To the Lighthouse: A Modernist Masterpiece

To the Lighthouse: A Modernist Masterpiece

I have recently been studying literary theories and theories. Modernism was the last time I shared modernism and postmodernism. We compared and explained these two literary movements. In this blog, we will explore To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, one of the most important figures of modernist literature. Although the stream-of-consciousness technique used by Wool made it difficult for me while reading the book, I was able to understand the book after I concentrated more. I can easily say that it is really the most difficult book to understand among the books I read this year because you see the world from each character’s perspective and you can put yourself in the place of each character. With characters, allegories, images and dialogues, Woolf wrote a truly masterful novel To the Lighthouse. We will briefly glimpse at Woolf's life and start the article because I think the characters and their attitudes in the book are a part of Woolf's life.

Virginia Woolf, born in London to Julia Jackson Duckworth and Sir Leslie Stephen, grew up in an intellectually rich environment, educating herself in her father’s extensive library and interacting with prominent Victorians. Despite her privileged upbringing, her youth was marked by trauma, including sexual abuse by her half-brother, the deaths of her mother, half-sister, father, and brother, and subsequent mental breakdowns, shaping her future as a writer and intellectual. (Abrams, M. H., Greenblatt, S., David, A., & Lewalski, B. K. (1987). The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Major Authors (6th ed.). London: Norton & Company Ltd.)

After her father passed away, Virginia Woolf moved with her sister and two brothers to Bloomsbury, a district in London that became famous for the intellectual group she was part of. This “Bloomsbury Group” included figures like biographer Lytton Strachey, economist John Maynard Keynes, art critic Roger Fry, and novelist E. M. Forster. The Bloomsbury Group was at the heart of London's middle and upper-middle-class intellectual scene. They were known for their sharp minds and open discussions, especially on sexual topics, which influenced Woolf’s views on gender. Woolf grew increasingly concerned with the position of women, especially professional women, and the constrictions under which they suffered. She wrote several cogent essays on the subject, and women's social subjection also arose in her fiction.

In March 1941 she drowned herself in a river, an act influenced by her dread of World War II (she and Leonard would have been arrested by the Gestapo had the Nazis invaded England) and her fear that she was about to lose her mind and become a burden on her husband, who had supported her emotionally and intellectually.

A new term, a new style…

Our novel consists of three parts: the Window, Time Passes and the Lighthouse… To explain parts briefly:

1.  The Window: This section focuses on the Ramsay family during their summer vacation on the Isle of Skye, introducing their dynamics and relationships.

2.   Time Passes: This part depicts the passage of time, capturing changes in the house and the lives of the characters over a decade, including the impact of WWI.

3.  The Lighthouse: In the final section, the family and friends return to the Isle of Skye, and the long-anticipated trip to the lighthouse is fulfilled, bringing resolution and reflection.

One of the things that made it difficult for me to understand the novel was Woolf's use of the stream-of-consciousness technique, which is a writing technique used to show the natural, uninterrupted flow of a character's thoughts and feelings. It mirrors how people think in real life, often jumping between ideas, memories, and emotions in a random or connected way. As for Modernist literature, is characterized by its break from traditional storytelling methods. Woolf's use of techniques like stream of consciousness revolutionized how we understand human thought and experience. In particular, as you witness Lily's ideas and the changes in these ideas, you grasp this better it. Woolf uses humour to show how she doesn’t want to follow the usual way of telling stories. Instead of focusing on events happening one after another, she wants to focus on how people feel and think inside.

Politics

The period between 1901 and 1945, during which Woolf and Bell worked, was marked by political changes in Britain. These changes influenced their artistic and literary output, with modernist ideas often challenging traditional forms. European countries, including Britain, competed for control of African territories. This aggressive form of imperialism was a significant part of Britain's foreign policy during the late 19th century. By 1900, Britain controlled a significant portion of the world's land, people, and trade, which made it a dominant global power. However, this power was beginning to be questioned by the public.

·      The Boer War: The war in South Africa (also known as the Anglo-Boer War) was a key event that shook public confidence in Britain's imperial power. The British Empire, which had been seen as invincible, faced unexpected difficulties in this war, challenging the idea of its supremacy.

Historical context is important for understanding the themes in modernist literature and art.

