Thinking activity on " To the lighthouse "

                     

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 effective manner what she experienced in abstractions.)

                         Virginia Woolf’s representation of stream of consciousness in the novel “To the lighthouse” is such that the narrator speaks as the third person and portrays the characters and actions, or we can say that story develops through the flow of thoughts in the minds of the characters. Virginia Woolf has often used this technique in the novel to keep its special characters to be always within the consciousness of the chief characters. She tries to deconstruct the idea of patriarchal power structure. She tried to satirize power structure and it can also be said as stream of consciousness technique. For example Mrs.Ramsay wanted to make her daughter like her, so we can also compare Virginia and her daughters in the novel. The second thing is stream of consciousness. Stream of consciousness is a style of writing. In narrative technique there are two basic types of inferior monologue. Direct Inferior Monologue and Indirect Inferior Monologue. In this novel she also used technique of Brackets and Parenthesis.

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 women.

                           Character of Mrs. Ramsay is a round character which remains from beginning to the end in the novel, first she is physically living and then in minds of people she remains live. Along with Lily Briscoe we also as a reader, throughout the novel wants to understand her character and her life as a whole. How she deals with all family members and makes family united. She plays the role of a wife, mother, and house keeper. Here Virginia Woolf also beautifies this character as well as it also seems that she is criticizing this character. And by drawing her as a motherly figure Virginia Woolf also tributes her.

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 goes with Mrs. Caroline Ramsay or Lily and her stoicism, is a confusion. The same way Narrator goes with whom is also confusion. Lighthouse is something that stands alone in between the sea and who guides others also same way Mrs. Ramsay is also remains strong. Same way water represents the emotions, on the opposite side Lighthouse stands for spiritual and emotional strength. Similarly Mrs. Ramsay was also like a bridge and stands strong among all characters. Similarly Lily also proves herself to the patriarchal structure by painting, she also stand strong like a light house. So we can say that both Mrs. Ramsay and the Narrator remain strong as a Light house and they are not disappearing from the novel.

                     

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. . . )

                       There are two myths, Oedipus myth and Pagan Myth. And it’s all about constructed womanhood, or an ideal woman. Here window is as a female and the lighthouse as a Male symbol. Virginia Woolf built her novel around a character embodying the life-giving role to female. To Lily Briscoe the painter she gives stimulus and understanding; to Carmichael the poet she gives haven from squalor and a shrewish wife; to Ramsay the philosopher she supplies love, comfort, and reassurance; to Tansley the graduate student she offers protection for personality rubbed raw by insecurity; to Banks the botanist she renders affection and respite from a windowed life and priest like devotion to science. Here both father and son are symbolically arid, sterile, hateful and fatal where as female are female represents fertility and rebirth. Mrs. Ramsay gives love, stability and fruitfulness to her family. And here the male phallic symbol represents feminine Mrs. Ramsay.

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

                    To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is a 'Künstlerroman' novel, which means artist’s novel. Normally, these type of novels shows artist’s growth to maturity. It shows protagonist’s struggle as well as writers struggle. Artists such as writer, dancer, painter and musicians etc, escape to another location, far removed from their origins more hospitable to their dreams and desired vocation. They gets education during their journey, their teachers exists in the shape of two counteracting forces: such as one that nurtures and one that acts as an obstacle. Here also we can say that Virginia Woolf portraits the character of Lily Briscoe who struggles towards patriarchal structure and proves herself. As Charles Tansley, who asserts that women can neither paint nor write, but Lily at the end finds her vision and completes her painting.

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'. 

                       In To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Ramsay’s daughters are represented s sporting with infidel ideas; there is also mute question in their mind about difference and chivalry, they are also credited with “Manliness in their girlish hearts.” Mrs. Ramsay’s three daughters are mentioned namely Nancy, Rose and Prue. But two of them of them, Nancy ands Rose are to speak non-existence but Prue, dies from too complete an obedience to her mother’s wishes. Others are Lily and Cam. Lily is adopted child. Here Lily symbolizes her fight against patriarchy and its ministering figure of the Angel in the House, with the death of the mother; it was to be fought against her image. Lily passes from her state of numbness to an unexpected expression of anger towards Mrs. Ramsay for emptiness which she has created by her death and it creates dilemma.

7.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?

                    Yes it is. The novel is more poignant than the movie.  Both words and screen have its own advantages but words are more powerful than the screen. In reading novel one has chance to imagine the things with various aspects with various colours but it is not possible in the screening the movie. Screening movie is restricted the power of imaginations. Novel has poetic charm which movie can't provide to readers or audiences. And  movie is always directed as director wants, not as writer actually described in novel. No doubt screening movie also help us to clarify the ideas and some confusion but it harms readers pictorial quality. In imagination one has so many things at same time and screening movie has only one. In ' To the Lighthouse ' as we read some line in class like.... “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.” -  it describes  the strength of words which we can't find in movie.

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 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 " It was done; it was finished.Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision." It interprets with two aspects with two aspects. first one as literal meaning of the words now painting is completed and finished means work is done by her successfully. And metaphorically, it suggests that  she completed the painting of Mrs.Ramsay who is alive in her painting for womanhood and her qualities. After getting the success against the patriarchal society, prove herself she can't come out from her inner struggle or from her own turmoil. She thinks again that the there is the only way of living life which is suggested by Mrs.Ramsay. Being free , being independent , there is something which she feels lack of  in herself and there for after completing painting in film she speaks that "Closed doors, open windows" "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool". Means at the end of the novel she may want to accept the way of living life of Mrs.Ramsay.

                    

                

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

                     Generally, Refrigerator uses for keeping  the things as it is. and in novel also through the symbol of refrigerator, writer suggests that the protagonist of the novel Mrs.Ramsay tries to preserve the things. She always tries to preserve the refine form of culture as it is her responsibility. It is suggestion to James from Mrs. Ramsay to cut refrigerator from the catalog  of Army and  Navy. Refrigerator also one kind of technology and technology itself a symbol of constantly change and improving so , it also stands for improving human culture.

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?

                     Novelist has used the tale of "Fisherman and his wife" which is told by Mrs.Ramsay to James. in which wife is too much demanding. in this way writer makes a satire on Mrs.Ramsay that how she grown up her child with such ideas. that she nurtured her child for such typical ideology. 

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

                    In the very first part begins with this dialogue.

“Yes, of course, if it’s fine tomorrow,

Said Mrs.Ramsey.” But you’ll have to be up with the lark. ”she

added ” 

                     This dialogue proves that she is a loving and traditional mother who loves her child a lot. And, to give him consolation that tomorrow is whether will good we will go for the ‘Lighthouse’. In that time Mr. Ramsey said that-

“ but.” said his father, stopping in front of the drawing room window”

“It won’t be fine.”

                     This dialogue is the image of father image in the ‘patriarchal society.’ And second dialogue about the ‘power position’ of men in the house. India is ruled by the men. here also  Mrs.Ramsay’s character presented  as “Indian Nari” Mrs. Ramsey is a wife, a mother of eight children, House wife. Mrs. Ramsey is also at the center of her family. Mrs. Ramsey’s talent of bringing people together an art.

Thank you .....