Created by Marta Trojanowska

| Review | Summary | Main Conflicts | Favorite Quotes| Characters|Character Analysis | Theme Analysis | Creative Writing | Literary Connections | Illustration | Quiz |

Book Reviews

“…to the last degree severe and uncompromising”

-Eudora Welty, Amazon. COM

“…one of her most successful and accessible experiments in the stream-of-consciousness style”

-The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

“…whirlwind of symbol and emotion''

-David J. Peterson

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Break-down summary of TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf

Where and when...

This story is taking place in 1900-1920's, just before WWI on the islands of Scotland. Specifically in the Ramseys' summer home in the Hebrides. In the first section of the book (The Window) time passes very slowly and we are introduced to what is known as „stream of consciousness” which allows us to find out what every character is thinking and such. As the main charcters let us in on their thoughts, feelings, and impulses we get to know the situations, events and numerous points of view. In section 2, "T ime P asses”, everything takes place dramatically quick and several years pass. That change emphasizes the dra s tic events that are taking place in those several years. Slower pace can yet again be seen in the last part of the book "T he L ighthouse " . It is years after and the summerhouse differs tremendously as the family re unites and confronts the past.

Mood :) :( :$

" To The Lighthouse" is at times mellow, sometimes depressing, and occasionally hopeful but in general it is melancholy. Although there are moments of drama and sadness they are often balanced out by those of hope and even happiness. In certain parts the tone is very optimistic but it can quickly come to an end as we can see in an example, in chapter XVII. The dinner party starts off as somewhat chaotic and disastrous but as the candles are lit everyone unites and we see order and harmony among the characters that once felt wretched and lonely. But eventually the dinner finishes and soon becomes a moment of the past and instantly changes the mood of the story.

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Characterization

1. Mrs. Ramsay- S he is a woman who knows her place and ch e rishes her womanhood. She tries to be optimistic but can't help noticing that happiness is only temporary. She has an alright relationship with her husband but knowing she can't fix all their problems she tries to fix everyone's lives and believes in pairing people up and having them marry each other.

2. Mr. Ramsay- A philosopher, often very self-centered, know-it-all, tends to get annoyed by the least important things. Despite his attitude, he feels pretty content for the most part but has a few insecurities which he likes to banish by getting angry with his close-ones.

3. Lily Briscoe- A painter, independent, strongly against the idea that everyone needs to marry. She is the element in the story that creates the gender conflict. Challenges the statement that women can't do anything and pushes away the idea that women aren't complete unless they get married. Lily is deeply involved with her own work and constantly questions its significance and tries to improve on it.

4. Charles Tansley- A nother philosopher, a friend of M r. Ramsay's who is difficult and hard to deal with because of his deep insecurities and constant need for reassurance. Mocked by Ramsays' children. He is one of the many who slightly crush on Mrs. Ramsay. At one point he complains to her about his life and bores her with his stories.

5. William Bankes- H e is a botanist and a good friend of T he Ramsays. Seems to get along quite well with Lily Briscoe so Mrs. Ramsay deems it her mission to get him to marry her. William Bankes probably has a little crush on Mrs. Ramsay.

6. Minta Doyle- A pleasant lady who visits T he Ramsays in their summer house. Marries Paul Rayley according to Mrs. Ramsay's wishes .

7. Paul Rayley- An ambitious young man. Feels somewhat pressured to propose to Minta. On one hand he's glad that Mrs. Ramsay talked him into proposing, but on another he feels he was tricked into doing something he didn't really want. He is nice for wanting to get up early in the morning to find Minta's brooch without her knowing.

8. James Ramsey- Ramseys' youngest boy. He has a lot of negative feelings stirring inside him at times. Most of them caused by his father's statements. James doesnt like his father but has strong feelings for his mother. Eventually James turns out with a lot of the same q ualities as Mr. Ramsay.

9. Augustus Carmichael- A poet who uses opium and puzzles Mrs. Ramsay. He doesn't trust her and she tries to understand what it is that makes him act towards her the way he does.

10. Andrew Ramsay - O ne of the sons that Mr. Ramsay hopes will make him proud one day. He is smart and hard working, and aspires to be a mathematician.

11. Jasper Ramsay - A nother son in the Ramsay family. Concerns his mother and sister because of his bird shooting hobby. Mr. Ramsay says not to worry about it.

12. Roger Ramsay - H e is wild and adventurous like Nancy and Cam

13. Prue Ramsay - The oldest daughter of the Ramsays'. Her mother predicts her life to be happy and complete. She is very pretty and will have no trouble finding someone to marry her.

14. Rose Ramsay - She has a talent with her hands and has a thing for decorating and creating beautiful things. Mrs. Ramsay lets her pick out her jewelry. Everyone hopes her to become something. Her hit was arranging a fruit basket for the dinner party which astonishe everyone.