World War II

In the first half of the 20th century, Britain experienced big changes. Even though the British Empire was at its largest, Britain started losing some of its political and economic power to other European countries. WWI (1914-1918) influenced Britain severely, with many casualties that made people lose confidence. Then, in 1939, Britain got involved in World War II after Nazi Germany invaded Poland. By 1940, German forces had taken over much of Europe and started bombing Britain in what was called “The Battle of Britain.” Like many others, Virginia Woolf heard the bombers and wrote about the experience in her diaries. She wrote in her diaries about the constant noise of German bombers overhead. She noted, “We are being a good deal bombed at the moment.” This time also saw big movements for freedom worldwide, like the fight for women's rights in Britain, the Russian Revolution, and India's push for independence. These global changes impacted Woolf’s writing, with themes of war, power, and change showing up in her work.

The Novel

In To the Lighthouse, Woolf suggests that for a character to truly experience and appreciate a deep moment of awareness, they need to be thoughtful and sensitive, like James Ramsay. Woolf shows these moments as rare but powerful times when the character is completely focused on the present. Other modernist writers also explored similar moments but in their own way.

·      For example, in Dubliners by James Joyce, the characters often have sudden realizations at the end of stories. These moments, called “epiphanies,” usually show the characters' flaws or arrogance, as seen in stories like “Araby” and “The Dead.”

The Novel and Meaning of Life

In To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf explores big questions about life. She wonders if human life and our personalities last forever or are just temporary. If life is short, what’s the point of everything we do? The novel looks at how we try to connect with others, create art, and even fight battles. These actions are part of life, but they might seem pointless when we think about the big picture. Through the story’s style, which shows what characters are thinking, and its use of images like waves and a lighthouse, Woolf shows that life is both long-lasting and very brief at the same time. It’s full of both stillness and change.

Opposite Binaries

In To the Lighthouse, the concept of opposite binaries appears in various forms, where two contrasting ideas or concepts are presented as opposites. For example, there are opposites like time versus timelessness or the traditional roles of men and women. These binaries help to explore the different perspectives of the characters and highlight the tensions between the changing and unchanging aspects of life. Woolf uses these contrasts to deepen the themes of identity, relationships, and the passage of time in the novel.

"Yes, of course, if it's fine tomorrow," said Mrs. Ramsay. "But you'll have to be up with the lark," she added.[...] "But," said his [James's] father, stopping in front of the drawing-room window, "it won't be fine."[...] "Perhaps you will wake up and find the sun shining and the birds singing," she said compassionately, soothing the little boy's hair, for her husband, with his caustic saying that it would not be fine, had dashed his spirits she could see. [...] "And even if it isn't fine tomorrow," said Mrs. Ramsay, [...] "it will be another day." [...] She stroked James's head; she transferred to him what she felt for her husband, and, as she watched him chalk yellow the white dress shirt of a gentleman in the Army and Navy Stores catalogue, thought what a delight it would be to her should he turn out a great artist; and why should he not? [...]

By contrast, Mrs Ramsay elevates the importance of people's feelings over other considerations. Her interactions are guided by a fine-tuned sense of individual human needs as well as the understanding that multiple truths coexist and communal harmony requires self-sacrifice. Thus, she finds abhorrent her husband's seemingly callous behaviour, just as he recoils from her apparent irrationality. She delights in imagining James as an artist; he, in his self-centeredness, assumes his son will become an academic like himself. (For an alternative interpretation of this scene, see Doyle, "These Emotions" 50-52; "Voyaging" 151, 160, 163-65.)

In this part of To the Lighthouse, we see two very different ways of thinking through the characters of Mrs. Ramsay and her husband. Mrs. Ramsay is positive and caring. When her son James is disappointed, she tries to cheer him up by saying that even if tomorrow doesn't go as planned, there will always be another day. She focuses on people’s feelings and wants to make others happy. She even imagines her son growing up to be a great artist.

Her husband, Mr. Ramsay, is the opposite. He's more serious and practical. He tells James that it probably won't be a nice day, which makes James feel worse. Mr. Ramsay cares more about facts and what’s realistic than about comforting others. The difference between how Mrs Ramsay and Mr Ramsay approach things shows two very different ways of thinking about life—one focused on emotions and the other on facts and reality. This theme of different perspectives is something Woolf explores throughout the novel.

Mr & Mrs Ramsay

In To the Lighthouse, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay are quite different, but they still manage to balance each other out in their marriage. Mrs. Ramsay finds peace in the everyday routines of family life, like taking care of the children and keeping things calm. Mr. Ramsay, on the other hand, tries to deal with his frustrations by thinking about big, important things like duty and success. Mr. Ramsay instead looks to epic themes of battle, duty, and chivalry to transform his anger over women's "irrationality" (31) into striving for "success in love" (Karras 25).

