Virginia Woolf's 'To the Lighthouse,' published in 1927, is a key work of high modernism that explores themes such as gender roles, the struggle of artists, and the transient nature of life through various symbols. Key symbols include the lighthouse representing truth and goodness, Lily's painting symbolizing the challenges faced by women artists, and the sea and storms reflecting the instability of time and emotions. Critics continue to debate and interpret the novel's symbols, reinforcing its status as a complex and masterfully constructed literary work.

1. Symbolism in Virginia Wollf’s ‘To The
Lighthouse’
Prepared By:Shabana Khalani
Paper-9
Unit No: 1
Roll No: 28
Sem III
Department Of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar
University

2. To The Lighthouse
• This novel is published on 5th
May – 1927.
• The novel is landmark of high
modernism.
• To the Lighthouse, Virginia
Woolf used the language of
psychoanalysis.
• Reader can find stream of
consciousness during reading
the novel.

3. To The Lighthouse
• The centre of the novel is Mr. and Mrs. Ramsays and
their visit to the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

4.  Modernist Literature and
Symbolism
• In discussing literature, however, the term "symbol" is applied
only to a word or phrase that signifies an object or event
which in its turn signifies something, or has a range of
reference, beyond itself.
• The Modern Period, in the decades after World War I, was a
notable era of symbolism in literature.
• The general association of a Peacock with pride and of an
Eagle with heroic endeavor,
• The Rising sun with birth of something good.
• The Setting sun with death, or surrender or failure.

5. Lighthouse: Titular Significance
• The lighthouse is stand
alone on a rock with the
huge construction.
• That light symbolized the
ray of goodness.
• It is symbolized like truth
triumph over darkness.
• Different critic has
explained this symbol in a
different ways. (See .doc)

6. Lily’s Painting
• Symbolizes woman’s
struggle in patriarchal
society.
• Against gender convention:
“Women can’t paint or
write”.
• . The process of Lily’s
painting throughout the
novel can be seen as not
only a symbol of the artistic
dilemma faced by the
modern artist, but specially
o a female artist.

7. Ramsay’s Summer House
• Against gender convention:
“Women can’t paint or
write”.
• “Time Passes” section

8. The Boar’s Skull
• The presence of the skull
acts as a disturbing
reminder that death is
always at hand.
• Symbolizes transient nature
of art and life.

9.  Rose’s arrangement of the grapes
and pears (The Fruit Basket)
• The basket testifies both to
the “frozen” quality of
beauty that Lily describes
and to beauty’s seductive
and soothing quality.
• The absence of fruit basket
in 3rd part, signifies the
transitory nature of beauty,
art and truth.

10. The Sea, the Storms, the rock, reefs
and shallow water
The Sea
• The Sea shows the instability of time
and life.
The Storms
• Storms consist of both wind (air) and
rain (water). And as air is the
element representing the mind, and
water is the element representing
the emotions, storms symbolize
agitated thoughts and emotions.
Metaphorically, storms are our Inner
Demons which torment both our
mind and our Subconscious.

11. The Rock
• The rock show the life is too hard to
life. It gives suffer, as Mrs. Ramsays
survived her life. The rocks, reefs
and shallow water symbolized the
final danger and miseries .
• Just as the saying. “its always seems
always darkest before the dawn”
Reefs & Shallow Water
• These symbols are showing
certainty of life. The rock show the
life is too hard to life. It gives suffer.

12. Conclusion
• While finding symbols in the novel, it is still a
subject of debates. Still critics are interpreting the
symbols in different ways. To The Lighthouse is a
masterpiece of construction through symbolism. It
is an organic whole.

13. Thank You…...