15. Nancy Ramsay - one of the girls who is much like Roger. Tags along when Paul Rayley and Minta go to the beach and catches them kisssing. She is quite disgusted.

16. Cam Ramsay - Adventurous, a little too wild and vicious. One of the daughters of the Ramsays'.

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Main conflicts

In this story internal conflicts are probably the most noticeable ones as most of the storyline is expressed in the characters' minds and thoughts. Mrs. Ramsay happens to be quite a troubled individual. Her own marriage is not a very functional one with her husband's difficult moods which she tries to deal with. She likes everything to be orderly and in place. She has one conflict with Augustus Carmichaeal. Although she tries hard to make him like her she knows something is not right. She also fears that all bliss is ephemeral and tries to make it last though knowing that it's impossible.

Mr. Ramsay is one big conflict himself. He argues in his own mind and tries to find significance in his philosophies. He takes out his frustrations on his wife and kids who don't appreciate it. He especially aggrevates his youngest son James when he accurately points out they won't go to the lighthouse. One of his main self conflicts is the one about his work and family. He thinks that if not his family he would have had a greater career at one point but tries to turn away from that thought and reminds himself what a wonderful family he has.

One of James' problems is his father and the accuracy with wich he always points out the facts. He doesn't appreciate that he makes his mother constantly seem wrong.

Lily Briscoe has a few conflicts within herself , with Charles Tansley and the society. Lily seems as if she needs a confidence boost and some reasuarance concerning her painting. Lily creates the big gender conflict by challenging the assumed roles of women in the society. Lily is tormented by Charles Tansley's mentioning of women not being able to paint and other cruel remarks.

Charles Tansley came from a troubled backround and suffers from countless insecurities. He takes it out on Lily and s ometimes Mrs. Ramsay. He is generally unpleasant to his environment and falls back on his work.

Climax

The most clima c tic moment in the story must have been when Mr. Ramsey and his children (especially James) have reached a unison upon landing by the Lighthouse. That event took place in the third section of the story righteously called " the Lighthouse”. Somewhat hesitant , but finally understands the differences (although mostly similarities ) between him and his father. He specifically notes the loneliness they both feel. James also realizes that as much as he wanted to " strike his father through the heart'' it wasn't his father he wanted to kill, it was his moods. At the peak of the moment, Mr. Ramsey praise s James, something he has always been waiting for. " Well done " were the words spoken by Mr. Ramsey when he expressed his acclaim for James' born-sailor-like-skills.

The conclusion

As the climactic scene came to an end Lily completed her painting of Mrs. Ramsey that she hasn't finished a decade ago. She immediately knew when Mr. Ramsey, James and Cam got to the lighthouse. All her fears, insecurities and doubts were gone and she was fully satisfied with her painting. She no more worried wether it would end up being tossed away because she had her vision.

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FAVORITE QUOTATIONS

" At the far end, was her husband, sitting down, all in heap, frowning. What at? She did not know. She did not mind. She could not understand how she had ever felt any emotion or affection for him.” Mrs. Ramsay, p.83

Here we see something rather rare, Mrs. Ramsey losing her patience. I liked this quotation because of how often we can see these feelings flying in real life. It's so human. This lady who tries to always be just and supportive finally loses her cool and lets her feelings loose . In the end we know that what she says isn't really true. Mrs. Ramsay still loves her husband but she cannot deal with his moods at the time. It's hysterical :)

" But in her opinion one liked Mr. Ramsay all the better for thinking that if his little finger ached the whole world must come to an end.” Lily Briscoe

This is just hilarious. No one could have put it in better words. Lily basically says that Mr. Ramsay's self-involvement is cute. She thinks it gives him character. Honestly I thought that way too because he's not always harming everybody with his ways. Kind of like a big baby.

" What he said was true. It was always true. He was incapable of untruth; never tampered with a fact; never altered a disagreeable word to suit the pleasure or convenience of any mortal being(...)” James Ramsey

Mr. Ramsey would never take away from himself the pleasure of shutting down other people. He loved to tell the harsh truth as it is even if it's painful to others. I guess it's because of his own ignorance and inconsideration. I like this quote because it makes Mr. Ramsey the more realistic and reminds me of someone I might have met before.

" Was she wrong in this, she asked herse lf , reviewing her conduct for the past week or two, and wonderin g if she had indeed put any pressure upon Minta, who was only twenty - four, to make up her mind.” Mrs. Ramsay

Mrs. Ramsay finally questions her actions. This is probably the last time Mrs. Ramsay considers wether her hooking people up might be wrong. She feels a bit uneasy and unsure of herself. It's sort of like she sobered up for a minute and thought clearly about what she was doing and how influential her opinions were.

