To the lighthouse :
'Sometimes something is very near to you but you can not reach that place'
Virginia Woolf was a very strong female writer. She belongs to the Bloomsbury group and she openly wrote about Lesbianism. It is very difficult to face the society when you write about lesbianism. But it was the reality of the world. When we read her novel, characters in the novel are closely connected with her own life. She published her novel with her name not like Jean Austan. Austan published her novel anonymously. Woolf was suffering from mental illness and had terrible attacks and after that, she Committed suicide. Suicide has different dimensions like Intellectual way of death. Within the home, she got an education. She had a question that why I can not go to university like my brothers? So she is the best writer and in her all novel we can find some interesting real points.
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.)
As we know that there are many women writer but among them, Virginia Woolf is a very different writer. When we read her novel at that time we feel the characters like in this novel we can find the character of Lily Briscoe. Lily is a good painter or we can say the good artist and opposite character is Mrs.Ramsay who always believed that a woman's duty is to focus on housework. In Mrs Ramsay, we can see the image of Ideal woman but it is not true. In our real society, we can find a character like Mr Ramsay and Mrs Ramsay. Lily Briscoe's character is a very interesting character. People believe that women can not write or do whatever she wants to do. In the novel, we can observe that Mrs Ramsay also told Lily that sometimes a woman has to sacrifice for their family. Family is more important for Mrs.Ramsay. In real life when we decide to do something new especially if you are a girl then you may face problems or obstacles to complete or to become successful but if you are a boy then it is easy for you. When we read the life of Virginia Woolf we can find this point. In the novel, we can see the character of Lily Briscoe. Mrs Ramsay also believes that women can not paint or write. We can find this in one of the dialogue.
"Lily’s picture! Mrs Ramsay smiled. With her little Chinese eyes and her puckered-up face, she would never marry; one could not take her painting very seriously;"
Charles Tansley told Lily Briscoe that woman can not paint or write. We can clearly see this in the original text.
"Of all that only a few random marks scrawled upon the canvas remained. And it would never be seen; never be hung even, and there was Mr Tansley whispering in her ear, “Women can’t paint, women can’t write ...”
Virginia Woolf also used the stream of consciousness technique. This is one of the best literary technique. We can find difficult to understand this kind of novel. This term first introduces by William James in his book 'The Principle of Psychology'. Our consciousness is never stopping. It's like a sea. When you represent your inside thought in your writing it becomes your stream of Consciousness. This is very difficult to read as well as to write. Virginia Woolf's way of writing in this technique is not more difficult to understand because she tells us what is in the mental process.
'All the Narrator speaks subjectivity not objectively'
So, we can come to know about the inner and outer relationship of characters with each other.
2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs Ramsay"? Can we read Mrs Ramsay in the context of the idea of ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha; Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Roopeshu Lakshmi; Satkarma yukata, Kuladharma patni.
I agree that the novel both critique and tribute to Mrs Ramsay. When we see the character of Mrs Ramsay we can see that her character is very Ideal one that does not exist in our real society. She wants to remember as a good human being and as a good wife. She believes that sometimes a woman has to sacrifice for her family. She has one secret desire that her husband or other family members appreciate her. Nobody is free from this mindset. When you do some work at that time your desire is that someone appreciates your work. This is also the beauty of Stream of consciousness. You can go deeper and deeper. We can also criticise her character because her thoughts and her work are sat in Patriarchal society. She obeys her husband and also give respect to men rather women. We can find totally opposite characters in the novel Lily Briscoe.
We also read Mrs Ramsay's character through the above-given slot. This is a very famous slot and everybody believes that this kind of woman is one of the best and ideal woman.
'Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha; Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Roopeshu Lakshmi; Satkarma yukata, Kuladharma patni.'
3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs Ramsay or the narrator(Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? 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 the stoicism of Lighthouse.
When an object is used for some deeper meaning at the time we can say that this is the symbol which is used by Writer. The title of the novel sugge us one deeper meaning. Yes, the symbol of Lighthouse stands for Mrs Ramsay because when we observe her character we come to know that her some ideas are very stable. Stoicism means,
"the quality of experiencing pain or trouble without complaining or showing your emotions"
When we read the character of Lily, the author can not fully disappear from the novel. Virginia's character is present in the novel. Lily's dilemma is Virginia Woolf's own mental dilemma. When we read Virginia's life at that time we come to know that in her life as an artist or writer she faces many problems life the character of Lily in the novel.
