Welcome Readers,
A novel so autobiographical yet so general, a novel with conventional figures of the domestic rich family yet with the unconventional struggle under the dominance of patriarchy, a female establishes her own identity, a novel about experimenting with art yet coming up successfully with one of the masterpiece narrative styles with almost perfection is 'Virginia Woolf's 'To the Lighthouse'. Unlike traditional novels, 'Virginia Woolf's 'To the Lighthouse' contains a stream of consciousness narrative which makes it a modern novel with a modern theme of proving the equal status of gender.
Charles Tansley- the representative of 20th-century masculine notions about stereotypical gender bias believes that "Women can't paint, women can't write" of which Virginia Woolf through her novel break this Victorian prejudice by portraying a struggling female artist who resolves the unresolved issues and notions concerning her status as a woman artist.
This blogpost is a worksheet assigned by Prof. Dr Dilip Barad to blog your thoughts on the points mentioned on this blogpost - Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse.
Here are my views along with the questions asked to ponder upon-
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 has said? (Key: The 'How' of the narrative technique is to be discussed along with features of Stream of Consciousness technique which helps Woolf to put in an effective manner what she experienced in abstractions.)
It is said that a writer has only one device of expression- "WORDS" and through words and language, a writer creates another world of fiction with a variety of characters. The writer expresses human emotions and behaviours, human relationships, etc.
Virginia Woolf in her work 'To the Lighthouse' actually displayed the workings of the human mind, the novel captured the original and unrefined thoughts of the characters, in some ways the very naked thoughts without the dressing of optimism and overdone of authorization. Our perceptions rules our mind and this concept of perceptions grows in its own unique way. It either grows positively resulting in favourable conditions or it grows negatively resulting in the unfavourable state of mind.
The working of our mind is like a stream, it never stops - just progresses continuously in the direction which we want it to. And this technique in literature can be called Stream of Consciousness.
Here are two videos of online class discussion on Stream of Consciousness technique where I shared my experience with the class -
After briefly understanding the stream of consciousness technique, we can say that how difficult it actually is to portray each character's workings of thoughts in a novel with a particular sequence and harmony. Virginia Woolf seemed to have mastered this technique and the best result is 'To the Lighthouse'. Here is one example from the novel-
The novel begins with the answer to a question that hasn’t been asked, spoken by a person who is not described, apparently is James, the youngest son of Mrs Ramsay, who is sitting in the drawing-room. He displayed his wishes of visiting the Lighthouse and his mother convinces him that they will surely go if the weather would be fine and that he will have to wake up with the lark. His father says the weather won't be fine tomorrow and all his joys fade away to which he thinks-
'Had there been an axe handy, a poker, or any weapon that would have gashed a hole in his father’s breast and killed him, there and then, James would have seized it. Such were the extremes of emotion that Mr Ramsay excited in his children’s breasts by his mere presence; standing, as now, lean as a knife, narrow as the blade of one, grinning sarcastically, not only with the pleasure of disillusioning his son and casting ridicule upon his wife, who was ten thousand times better in every way than he was' (James thought)
(Woolf)
Hence, this perceptions of James informs about his feelings of his father and the readers later come to know with the omniscient narrator, that Mr Ramsay is actually different and these were only James perceptions of Mr Ramsay. This episode describes the complexities of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones.
Virginia Woolf has weaved the human conflicts, as well as the turmoils of 20th-century conditions of women in a patriarchal society. The narrative also encompasses some philosophical questions.
One character creates a variety of perceptions in the mind of other characters. 'To the Lighthouse', is the objective account of a central intelligence that approaches and assumes the characters' consciousness but does not become completely identified with any one consciousness. Furthermore, the struggle of a female artist is also significant.
2) Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"? (Key: Take some clues from the painting of Mrs Ramsay drawn by Lily Briscoe and the article by Andre Viola and Glenn Pedersen. Can we read Mrs. R in context of the idea of Ideal Indian Woman -
Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri;
Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha;
Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi;
Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni.)
कार्येषु दासी, करणेषु मंत्री, भोज्येषु माता, शयनेषु रम्भा ।
धर्मानुकूला क्षमया धरित्री, भार्या च षाड्गुण्यवतीह दुर्लभा ॥
The above-mentioned verse is in Sanskrit language, according to the Hindu Dharma, the six criteria of an ideal wife:
"Works like a servant, Advises like a minister, Feeds like a mother, makes love like a nymph, is as beautiful as Lakshmi, and forgiving like the earth."
