To the Lighthouse Virginia Woolf Group Members: Helena —Plot Jessica —Characters Sherry —Themes Ivanne —Symbols

1. Plot "The Window" opens before the start of World War I. Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay bring their eight children to their summer home in the Hebrides. Across the bay from their house, they can see a large lighthouse there. One of the children, James Ramsay, wants desperately to go to the lighthouse, but Mr. Ramsay tells him coldly that the weather looks to be foul.

The Ramsays host a number of guests, including the dour Charles Tansley who admires Mr. Ramsay's work as a metaphysical philosopher. A young painter, Lily Briscoe, begins a portrait of Mrs. Ramsay. At first, Mrs. Ramsay wants Lily to marry William Bankes, but Lily resolves to remain single. Then, Mrs. Ramsay does manage to arrange another match between Paul Rayley and Minta Doyle.

During the course of the afternoon, Paul proposes to Minta, Lily begins her painting, Mrs. Ramsay soothes the resentful James, and Mr. Ramsay frets over his shortcomings as a philosopher, periodically turning to Mrs. Ramsay for comfort. That evening, the Ramsays invite these guests to have dinner with them. However, not only Paul and Minta but also two of the Ramsays’ children are late returning. Lily bristles at outspoken comments made by Charles Tansley, because he suggests that women can neither paint nor write. Augustus Carmichael, a poet, asks for a second plate of soup and it’s the reason why Mr. Ramsay reacts rudely in the dinner party.

The joy like the party cannot last, and as Mrs. Ramsay leaves her guests in the dining room, she reflects that the event has already slipped into the past. The couple sits quietly together, until Mr. Ramsay's characteristic insecurities interrupt their peace. He wants his wife to tell him that she loves him. Mrs. Ramsay is not one to make such pronouncements, but she concedes to his point made earlier in the day that the weather will be too rough for a trip to the lighthouse the next day. Mr. Ramsay thus knows that Mrs. Ramsay loves him. Night falls, and thus ends Part One—”The Window.”

2. Character Analysis (1) Mrs. Ramsay - a dutiful, loving wife and mother. - a kind, generous hostess. - a woman that fits in traditional gender role. (2) Mr. Ramsay - Mrs. Ramsay's husband; an outstanding metaphysical philosopher. - hot-tempered, selfish, and rude. - a little self-centered, always in need for sympathy, attention and support from others. (especially from Mrs. Ramsay.)

(3) Lily Briscoe - a young, female painter. - passionate, intelligent, and independent. - an unconventional woman. (4) James Ramsay - youngest son of the Ramsays. - young, but sensitive. (Oedipus complex) (5) Charles Tansley - a young philosopher and pupil of Mr. Ramsay. - unpleasant, and usually offensive. - also in need for reassurance.

(6) William Bankes - an old friend of the Ramsays. - a botanist and a widower. (7) Augustus Carmichael - a poet who visits the Ramsays. (8) Paul Rayley - a young friend of the Ramsays. (9) Minta Doyle - a young woman who visits the Ramsays. (10) Andrew, Jasper, Roger, Prue, Rose, Nancy, and Cam Ramsay – sons and daughters of the Ramsays.

Compare and Contrast: (1) Mr. Ramsay vs. Mrs. Ramsay in terms of gender (2) Lily Briscoe vs. Mrs. Ramsay in terms of convention

3. Themes (1) The Transience of Life and Work Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay take completely different approaches to life: he relies on his intellect, while she depends on her emotions. But they share the knowledge that the world around them is transient—that nothing lasts forever.

(2)Art as a Means of Preservation (1) In the face of an existence that is inherently without order or meaning, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay employ different strategies for making their lives significant. Mr. Ramsay devotes himself to his progression through the course of human thought, while Mrs. Ramsay cultivates memorable experiences from social interactions. (2) Lily’s painting

(3) The Subjective Nature of Reality Woolf's technique in structuring the story is very special. She is committed to creating a sense of the world that not only depends upon the private perceptions of her characters but is also nothing more than the accumulation of those perceptions.

Symbols  1. The Lighthouse ：  (1.) James--Lack of attainability.  (2.) Mrs. Ramsay—the combination of herself with the lighthouse (96~97, 99, 157).  (3.) Better personal relationships.  2. The Window ：  (1.) Aloofness (53,100).  (2.) Mrs. Ramsay—sensory organs.

3. Lily’s Painting ： (Sec. 9) A feminine artistic vision (75). 4. The Sea ： (1.) The movement of life and time (27~28). (2.) A force of destruction (68~69).

 5. The Skull ： A reminder that death is always at hand (171).  6. The Dish of Fruit & Mrs. Ramsay’s Knitting ： A unity of all the people (146, 42).  7. A Watch ： Mrs. Ramsay’s vitality (126).