4. In the article by Joseph Blonter, 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?
In the novel or any literary work, there is some kind of myth which are used by Author. Reading the Myth is a very difficult task. Joseph Blonder, in his article, he talked about two Myths and Myths are patterned together. In this novel, Virginia Woolf's concept of woman's role in life is crystallised in the character of Mrs Ramsay, whose Attributes are those of major female figures in pagan myth. So
One of them is Pagan myth in which Woolf connected Mrs Ramsay with Rhea who had similar numbers of children like Mrs Ramsay. The most useful myth for interpreting the novel is that of the Primordial Goddess. When we see the character Demeter in the myth we come to know that he was worshipped more by men than women like in the novel we can find the character of Mrs.Ramsay who respected more men than women even she is insulated by Man (Her husband). It is easy to find the myth of Oedipus in the novel. We can see the relationship between the son James and the mother Mrs Ramsay. Mrs Ramsay love for James is very pure. James desire to go to the Lighthouse and every time Mrs Ramsay slowly told him that the next day. So we can observe that she doesn't want to break his desire to go at Lighthouse.
We can also see the hatred towards his father in one of the famous dialogue by James that,
"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."
5. What do you understand by the German term "Kunstlerroman"? How can you justify that 'To the Light House' is 'Kunstlerroman' novel?
Kunstlerroman is a German term which means the artist or writer who struggled a lot to achieve something or the growth of the artist. Like we can see the character of Virginia Woolf and in the novel the Character of Lily Briscoe. For girls, it is very hard to give hope to others that no we can also do like a man can. We can not Escape from reality. We have to fight for achieving something. In lily's character, we can find that to complete one painting of Mrs Ramsay and James she thinks a lot. Our society is patriarchal Society in which people believe that woman has no right to complete their dreams or to become an artist like Charles says that women can not paint to write.
6. Explain Lily's dilemma in 'To the Lighthouse'.
'Lily is a statically more present character than Mrs Ramsay'
Lily Briscoe's character is a very interesting one. She is a good painter and she knew that what's going on in this summer house. Lily always think that why Mrs. Ramsay's character is like this like she sacrifice and she always thinks first for her family. It is right that she is thinking for her family but she is not able to say no to wrong things. Lily's dilemma is to understand Mrs Ramsay's character. Lily is strongly opposed to patriarchal power. Her thinking is very different from other members of the house. Her way of talking with Mrs Ramsay is very artistic. But her character is confusing also because in the last it not clearly shown in the novel that she is going to Marry Mrs Ramsay or not.
7. You have compared the beginning and the ending of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg. 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/visual?
When you start reading at that time some kind of images comes in your mind. You imagine something and words gives you some kind of image in your mind. But when you watch the movie at that time your imagination becomes change because you thinking is different from the filmmaker. Same way when you start reading at that time first scene brings you one place which is very far from our city and all family members are taking with each other. But the movie starts in a different way. The same way as the end of the novel and movie is different. But in the movie, we can find some clear symbols like we can see that Mrs Ramsay and Lily are talking or arguing in the darkness. The same way we can see in one of the scenes the myth of Oedipus when Mr Ramsay became closed to Mrs Ramsay and James way of looking. So that we can find some good points in the movie. Both are effective but we can say that novel has a long narration of Lily's dilemma and her vision then movie.
8. How do you interpret the last line of the novel - It was done it was finished.
'Sometimes something is very near to you but you can not reach that place'
Virginia Woolf was a very strong female writer. She belongs to the Bloomsbury group and she openly wrote about Lesbianism. It is very difficult to face the society when you write about lesbianism. But it was the reality of the world. When we read her novel, characters in the novel are closely connected with her own life. She published her novel with her name not like Jean Austan. Austan published her novel anonymously. Woolf was suffering from mental illness and had terrible attacks and after that, she Committed suicide. Suicide has different dimensions like Intellectual way of death. Within the home, she got an education. She had a question that why I can not go to university like my brothers? So she is the best writer and in her all novel we can find some interesting real points.
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.)
As we know that there are many women writer but among them, Virginia Woolf is a very different writer. When we read her novel at that time we feel the characters like in this novel we can find the character of Lily Briscoe. Lily is a good painter or we can say the good artist and opposite character is Mrs.Ramsay who always believed that a woman's duty is to focus on housework. In Mrs Ramsay, we can see the image of Ideal woman but it is not true. In our real society, we can find a character like Mr Ramsay and Mrs Ramsay. Lily Briscoe's character is a very interesting character. People believe that women can not write or do whatever she wants to do. In the novel, we can observe that Mrs Ramsay also told Lily that sometimes a woman has to sacrifice for their family. Family is more important for Mrs.Ramsay. In real life when we decide to do something new especially if you are a girl then you may face problems or obstacles to complete or to become successful but if you are a boy then it is easy for you. When we read the life of Virginia Woolf we can find this point. In the novel, we can see the character of Lily Briscoe. Mrs Ramsay also believes that women can not paint or write. We can find this in one of the dialogue.