" ...she took her hand and raised her brush. For a moment it stayed trembling in a painful but exciting ecstasy in the air. Where to begin?- that was the question at what point to make the first mark? One line placed on the canvas commited her to innumerable risks, to frequent and irrevocable decisions.” Lily Briscoe

Lily is about to start a new painting. I love this quote because I like to make art too, and I know how it feels to make a first mark on a page or canvas. Once you make it you can't go back. It's definitely exciting, especially if you're working on something special.

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CHARACTER ANALYSIS : Mr. Ramsay- Mr. Right?

Mr. Ramsay is the head of The Ramsay family, a metaphysician, philosopher and a tyrant. He shows to be self-absorbed and constantly seeks proofs of love and appreciation from his family. He likes to ponder his thoughts about life and mortality but in the end depends upon his wife for everything. His insecurities get to him at times and in a weird, twisted way he turns to his wife for comfort and safety. ‘'(...)he said that he would step over and ask the Coastguards if she liked. There was nobody whom she reverenced as she reverenced him.” Here we see a portion of an argument that Mr. Ramsey started over going to the Lighthouse. He even offered to double-check if it w ou l d be okay to go to T he Lighthouse. But it's rather clear that it was simply his way of fishing for Mrs. Ramsey's praise or reassurance.

His self-centered personality prevents him from seeing his negative impact on James. With his simple remark Mr. Ramsay crushes his youngest son's hopes of going to the lighthouse and also in one shot ridicules his own wife. Once caught acting out a poem in privacy he gets embarassed but doesn't show any of it and runs instantly to his wife for reassurance. His incredible rudeness comes out as he yells at Mrs. Ramsey for supposedly being irrational. " There wasn't the slightest possible chance that they could go to the Lighthouse tomorrow, Mr. Ramsey snapped out irascibly.” Mrs. Ramsey was simply making a stocking for the lighthouse keeper's boy but Mr. Ramsay wouldn't have any of it, because as he stated, there was no trip to the lighthouse.

Mr. Ramsay can sometimes be calm, like during his thinking. He likes to consider one's impact on the world and doubts wether his small contribution will last at all. He resolves that not many have achieved that, not even Shakespeare.

Often violent and short- tempered, Mr. Ramsay tries to give credit to his family. He notices the great qualities in his wife and skills that his children posess. He turns to those thoughts when his regrets come back. Particularly the one that he might have had a career if he had no family. " it sometimes seemed to h i m that in a little house out there, alone- he broke off, sighing. He had no right. The father of eight children- he reminded himself. And he would have been a beast and a cur to wish a single thing altered.” These were some of his thoughts.

In the end even Mr. Ramsey changed. After the decade, as James, Cam and him finally went to T he Lighthouse and we can see the differences in his personality. He's learned to let things go and not be so sharp anymore. He became a bit more sensitive and shockingly lauded his son as he steered the boat to the island. " Well done”, said Mr. Ramsey to his son. Probably one of the best things he could have said to James...

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THEMES

Since " To The lighthouse” is quite a long-story, it co n veys a certain amount of themes. As hard as it is to keep up sometimes, one notable one is how Mr. And Mrs. Ramsey are steered by different things in life.

Mrs. Ramsey, being a female is lead by her intuition and emotions. She depends on her 6th sense to make the world come together, and create happy little moments on Earth, though realizing they will not last. Mrs Ramsey acquires more through interacting with people and learning from them.

Mr. Ramsey is and intellectual who is highly relies on his own intellect and nothing more (of course he has Ms. Ramsey to fall back on). His way to get by is to think things through in his mind. He practically argues points within himself. His intelligence makes him self-absorbed.

We can see that Mr. Ramsey tries to claim his place in the hierarchy as the head of everything. His aggressiveness is his desperate way of showing that he is the ruler. Deep inside , both him and Mrs. Ramsey know that she is the one in control but for the good of the family and even society, Mr. Ramsey is the one who supposedly controls everything.

As Lily Briscoe starts her painting of Mrs. Ramsey, Mrs. Ramsey is making her own artwork. Mrs. Ramsey's talent and work is to bring people together and put them in their place. She tries to make life bearable and while nothing lasts, she tries to fix all flaws and create a sense of comfort. Mrs. Ramsey's masterpiece is when she managed to unify everyone during the dinner party.

Lily figured out that it takes a lot more than one perspective to make something of someone or a situation. It takes a number of views for something to be real and only one point of view will never work. This can also be seen when James talks about the lighthouse and how his view of it in the childhood from the current one differs a lot b ut both of them are true .

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LETTER TO THE AUTHOR

Dear Ms.Woolf:

Your story was a very fascinating experience to me. Although hesitant at first, I dug into it and surprisingly, I really, really liked it. Because of the mood, setting and themes it was an escape into the past, with all the stiff morals and conventional thing going on. The way you introduced your reader to a character's thoughts and subconscious made it seem very dream-like and slow-paced and how suddenly everything around sort of came to a stop. But at the same time it was real. I would compare it to putting yourself in somebody else's shoes and using their thinking mechanism. It was interesting.