Lily Briscoe

Lily Briscoe is a character in To the Lighthouse who changes a lot as she thinks about her dreams, her art, and her life. At first, she doesn’t understand herself fully, but as time goes on, she learns more about who she is and what she wants. The lighthouse in the story represents her changing ideas about life and who she is. As she grows and thinks about her art, Lily’s views change, and she starts to understand life and death more deeply. She sees things differently from others, and that helps her understand the world in her special way.

The Ramsay Family

The Ramsay family and Lily Briscoe’s journeys are deeply connected to the lighthouse. By the end of the novel, Mr. Ramsay finally reaches the lighthouse, and Lily has her artistic breakthrough. This represents their personal growth and understanding. For Lily, this is a moment of freedom, as she lets go of the idea that women must marry, a belief Mrs. Ramsay held. Through this, Lily matures as an artist and finds a way to break free from societal expectations that limit women, especially as artists, a struggle Virginia Woolf herself faced.

The Image of the Lighthouse

In To the Lighthouse, the lighthouse is an important symbol for Lily Briscoe and her journey as an artist. It represents her changing thoughts and dreams, especially about her art. As Lily’s views on life, people, and herself change, so does how she sees the lighthouse This reflects her growth and how she’s developing both as a person and as an artist. For Lily, art is a way to understand the world and the different ways people see life. It helps her explore her own feelings and the realities of life, like death, and how others view these things. A big influence on Lily is Mrs. Ramsay, who encourages her to keep following her artistic dreams. Lily feels a strong bond with Mrs. Ramsay, and this relationship helps Lily understand life more deeply, influencing how she views the world around her.

Lily’s feelings about the lighthouse: Lily Briscoe experiences inner conflict. On one hand, she's drawn to the lighthouse in the distance like it's a goal or dream she wants to reach. On the other hand, she’s stuck in the present moment, sitting on the lawn and focused on her painting. ???Her canvas seems to challenge her. It feels cold, almost as if it's judging her for being too caught up in her emotions and distractions. The canvas seems to demand a clear, decisive focus, free from the chaos of her inner turmoil. This moment reflects Lily's struggle between her emotional impulses and the discipline needed to pursue her art.

The depth of feelings that Lily has towards Mrs. Ramsay: Lily Briscoe feels a deep connection to Mrs. Ramsay, but she’s also confused about what exactly she’s feeling. She wonders if Mrs. Ramsay has some special wisdom or understanding that she doesn't know about. Lily thinks maybe there’s something hidden inside Mrs. Ramsay, something important that everyone must have in order to make sense of life.

She imagines that inside Mrs. Ramsay’s mind and heart, there are secrets, like treasures in a tomb, that would explain everything if only she could figure them out. But she knows these secrets are locked away, never shared with anyone. Lily feels a strong desire to understand and to find a way to reach those hidden parts of Mrs. Ramsay. She believes there must be some way to access this knowledge, but she doesn’t know how.

 

 Women can/can’t do

Woolf shows the idea that women are often told they can’t create great art, whether it’s painting or writing. Lily Briscoe, a key character, starts to see that Mr. Ramsay, who seems sure of himself, also has doubts about the value of his work. When Lily realizes this, she starts to appreciate both her work and his more. She understands that, like him, she sometimes doubts herself, but she can also see the value in what she does. As she paints, her progress matches Mr. Ramsay’s journey to the lighthouse, showing how both of them are growing and finding some kind of closure.

Throughout the story, Lily becomes more mature and aware of the people around her. She learns to value not just her art, but the art of others too. This shows she’s starting to understand the bigger picture of human experience and the importance of expressing oneself through art. As Lily becomes more aware of herself and her surroundings, she feels more fulfilled. The lighthouse in the story represents how our understanding of who we are changes with time and experience. Lily’s journey with her art shows how her view of herself and the world evolves as she grows and learns from the people and experiences around her.

Lily on Mr. Ramsay’s criticism of women: Lily Briscoe thinks about Mr. Ramsay’s harsh opinion that women can’t write or paint. She realizes that even though his words hurt her, they don't actually mean much. It's more about him trying to feel better about himself, not about her or her abilities. Lily wonders why his comments affect her so deeply if they aren't true. She feels knocked down for a moment but quickly decides to focus on her art instead of getting upset. She tells herself that what matters is her painting, not his criticism. She even thinks about laughing at him as a way to get back at him, showing that she’s determined not to let his views get to her. This is a key moment where Lily finds her strength again and reminds herself that she doesn’t need to prove anything to him. She just needs to keep going with her work.

Up to now, we have talked about the general outline of the book; now I would like to talk about the more detailed parts. Like what? What does the title of the book, Lighthouse, actually symbolise? Lily's artistic adventure, her harassment from Mr. Ramsay, and her admiration for Mrs. Ramsay. Indeed, I want to talk more about the character of Lily because she may be a part of Woolf's life or she may reflect her directly. I will continue this blog by utilising various academic studies in this context.