Mrs Ramsay's characteristic of an ideal wife matches this concept of Indian thought of a wife. Here is a shred of textual evidence to support my argument.
Compassion and humility of Mrs Ramsay-
"Making some little twist of the reddish-brown stocking she was knitting, impatiently. If she finished it tonight, if they did go to the Lighthouse after all, it was to be given to the Lighthouse keeper for his little boy, who was threatened with a tuberculous hip; together with a pile of old magazines, and some tobacco, indeed, whatever she could find lying about, not really wanted, but only littering the room, to give those poor fellows, who must be bored to death sitting all day with nothing to do but polish the lamp and trim the wick and rake about on their scrap of garden, something to amuse them. For how would you like to be shut up for a whole month at a time, and possibly more in stormy weather, upon a rock the size of a tennis lawn? she would ask; and to have no letters or newspapers, and to see nobody; if you were married, not to see your wife, not to know how your children were,—if they were ill, if they had fallen down and broken their legs or arms; to see the same dreary waves breaking week after week, and then a dreadful storm coming, and the windows covered with spray, and birds dashed against the lamp, and the whole place rocking, and not be able to put your nose out of doors for fear of being swept into the sea? How would you like that? she asked, addressing herself particularly to her daughters. So she added, rather differently, one must take them whatever comforts one can." (Woolf)
"When she looked in the glass and saw her hair grey, her cheek sunk, at fifty, she thought, possibly she might have managed things better—her husband; money; his books. But for her own part she would never for a single second regret her decision, evade difficulties, or slur over duties." (Woolf)
Lily Briscoe's painting expresses the repressed critique of Mrs Ramsay-
Lily breaks the patriarchal notion in her painting proving herself as a contrasting figure of Mrs Ramsay. Her painting reveals that the family members particularly her son James and her husband no longer carries grudges and some of the inner conflicts of mind are solved in her absence, so when she was with them she was a connecting bridge/ link but not connecting the two minds instead developing much distance, in the end, this conflict is resolved. Hence, the novel is a critique of Mrs Ramsay.
3) Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand 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 thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse. Read 'lighthouse' symbol from presentation slide with this insight to connect lighthouse with the narrator. Give your concluding remarks in the comment below in this blog )
The Lighthouse has a titular significance; looking from the a single dimension it may seem that the way the lighthouse stands alone and tall in both light and darkness, in any harsh situation or in favourable one, and its beacon symbolizes strength, the focal point of guidance and safe harbour. Similarly Mrs Ramsay symbolizes the spiritual strength of the entire family and providing strength and powerful guidance as well as superficial assurance (James) to all the members of family.
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. . . )
The primary myth which is appeared here is of Rhea and Demeter. First Mrs. Ramsay is contrasted and Rhea. Rhea is Greek goddess, and her significant other is slaughtering all her kid yet he spares the Zeus by one way or another. We can see same with Mrs. Ramsay as she is likewise sparing James from Mr. Ramsay. Sparing in the feeling of outrage. Both Mr. also, Mrs. Ramsay treat James in an unexpected way. Mrs. Ramsay treat James as it were which make outrage in James mind for his dad, she acts before James as she is attempting to spare him from his dad. Besides she is contrasted and Demeter. Demeter is a little girl of Rhea and goddess of corn and ripeness. It is said that when she is in distress entire earth gets desolate. Demeter is more revered by men than ladies, same as men are in more need of Mrs. Ramsay than ladies. Each man in summer house are needing Mrs. Ramsay in either way.
The second legend which is depicted is of Oedipus, who kills his dad and wed his mom. The connection among James and Mrs. Ramsay are to some degree like that. James disdain towards his dad mirror the Oedipus complex in him. He generally think to murder his dad since he need his mom care for just him and live just with her. At the point when Mrs. Ramsay kicked the bucket that spot is taken by Cam however then even his affections for his dad didn't changed. At the point when Cam additionally have compassion toward her dad James again imagined that his dad has taken her. Yet, toward the end might be this scorn has been disappeared on the grounds that Mr. Ramsay adulated James for taking care of boat well indeed and Cam believed that James got finally what he generally needed.
Finally "The Window" is emblematically female and "The Lighthouse" is emblematically male. Virginia Woolf has demonstrated female as affection and life supplier while then again she has indicated male has disdain, brutality and are lethal. In a manner she needs to state that female energy is important to work. By Virginia Woolf the nature of conceiving an offspring by female is stressed here over male.