"Lily’s picture! Mrs Ramsay smiled. With her little Chinese eyes and her puckered-up face, she would never marry; one could not take her painting very seriously;"
Charles Tansley told Lily Briscoe that woman can not paint or write. We can clearly see this in the original text.
"Of all that only a few random marks scrawled upon the canvas remained. And it would never be seen; never be hung even, and there was Mr Tansley whispering in her ear, “Women can’t paint, women can’t write ...”
Virginia Woolf also used the stream of consciousness technique. This is one of the best literary technique. We can find difficult to understand this kind of novel. This term first introduces by William James in his book 'The Principle of Psychology'. Our consciousness is never stopping. It's like a sea. When you represent your inside thought in your writing it becomes your stream of Consciousness. This is very difficult to read as well as to write. Virginia Woolf's way of writing in this technique is not more difficult to understand because she tells us what is in the mental process.
'All the Narrator speaks subjectivity not objectively'
So, we can come to know about the inner and outer relationship of characters with each other.
2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs Ramsay"? Can we read Mrs Ramsay in the context of the idea of ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha; Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Roopeshu Lakshmi; Satkarma yukata, Kuladharma patni.
I agree that the novel both critique and tribute to Mrs Ramsay. When we see the character of Mrs Ramsay we can see that her character is very Ideal one that does not exist in our real society. She wants to remember as a good human being and as a good wife. She believes that sometimes a woman has to sacrifice for her family. She has one secret desire that her husband or other family members appreciate her. Nobody is free from this mindset. When you do some work at that time your desire is that someone appreciates your work. This is also the beauty of Stream of consciousness. You can go deeper and deeper. We can also criticise her character because her thoughts and her work are sat in Patriarchal society. She obeys her husband and also give respect to men rather women. We can find totally opposite characters in the novel Lily Briscoe.
We also read Mrs Ramsay's character through the above-given slot. This is a very famous slot and everybody believes that this kind of woman is one of the best and ideal woman.
'Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha; Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Roopeshu Lakshmi; Satkarma yukata, Kuladharma patni.'
3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs Ramsay or the narrator(Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? 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 the stoicism of Lighthouse.
When an object is used for some deeper meaning at the time we can say that this is the symbol which is used by Writer. The title of the novel sugge us one deeper meaning. Yes, the symbol of Lighthouse stands for Mrs Ramsay because when we observe her character we come to know that her some ideas are very stable. Stoicism means,
"the quality of experiencing pain or trouble without complaining or showing your emotions"
When we read the character of Lily, the author can not fully disappear from the novel. Virginia's character is present in the novel. Lily's dilemma is Virginia Woolf's own mental dilemma. When we read Virginia's life at that time we come to know that in her life as an artist or writer she faces many problems life the character of Lily in the novel.
4. In the article by Joseph Blonter, 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?
In the novel or any literary work, there is some kind of myth which are used by Author. Reading the Myth is a very difficult task. Joseph Blonder, in his article, he talked about two Myths and Myths are patterned together. In this novel, Virginia Woolf's concept of woman's role in life is crystallised in the character of Mrs Ramsay, whose Attributes are those of major female figures in pagan myth. So
One of them is Pagan myth in which Woolf connected Mrs Ramsay with Rhea who had similar numbers of children like Mrs Ramsay. The most useful myth for interpreting the novel is that of the Primordial Goddess. When we see the character Demeter in the myth we come to know that he was worshipped more by men than women like in the novel we can find the character of Mrs.Ramsay who respected more men than women even she is insulated by Man (Her husband). It is easy to find the myth of Oedipus in the novel. We can see the relationship between the son James and the mother Mrs Ramsay. Mrs Ramsay love for James is very pure. James desire to go to the Lighthouse and every time Mrs Ramsay slowly told him that the next day. So we can observe that she doesn't want to break his desire to go at Lighthouse.
We can also see the hatred towards his father in one of the famous dialogue by James that,
"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."
5. What do you understand by the German term "Kunstlerroman"? How can you justify that 'To the Light House' is 'Kunstlerroman' novel?
Kunstlerroman is a German term which means the artist or writer who struggled a lot to achieve something or the growth of the artist. Like we can see the character of Virginia Woolf and in the novel the Character of Lily Briscoe. For girls, it is very hard to give hope to others that no we can also do like a man can. We can not Escape from reality. We have to fight for achieving something. In lily's character, we can find that to complete one painting of Mrs Ramsay and James she thinks a lot. Our society is patriarchal Society in which people believe that woman has no right to complete their dreams or to become an artist like Charles says that women can not paint to write.
