Virginia Woolf's novel To the Lighthouse explores the inner thoughts and feelings of the Ramsey family and their guests over a period of ten years. The story focuses on their summer holidays in a rented house in Scotland and their attempts to reach an unattainable lighthouse. It uses a stream of consciousness technique to depict the non-chronological flow of memories, emotions, and ideas of the characters. The novel examines the difficulties in communication between the sexes, portraying Mrs. Ramsey as a creative soul and her husband as a rational philosopher. By the end of the ten year period, the characters and their circumstances have changed dramatically.

1. Virginia Woolf
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
«…every thing is the proper
stuff of fiction, every
feeling, every thought;
every quality of brain and
spirit…»

2. THE AUTHOR & THE WORK
•Memories of summer holidays
• Death and transience
in the author’s life and her work:
- Her life: a family tragedy
- 1941: Virginia Woolf committed suicide

3. THE TECHNIQUE:
• Explores the inner life of the character
• Action to its barest minimum
• Non chronological flux of thoughts and feelings
• Uses free indirect speech
THE STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

4. CHARACTERS & PLOT
The Ramsey family… …and their guests
THE SCENE:
• Rented house in Scotland
• An unattainable lighthouse

5. MALE & FEMALE NATURE:
Difficulties in communication
MR & MRS RAMSEY
 About her:
- a creative and sensitive soul
 About him:
- a rational philosopher

6. SHIFT OF TIME: TEN YEARS LATER
• Every thing has changed
• Some characters died
• The lighthouse is finally reached

7. • Naomi Carrieri
• Classe V A scientifico
• IISS Galileo Galilei Monopoli
• a. s. 2012/2013