5) What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel? (Key: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325047/Kunstlerroman)
The word Künstlerroman is a mixture of two words-
Künstlerroman is a German word which means 'artist's novel' in English. It is a kind of apprenticeship novel presenting or bringing to light some of the biographical elements in the plot of the novel.
In the novel the artist is Lily Briscoe and it can be said that by the end of the novel she derives her vision and completed her painting, her masterpiece.
6) "... the wages of obedience is death, and the daughter that reproduces mothering to perfection, including child-bearing, already has on her cheeks the pallor of death. One reminded here of various texts by Lucy Irigaray, in which she attacks mothers for being, however unwillingly, accomplices in the patriarchal system of oppression." (Viola). In light of this remark, explain briefly Lily's dilemma in 'To The Lighthouse'.
By these lines we can say that Lily is in situation due to man controlled society, patriarchal construction and the ones who intentionally or unknowingly submits themselves to male centric society. We can find in the novel that Lily is pulled in towards the Bank however she isn't demonstrating her emotions in feeling of marriage since she would prefer not to resemble Mrs. Ramsay. She isn't content with Mrs. Ramsay in light of the fact that she is the person who upholds man controlled society and furthermore needs her girl to do likewise. These lines shows that by following the request one gets demise Prue. She passed on the grounds that she followed her mom's structure and hitched. The explanation of the Prue's demise is labor, which again is the possibility of ideal or amazing lady given by Mrs. Ramsay while raising her girls. In cycle of turning out to be wonderful she kicked the bucket. This is shows Lily's problem, that she is seeing every one of these things front of her eyes yet can not change the brain of ladies around her.
7) Movie Screening: Worksheet (Click here to open)
Here is my answer, click on the given link to view:
Colin Gregg’s ‘To the Lighthouse’
Virginia Woolf’s ‘To the Lighthouse’
8) You have compared the 'beginning' and the 'ending' of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg (you can see it again in the embedded video below this). Do you think that the novel is more poignant than the movie? If yes, do you ascribe the fact that the power of words is much greater than that of the screen / visuals?
Here is my answer for the beginning of the novel and its comparison with the beginning of the film adaptation by Colin Gregg, click on the given link to view:
Colin Gregg’s ‘To the Lighthouse’
Virginia Woolf’s ‘To the Lighthouse’
9) 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 had my vision.) with reference to the ending of the film (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".)
The last lines of novel and movie both are different. In the novel Lily's last line is "I have had my vision" and in the movie it is "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool". So if we take reference to understand novel's last line, from my perspective, it is the realization of Lily what she actually wants. She is fool to think about being like Mrs. Ramsay, she got her vision in her painting. Now she will continue with her painting and not with the thought of being like Mrs. Ramsay.
10) What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?
The catalogue named "Armed force and Navy" implies by its name -war and industrialism, both are associated. Virginia Woolf here may had attempted to condemn free enterprise during her time. The fridge in the list, which initially is an image of innovation and tolerating new innovation. Cooler is device of rationing the things and forestall it to change normally. We can interface Mrs. Ramsay with cooler, since she likewise attempts to save the emotions. She is tolerating new innovation however she need her girls like her with the old attitude and generalizations. James is cutting cooler, which may seen as Mrs. Ramsay is the person who is safeguarding James' emotions.
11) 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 a book which so eloquently challenges received patriarchal notions about the roles and capabilities of women?
12) How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'? (Read this blog for passing reference)
The blog link of my answer this question is attached below-
Thank you
Works Cited
Limanta, Liem Satya. The Presentation of Gender roles in and outside the fiction. Surabaya, 20 October 2020.
To the Lighthouse. By Hugh Stoddart. Dir. Colin Gregg. Perf. Rosemary Harris, et al. Prod. Alan Shallcross. 1983. CD. 11 October 2020.
Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse. New York, Columbia University Press, 1998. Pdf. 11 October 2020.
Limanta, Liem Satya. The Presentation of Gender roles in and outside the fiction. Surabaya, 2005. Document. 11 October 2020.
To the Lighthouse. By Hugh Stoddart. Dir. Colin Gregg. Perf. Rosemary Harris, et al. Prod. Alan Shallcross. 1983. CD. 11 October 2020.
Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse. New York, Columbia University Press, 1998. Pdf. 11 October 2020.
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