6. Explain Lily's dilemma in 'To the Lighthouse'.
'Lily is a statically more present character than Mrs Ramsay'
Lily Briscoe's character is a very interesting one. She is a good painter and she knew that what's going on in this summer house. Lily always think that why Mrs. Ramsay's character is like this like she sacrifice and she always thinks first for her family. It is right that she is thinking for her family but she is not able to say no to wrong things. Lily's dilemma is to understand Mrs Ramsay's character. Lily is strongly opposed to patriarchal power. Her thinking is very different from other members of the house. Her way of talking with Mrs Ramsay is very artistic. But her character is confusing also because in the last it not clearly shown in the novel that she is going to Marry Mrs Ramsay or not.
7. You have compared the beginning and the ending of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg. 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/visual?
When you start reading at that time some kind of images comes in your mind. You imagine something and words gives you some kind of image in your mind. But when you watch the movie at that time your imagination becomes change because you thinking is different from the filmmaker. Same way when you start reading at that time first scene brings you one place which is very far from our city and all family members are taking with each other. But the movie starts in a different way. The same way as the end of the novel and movie is different. But in the movie, we can find some clear symbols like we can see that Mrs Ramsay and Lily are talking or arguing in the darkness. The same way we can see in one of the scenes the myth of Oedipus when Mr Ramsay became closed to Mrs Ramsay and James way of looking. So that we can find some good points in the movie. Both are effective but we can say that novel has a long narration of Lily's dilemma and her vision then movie.
8. How do you interpret the last line of the novel - It was done it was finished.
When we read the novel we come to know that lily's dialogues are very interesting specifically the last lines which are spoken by her. For a painter, it is important to find one vision or the perfect emotion related to their painting. Lily's wants to capture Mrs Ramsay and James who are sitting to gather at the summer house. When she saw that she think that Mrs Ramsay is the soul of this house. She finished her painting in the last part of the novel and those are her last line of the novel. Words are,
"Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision."
So this is the lines or words which is spoken by Lily. She never thinks that whether her paint will remain or destroyed. Her thinking about Mr Ramsay is foolish. When we compare both the characters Lily Briscoe and Mrs Ramsay we can find many differences like,
When she thinks about Mrs Ramsay, she comes to know that Mrs Ramsay was not wrong. Family and marriage is also one important part of life. Mrs Ramsay's very famous dialogue,
"Close the doors but open the windows"
This line is very interesting to criticise. A woman has no right to open the doors and think about her further but she can open the window and see. Like in one of the Gujarati proverb it is said that,
So she is thinking about Mrs Ramsay and find her own vision. In the movie, it is shown that she thinks that Mrs Ramsay and James are happy with each other. So
"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 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".
"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 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".
9. What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting 'Refrigerator signify?
Army and navy catalogue signifies a very interesting point that is the time of war. In the novel, we can find many interesting symbols related to refrigerator like Mrs Ramsay told Lily to marry and she also suggests James to how to cut the paper in a proper way or she wants to tell other to remember the culture. As we know that her thinking is a very traditional one. She wants to tell everyone about her time.
'Refrigerator is the symbol of change and preserve something which is not for change.'
This is obviously the modern time symbol which is improving human culture. This is an instrument of science. So,
'Refrigerator is a shaper of Culture (Changing) as well as a preserver.'
Like,
'Refrigerator is a shaper of Culture (Changing) as well as a preserver.'
Like,
'Open the window and close the door'
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 a book which so eloquently challenges received patriarchal notions about the role and capabilities of women?
The story of "Fisherman's wife is connected with the character of Mrs Ramsay as well as Mr Ramsay. In the novel, the storyteller is Mrs Ramsay. But when we read the story of the Fisherman's Wife, we come to know that the character of Fisherman connected with Mrs Ramsay and the character of Fisherman's wife is connected with Mr Ramsay. So the male character is connected with Fisherman's wife. Mrs Ramsay and lily both are different characters from each other but both are good at working something. When we see the character of Mr Ramsay we come to know that he is more depended character and to solve his problem always he went to Mrs Ramsay. The same way Lily Briscoe is better in her profession than Charles Tansley. At list, Lily has her own work to do.
11. How is India represented in 'To the Lighthouse'.
We can see the character of Mrs Ramsay. She always believes that a girl's duty is to work and pampering others. Woman have to marry. Many writers use Indian concepts in their novels or play and poems. Like in the "Waste Land" we can find some Indian references like Ganga river.
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