This document provides an analysis of symbolism in Virginia Woolf's novel "To the Lighthouse". It discusses several key symbols in the novel, including the lighthouse representing truth and goodness, Lily's painting symbolizing the struggle of female artists, Ramsay's summer house representing the psychological states of characters, and the sea, storms, rocks and shallow water signifying the instability and dangers of life. The document examines what these symbols represent and their significance in the novel. It also provides biographical information about Woolf and an overview of the plot and structure of "To the Lighthouse".

1. Topic: Symbolism in 'To The
Lighthouse'
● Name : Pandya Dharmishtha D.
● Paper No. : 9(The Modern Literature)
● Class : M.A Sem- 3
● Banch : 2015-17
● Roll No.: 22
● Email Id: pandyadharmishtha510@gmail.com
● Submitted by : Smt. S. B. Gardi
Department of English
M.K. Bhavnagar University

2. Introduction of Virginia Woolf :
● Adline Virginia Woolf
●
Born on 25th
January, 1882
●
Died on 28th
March, 1941
● She was an English writer and one
of the foremost modernism of the
twentieth century

3. To the lighthouse
●
This novel is published on 5th
May- 1927.
● The novel is landmarkof high modernism.
● To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf used the
language of psychoanalysis.
● Reader can find stream of conciousness during
reading the novel.
● The centre of the novel is Mr. And Mrs.
Ramsays and thier visit to the isle of skye in
scotland.

4. The novel's first section taking place on a day
before the first World War.
The Window
Last section taking place on a day afterthe first
World war.
The Lighthouse
A middle period in which all the action happens
“off stage” during the war.
Time Passes

5. What is Symbolism?
● In the broadest sense a symbol is anything which signifies in this
sense all words are symbols.
● In discussing literature, the term “symbol” is applied only to a
word or phras that signifies an object or event which in its turn
signifies something, or has a range of resference, beyond itself.
● In simple way, can say that symbol is something which can show
some idea, thought, image, in one word or design. If only symbol
can show, reader can understand whole idea of that concept.

6. Symbolism in Virginia Woolf's 'To
the Lighthouse'
● Lighthouse: Titular Significance
● Lily's Painting
● Ramsay's Summer House
● The Boar's skull
● Rose's arrangement of the grapes and pears
● The Sea, The Storm, The rock, reefs and shallow
water.

7. ●
Lighthouse: Titular SignificanceLighthouse: 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
triump over darkness.
● Different critic has explained
this symbol in a different way.

8. ● 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 of a female artist.

9. ● Ramsay's Summer House
● Psychological
condition of the
characters.
● Physical condition of
the house.
● Mrs. Ramsay's dinner
party presents her own
inner notions of
untidiness and inablity
to preserve beauty.

10. ● The Boar's skull
● Reminder that death is
always at hand
● Symbolizes transient
nature of art and life.
● Mrs. Ramsay's
understanding nature
and enduring power to
suffer for others – as she
wraps it with her shawl.

11. ● Rose's arrangement of the grapes
and pears
● Rose arranges fruit basket for her mother's
dinner party, it symbolically presents guests'
private suffering and unite them.
● Basket symbolizes frozen quality of beauty, art
and truth. The absence of fruite basket in 3rd
part.

12. ● The Sea, The Storm, The rock,
reefs and shallow water
●
● The Sea shows the
instability of time and
life.
The Sea

13. The storm
● Storm consist of both wind and
rain. 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.

14. ● The Rock
● The rock show the life is
too hard to life. It gives
suffer, as Mrs. Ramsay
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”.

15. Reefs Shallow Water
● These symbols are showing certainty of life. The
rock show the life is too hard to life . It gives
suffer.

16. Conclusion
● In the novel express about human's different
about behaviors and how to srugglewoman life.
● To The Lighthouse is a masterpiece of
construction through symbolism. It is an organic
whole.