The image of the lighthouse is one of the mysteries that make us think about its significance, dominance, richness, and more importantly the development of this image which goes in line with the development of the artistic dreams for Lily. Lily’s change of psychological, ontological, personal and social perspectives about herself seems to correlate and synchronize with the constantly changing images of the lighthouse and her perception of the surroundings. Bani-Khair, B. M. (2016). Throughout the novel, the image of the lighthouse occupies the central focus of our attention as the novel begins and ends with it.

Daniela asserts that “To the Lighthouse” culminates with Mr. Ramsay reaching the Lighthouse and Lily Briscoe having her vision. The Ramsay family is reunited and Lily Briscoe realizes that she is not haunted by Mrs. Ramsay’s statement ‘women must marry’. As she matures as a painter Virginia Woolf is overcoming her anger and frustration caused by the fact that she did not fit into the generally accepted pattern of the woman’s role in society and in family life, and especially of the status of women as artists” (288).

Lily sees art much as a personal and philosophical view of life towards people, things, and existing realities, such as the reality of death and life. Through art only, she could understand the very facts of life, views of people around her, dreams, realities, and existence besides her own contemplations of the surroundings and nature. For example, Lily has been greatly influenced by Mrs. Ramsay who gives her more encouragement to pursue her artistic wishes.

• For example, Lily has been greatly influenced by Mrs. Ramsay, who encourages her to pursue her artistic wishes.

Lily feels that there is something special about Mrs. Ramsay because she can see in her the love of wisdom, secrets, and most importantly the appreciation of art. Lily sees in Mrs. Ramsay the dreams of art and the aspirations that women look for. She feels sympathy towards her for she has dreams that have never been real, but they all remain suppressed secrets. She sees in her the very dream of a woman that she herself dreams to achieve. On many occasions in the novel, Mr. Ramsay is described as a hypocrite, but she also keeps changing her views about him as much as she continues to consider her art and change her views and attitudes towards it. Lily could see in Mr. Ramsay the opposite representation of his wife. Although she is reluctant and unable to decide how to judge him, she can see in him the ugliness of tyranny and selfishness of the soul.

Lily’s character in To the Lighthouse undergoes significant psychological changes as she navigates her inner struggles and self-doubt. Her dream of becoming an artist is overshadowed by fears of failure and uncertainty about her potential, reflected in her perception of the lighthouse as both distant and unattainable, mirroring her artistic aspirations. Despite criticism, such as from Mr. Ramsay, Lily learns to trust her abilities, using her painting as a means to express her emotions and confront her fears. By the end, finishing her painting symbolizes her liberation from self-doubt and her connection to her dreams, with the lighthouse representing both the challenges and the hope driving her forward.

The lighthouse in To the Lighthouse represents a symbol reflecting the dreams, aspirations, and personal philosophies of the novel's characters. For Lily, it embodies her artistic desires and her struggles with self-realization. It is tied to her most intense moments of psychological clarity, representing both inspiration and the challenges of pursuing her ambitions. The lighthouse also reflects Lily’s existential thoughts, connecting her painting to the temporary nature of life and the enduring nature of art, despite her doubts about her work's permanence.

For other characters, such as Ramsay’s sons, the lighthouse has different meanings. It symbolizes childhood dreams, the passage of time, and their relationship with their parents, particularly Mrs. Ramsay. For Paul, it represents the fulfilment of aspirations, as seen in his emotional response upon reaching the lighthouse, where he feels gratitude toward Mrs. Ramsay for guiding him.

The lighthouse’s meaning expands with the characters, embodying hope, despair, achievement, and the inevitability of change. The chapter “Time Passes” underscores the transformation of the self-alongside the changing realities of time and place. For Lily, the lighthouse becomes a metaphor for life itself—a reflection of her philosophy on being and existence. In the novel’s structure, the lighthouse acts as a unifying image, shaping the narrative and giving meaning to the characters’ lives. It ties together their psychological, social, and familial experiences, fulfilling as a personal symbol.

In the last part, I would like to point out that it is really a difficult book to read and understand, and it contains many themes that we have not yet talked about. The book has many themes, such as men and women, the meaning of life, the destructiveness or constructiveness of time, and the separation of people's outer and inner worlds. Moreover, it contains quite a lot of symbols. In this context, it is a book open to the reader's interpretation. I started to experience modernist literature with this book; in fact, maybe this was what made it difficult for me to read and understand. But my first experience with Woolf was still not bad. After this blog, we will talk about A Passage To India.

Best Regards!