" To the Lighthouse " - Virginia Woolf

                         Thinking Activity

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? 

   It seems an exquisite representation of the all characters. Some how it gives the biographical images of the writer. We might be feel that she writes this novel to her parents.  After reading about her we find that she had all the facilities but for the basic women rights, she tries to portray the real situation of the   ' Patriarchal ' society. Through the female characters she wants to show that a woman should know the menace of the gilded cage. 

    When we see the characters of Mr and Mrs Ramsay that time we realizes the complexity of human relationship, which remains  present even today also in the society. The main difference between this couple is the approach towards the life. The expression of their desires. 

         Through the character of Lily writer tries to show the struggle of a female artist. People like a Transley thinks that women can not paint or write. This thing happens even today also. There are so many fields where women are still not considered as an equal employer, writer, player or artist. 

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. ) 

   Yes, The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. During the whole novel she remains in the center. Here writer has shown her as an " Ideal " woman. Who always remains busy in the fulfillment of the others. She tries to make her daughters like herself. " They must keep the windows open and the doors shut. " And we find that Prue dies because of the childbirth. So most of the time she remains inferior to the men. Which raises the question of independence. 

    Most of the time Lily argues with her. But even after her death she remains present in everything. Which makes her character lively. 

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. 

   Both interpretation can be true. If we see  the Lighthouse as a symbol of Mrs. Ramsay we find that she possesses the quality of strongness, nurturing and as a tolerant lady. 

  But actually it more suits to the character of Lily. During the whole novel she remains single. She struggles for her own identity. To live freely is more important.Where (At lighthouse) there are no one to tell you anything. We can say that Mrs. Ramsay dies but Lily still stands as a lighthouse. She faces so much inner pain to prove herself. 

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. . . )

      

    Here we can say that myth functioned as a legitimization. From the past (in myth) we finds that women  are considered as a land of fertility. Indians considered the furrows in the land like female vulva and the semen as the seed. Words shovel and penis have the same root in Sanskrit. (Langala).

     Holy Quran also states that " Your wives are a tilth for you. " 

Here we can see the myth of Pagan, Primordial Goddesses and Oedipus. 

In the novel Mrs. Ramsay remains in threefold relation. As a Rhea, Demeter and Persephone. If we see the character of James he always hates his father. He always wants to remain close to her mother. The another myth comes in our mind is that Gaia and Uranus. 

5- What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel? 

   The German term Kunstlerroman means a growth of an artist. It can be anybody's growth also. We can say physical or Artistic growth too. 

    In the novel Augustus Carmechael struggle to write the poem. But at the end of the novel he get the insight. Same way Lily also grapple through out the novel to complete the painting. And in the end she get her vision. Thus we can connect this term with the maturity of the characters. 

6- Lily's Dilemma in the novel  " To the Lighthouse ." 

    As we all knows that Lily's character represents the biographical image. She always talk about the independent life. According to her there is no need of man.  In short Lily's thoughts remains totally vice versa from the thoughts of  Mrs. Ramsay. But at the end she constantly thinks about Mrs. Ramsay. In a way she also wants to be like her. Because she realizes that Mrs. Ramsay remains in everyone's heart even after her death. 

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 / visuals?

  Yes,  there are a few difference between the novel and a movie. In the movie most of the scene runs faster compared to the novel. The another different is comes in the end. In the novel Lily just puts her brush. While in a movie she goes upstairs and start talking with herself. 

   In a movie it becomes little bit difficult to understand. Whereas the technique, parentheses of the novel helps reader in the understanding. 

8-  How do you interpret the last line of the novel ? 

   In the end of the novel she feels fatigue. But she is now happy too. She thinks that she has now got the artistic vision. Which she was wanted. We can interpret that she considers herself as a winner against the Mrs. Ramsay and Charles Transley. How independent life gives her good vision. 

    But in the movie after completing the painting she goes upstairs and and consider herself as a fool. She was thinking that without this family life, she can live the life easily. But now it becomes difficult for her to live alone. And she starts thinking to be like Mrs. Ramsay.

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

        We finds the reference of the WW1 in the novel. And Mr. Ramsay's bigger son also dies in the war. So here the catalogue named as ' Army and Navy ' represents the war and consumerism. 

         Whereas ' Refrigerator ' represents the change of time. It also portrays the character of Mrs. Ramsay. During the whole novel she remains as a preserver of the culture. And a shaper of her children. One another thing comes in our mind is that because of Mrs. Ramsay's over caring nature her children faces problems in the future. 

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 roles and capabilities of women? 

    Here we can interpret that writer wants to do satire through the tale of the  "Fisherman's Wife." In the tale female character is represented more dull. But here it is compared with the characters of Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay. And also in the characters of Lily and Transley. 

    Over depending nature always leads towards the failure. So we find that after the death of Mrs. Ramsay, for Mr. Ramsay it becomes so much difficult to handle everything. And Charles Transley also wants to complete his work quickly whereas Lily works slowly but with full of passions. 

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

     First time it represent the patriarchal discourse through the character of Mrs. Ramsay- As a ideal lady. 

         So many times  we hear about the prosperity of the India. So most of the time India portrayed as a land of pearls. 

            We can interpret that Augustus Carmichael refers India as a land of peace. We can connect this thing with the T. S. Eliot' s  The Waste Land too. 

                                                      Thank you...