What I like the most about your book is the style, probably something that stood out the most about it. Not many authors play with the stream of consciousness but you embraced it very well and manipulated a reader's mind exactly how you wanted to. At many points in the story I identified with the characters or at least recognized what they were going through in people in my everyday life. That's what made the characters come to life.

What did it take to write a story like that, in this particular form? And did it take any special researching? Was it like a personal experience thing? (I wouldn't think so since so many points of view were introduced.)

I definitely got something out of this book. I found joy in reading it, uderstanding it, and taking it apart. It made me realize how complex people's minds are and how hard it is to take one apart. In the end, I'm glad I read this. Keep it up Ms. Woolf!

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CREATIVE RESPONSE OF MINE...

!!TALK SHOW INTERVIEW WITH LILY BRISCOE!!

Tonight on „DAILY READER'S SHOW”...

( color navy indicates hostess , plain black indicates the response of Lily Briscoe)

Today on our show we have a guest star from „to the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf. Please welcome Lily Briscoe!

- T hank you, you are so very kind.

Well let's get to the point here. Did you know that you were quite a controversial character in the story?

- W ell I might have realized it. I was never much of your conventional woman. Taking up painting >clears her throat< did not help my image either. After all, some say that women can't paint nor write. >gives a meaningful look to someone in the audience<

I hope you didn't take it to the heart... we would have missed out on some action.

- I tried very hard not to think about it... but it did make me unsure and often insecure. Many times I questioned the fate of my work and what sort of an impact it would have. I worried that my paintings might one day all be thrown in the dusty attics or basements, not meaning a thing. But I regained my confidence so it must not have been that bad. I only became stronger and overcoming my problems was an incredible boost. I learned from everything so there is no regrets.

How was it being the only asian character in the story? Did it make you feel even more secluded at certain times? Was it at all an issue?

- No, I am certain that it didn't matter in any way.

As different as you are from Mrs. Ramsay, what is the relationship between you two? I am sure some readers were confused about the whole situation with you and her.

- I admit I rejected Mrs. Ramsay's ideals about marriage and family. But I admire that woman so much... >sigh< I learned a ton from her. I loved the way she was able to organize things, unite everyone and create a great sense of harmony. Mrs. Ramsay stood by her beliefs and knew what she was doing every step of the way. And that is the way to do it. By the way she is a really beautiful woman.

May I ask what it is that pushes you away from marriage so much? Why did you reject the assumed roles of women in the society and took up this way of life?

- I don't know, I guess that is just the way that I want to live my life... Not by some preset rules. I learned from Mrs. Ramsay to somewhat appease men and get along with them but marriage is just not my thing. Although i gave it some thought. I think that old hag >laughs hartily< even schemed to set me up with dear ol' William Bankes, hahahahah.

Ahem okay Ms. Briscoe... I think we have to stop right here. It was a tremendous pleasure having you here on our show. We hope you succeed with your paintings and have a great night! PLEASE STICK AROUND FOR THE NEXT part of the show for we are having one more surprise guest tonight! Adios and don't touch that remote

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LITERARY CONNECTIONS .

The characters from „to the lighthouse” are so realistic and vibrant that most of the characters I encountered in other reading don't even compare. Everyone in „To The Lighthouse” is unique and sort of one of a kind. It was hard to find anyone with at least some characteristics that are similar. So I chose Lily Briscoe and Katherine Watson from „Mona Lisa Smile”. I believe these two have some things in common. Lily, the unconventional painter and an art fanatic- Katherine Watson, also a gender role bending character.

Both ladies don't like to give in easily to the cookie cutter model designed by their communities. Lily Briscoe is surrounded by people who strongly believe that one isn't complete without a spouse. Katherine also finds herself in this new environment where it is a strict belief that women belong at home with men. Also both women have a connection with art. Katherine teaches it (unconventionally), and Lily creates it. Lily and Katherine both stand out in their environment.

They are single, artsy, opinionated and don't really fit in. Lily is an asian and Katherine's thick American accent doesn't exactly match the upper class accent of the people among whom she finds herself. Now there are also great differences between Lily and Katherine. Katherine once had an experience with marriage (need I say that it was a bad one) and Lily never had anything to do with it. Katherine is audacious, stampeding the established rules of this traditional University she is very lucky to teach at. She doesn't care what the repected and experienced people have to say and tries to start her own revolution. Lily is the opposite, insecure and not sure what she wants. She is a mouse that doesn't speak up and tries to get away with her crimes by keeping it on the down-low. She is timid and avoids greater conflicts but rejects the ideas fed to her about marriage.

Illustration:

The background source is http://www.naxos-audiobooks.com/images/203612.jpg.

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