs. In novel Lily put art, that tiredness is of giving birth to something and she is enjoying her creation by staying there. While is discomforting to me.

She behaves in the movie like she doesn't care about her painting and her vision, which is totally different from novel. I am agreed that while making movie one has to add changes because the here in this case novel is more poignant than movie.
And film has its made easy to understand rather than Novel.

8) How do you interpret the last line of the novel?.

"It was done; it was finished yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have has my vision."

In Lily's main visions is also fulfilled at the end of novel. After the final stroke on the canvass with finishing touch, Lily walks inside the house. As she goes ante chamber, the light and dark shade makes his face play hide and seek.

She climbs stairs, puts her brush aside, walks through the dark and light to enter her room. Gently closes the door speaks." Closed doors, open windows" lies on the bed and with some sort of satisfaction utters: " Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool. It is movie end throughout  the Lily Briscoe character present as creative marriage not more important for living society without marriage you can live and fulfill your vision.

9) What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?

Literature also reflected world war through war poem and novel. Here I found the reference of word war 1 in some scene of novel. So Ramsay's elder son died during first world war time. In the novel reference of 'Refrigerator' represented frozen of the modern time , development of teachnology and changing of time.

10) why did Virginia give such prominence to the tale of the " Fisherman's wife? In particular, why did she weave such a misogynist tale into the fabric of book which so eloquently challenges received patriarchal notions about the roles and capabilities of women?

In novel give some place for "Fisherman and His Wife" we can see that Virginia Woolf is trying to criticize here the way woman is portrayed in the story. She also wants to criticize the women who thinks these types of stereotyping real and also believe in that , that they themselves are like this only. This notion of believing herself less this is criticized here. On the other hand we can see that this particular story is subverted here. It is misogynist but the use of the story here is different.

The Fisherman wife is here connected with Mr. Ramsay and the Fisherman who is fulfilling every demand of his wife is here Mrs. Ramsay , who is also fulfilling the demands of Mr. Ramsay.

11. How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'?

The Mrs Ramsay character is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'. Mrs Ramsay is like image of Indian society women who pampering husband and children ego and after death women is important see the novel.

12. Write summaries of these articles.

Mrs. Ramsay remains at the centre of the novel. It depicts Mrs. Ramsay as an ideal woman. For the interpretation of the novel he used Greek myths of Gaia and Uranus as well as of myth of Demeter and porsphone is used as mother Goddess of fertility and reproduction.

The myth of Oedipus and More are used in supporting the argument of James hatred towards his father and love for his mother which feelings are intensified because of his unconsciousness knowledge.

This article showcases the Lily's Dilemma. The Frist article tries to bring Mrs. Ramsay at the centre of the novel while in this Lily Briscoe remains at the centre character. Being a practically an orphan girls; she functions as an adopted but marginalized daughter.

Her fight against patriarchy and its ministering figure of the "Angle in the House" will be long and full off pitfalls.
"Some one had blundered", it is a very first line of the article. Lily's vision has revealed the resolution of conflicts. Mrs. Ramsay herself is guilty because of her selfhood.

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