This document provides a critical analysis of Virginia Woolf's novel To The Lighthouse. It summarizes the key themes and characters in the novel. Some of the main points discussed include the stream of consciousness narrative style, the early 20th century British society setting, Mrs. Ramsay as a central character who believes in devotion to others while contrasting with her husband Mr. Ramsay, and Lily Briscoe's role as an artist trying to capture a moment. The document also analyzes how Woolf uses references to other literary works to create effects and explores themes of subjectivity, transience of life, and the passage of time through the two sections of the novel.

1. Name: Vora Hirva
The Modernist Literature
Critical Study
To The Lighthouse

2. • Continuity of mental exercises
and thoughts.
Stream of consciousness
Perspectives within perspectives.

3. • The time of British society in
early 18th century.
• The novel is a kind of
exploration and “search for the
self”.
• Revolt against conventional
rules.
• Insanity and emotional
breakdowns.
• Question against own
unsteady existence.
• Bloomsbury values of
feminism, aestheticism and
independence .

4. Contrasts of Mr. Ramsay and Mrs.
Ramsay
• Mrs. Ramsay is endowed with liveliness and a
devoted person to all whereas Mr. Ramsay needs
sympathy from everyone.
• Mrs. Ramsay’s belief in transience nature of life
and work and Mr. Ramsay worries about his
work’s validity and its significance.
• Mr. Ramsay wants her wife to show sympathy
and recognition or honor to him and Mrs. Ramsay
too believes herself obliged to protect opposite
sex.

5. • Mrs. Ramsay doesn’t fall under the category
of submissive woman!
• Her sense of unity.
• Perhaps Mrs. Ramsay herself is the answer of
Mr. Ramsay’s worry regarding immortality.
• Mrs. Ramsay shows love to all those who
don’t love her.

6. Mr. Ramsay’s state of mind with Tennyson’s
poetry: “When can their beauty fade?
O the wild charge they made
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made.”
Charles Tansley can be compared with him too.

7. Mrs. Ramsay’s beliefs
• Her beliefs in wifely traditional devotion!
• She can be contrasted with Lily Brisco and Mr.
Ramsay in knowledge of human existence.
• Woolf’s ideas through the characterization of
Mrs. Ramsay regarding Subjectivity and
Objectivity.
• Conflict occurs through two different things:
devotion to personal work or devotion to
emotions rather than mind.
• According to Mrs. Ramsay life is transactional.
• Lily Brisco represents individualism and her
disbeliefs in gender conventions.
• Her painting- an exploration to discern the things.

8. Lily Brisco- a bridge between Mr. and
Mrs. Ramsay.
• She shares Mr.
Ramsay’s professional
anxieties , “ Perhaps it
was better not to see
pictures: they only
made one hopelessly
discontented with one’s
own work.”

9. Dinner party- the
heart of the novel!
Social responsibility of
Mrs. Ramsay.
Remoteness of the
characters.
Candles symbolize
order.
Mrs. Ramsay as an
artist.
Lily’s realization as
well as obligation.

10. Intimacy and silent understanding
between Mr. Ramsay and Mrs.
Ramsay. 

11. • The Charge of Light Brigade by
Tennyson.
Woolf’s intention to
create effect through
other works of literature!
Middlemarch by George
Eliot
Lines in Luriana Lurilee:
“And all the lives we ever
lived
And all the lives to be
Are full of trees and
changing leaves”
Indication of harmony of life.
Luriana Lurilee by
Charles Elton.

12. Difference between “ The Window” and “Time
Passess”
The Window: Matter of Psychology.
Rhythm between chaos and order.
Time passes : Impact of time.

13. “The Window ends after dinner party. Night falls. Time passes and brings deaths of family members . One night
passes into the ten years and “lighthouse ‘’ brings morning! Finally James’s dream comes true and they start
journey from summer house to the lighthouse! Lighthouse symbolizes completeness and illuminates the
relations.
Lily’s realization and vision takes place. Subjective nature of reality! “ Art is the ability to take a moment from
life and makes it permanent ! “ Mrs. Ramsay lives in Lily’s consciousness!
Summer house to
The lighthouse

14. Thank you!