Thinking Activity : To The Lighthouse

Thinking Activity : To The Lighthouse

Hello readers!

Here is my blog on thinking Activity about To The Lighthouse in which we have to give an answer to the question which is mentioned by Dilip Barad sir in his blog.

    

1- How can you explain that 'what' Virginia Woolf wanted to say (for example, the complexity of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones, the struggle of a female artist against the values of middle/upper class society etc) can only be said in the way she has said? (Key: The 'How' of the narrative technique is to be discussed along with features of the Stream of Consciousness technique which helps Woolf to put in an effective manner what she experienced in abstractions.)

Yes, very appropriately Woolf used complexity in human relationships like Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay. This kind of relationship we can find in everyone's relation in real life and also she said about the struggle in artist's life like in the novel Lily struggle a lot and also we can find similar in our time also that many artist like filmmaker, writers, cartoonist, painters also beaten by public and power or patriarchy.

When we read the biography of verginia Woolf, we came to know that she uses this technique to prove that women also write and paint better than men.

2-Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"? (Key: Take some clues from the painting of Mrs Ramsay drawn by Lily Briscoe and the article by Andre Viola and Glenn Pedersen. Can we read Mrs. R in context of the idea of Ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshama Yeshu dharitri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma patni. )

Yes, the novel is both a critique and tribute to Mrs. Ramsay. We can criticize her through the perspective of feminism because she fits more in a patriarchal mindset, she obeys her husband and also gives respect to all. She do note sees Lily as respected as she sees the men around her and also this novel is tribute through Lily's paintings in which Mrs. Ramsay is the center of the house and well house manager.

Yes, we read Mrs. Ramsay as an Ideal woman through the above given slok. We will try to understand her characteristics through the slok.

Six Indian Ideal Woman :

" Karyeshu Dasi - works like a servant and maid. But what is the main quality we look for in a maid is loyalty. So, we can say that Mrs. Ramsay is very loyal to her household and to her family who obey her husband and nurture her children very loyally.

Karaneshu Mantri: Mrs. Ramsay also a very good adviser. She gives very good advice to her husband and her children for what is good or bad.

Bhojyeshu Mata: She is very good at cooking and feeding food to her family even her husband gets angry about the food test but she keeps calm when we see the dinner party in which she arranged many delicious food items and showed her unconditional love for feeding food.

Shayaneshu Rambha: 

In hindu mythology Rambha , who is an apsara, is pictured as a very beautiful dancer damsel in indra's court. We can see this kind of quality in Mrs. Ramsay also, she is a very beautiful and comfort giver to her husband and we can see through the numbers of her children that how she fulfilled the sexual desire of her husband.

Roopeshu Laxmi: Mrs. Ramsay also Goddess of dedication and Humility. Her dedication towards her family and household make her gorgeous. 

Kshmayeshu Dharithri: Mrs. Ramsay is like mother earth who forgives every misbehavior of her husband. So, here we can find the quality boundless compassion. So, here we can say that Mrs. Ramsay is a Kula Dharma Patni. She possesses qualities like loyalty, intelligence, unconditional love, cheers for good causes, dedication, humility and boundless compassion."

3- Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? (Key: Take help from the presentation on Symbolism to connect Mrs. Caroline Ramsay with Lighthouse. Secondly, the narrator / author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in the stoicism of Lighthouse. Read the 'lighthouse' symbol from the presentation slide with this insight to connect lighthouses with the narrator. Give your concluding remarks in the comment below in this blog )

         As it is suggested in the presentation, we can interpret the symbol of the lighthouse with Mrs.Ramsay who is the center in the novel and stands strong like the lighthouse amidst emotionally shattered beings. 

         About the narrator, with biographical context, we can say that Virginia's character is more presented in Lily's character and her dilemma is Virginia Woolf's own mental dilemma. Furthermore, we can say that Virginia portrayed her character in Lily's character because Woolf also was  a stoic personality in her time as an artist so she is connected with Lily throughout the novel.

4- In the article by Joseph Blotner, two myths are patterned together. Name the myths? How are they zeroed down to the symbols of 'Window' and 'Lighthouse'? How does the male phallic symbol represent feminine Mrs. Ramsay? (Key: The strokes of light-beams. . . )

        There were two myths: Oedipus myth and pagan myth as window works bring new air into our house. We can  interpret it as widow brings freshness in our mind and helps to make the right decision. So as compared to society it stands as a positive thing.

         The lighthouse is based on greek myth . In this novel Woolf uses various myths. Joseph blotner has also used the famous myth that the father knows and the relation between father and mother knows has children . but they are so. Innocent

         Rhea is represented as mother. mth of homeric hymns it is the praise of divinity or god. In this reference we find how metaphors became reality .

5- What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is a 'Künstlerroman' novel? (Key: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325047/Kunstlerroman)

General information about the term "Kunstlerroman".....

" Künstlerroman, (German: “artist’s novel”), class of Bildungsroman, or apprenticeship novel, that deals with the youth and development of an individual who becomes or is on the threshold of becoming -a painter, musician, or poet."

The classic example is James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916).

        

     

        To the Lighthouse" Lily's and Carmichael characters the novel itself is a struggle of an artist. It also deals with arrogant rejection of the commonplace life, and biographically we can say that Virginia Woolf also becoming an artist in her life and also faced lots of struggle in life because of patriarchal thinking about women of her time,in this novel the character of Lily makes it  'Kunstlerroman' novel.

6- "... the wages of obedience is death, and the daughter that reproduces mothering to perfection, including child-bearing, already has on her cheeks the pallor of death. One reminded here of various texts by Lucy Irigaray, in which she attacks mothers for being, however unwillingly, accomplices in the patriarchal system of oppression." (Viola). In light of this remark, explain briefly Lily's dilemma in 'To The Lighthouse'. 

       In the novel Lily strongly opposes patriarchal power, she believes in feminism and freedom. She wants to be free without any kind of male company but at the end of the novel we come to know that she also wants to be like Mrs. Ramsay has a married life and has family and children to enjoy the life. Ramsay. So, Lily was very confused to follow pure femininity or man company.

7- You have compared the 'beginning' and the 'ending' of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg (you can see it again in the embedded video below this). Do you think that the novel is more poignant than the movie? If yes, do you ascribe the fact that the power of words is much greater than that of the screen / visuals?

           The novel is more poignant than the movie. When we read the beginning of the novel we totally enter the mind of characters one by one and in the film it has differently begun with the frame of the doll so we think about the doll rather than the character. 

          At the end, the confusion of Briscoe  has very well been described by the narration and in the film, it has been described by the visual effects of light and sound. Both are effective but we can say that the novel has a long narration of Lily's dilemma and her vision.

8- How do you interpret the last line of the novel (It was done; it was finished.

Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision.) with reference to the ending of the film (After the final stroke on the canvass with finishing touch, Lily walks inside the house. As she goes ante-chamber, the light and dark shade makes his face play hide-and-seek. She climbs stairs, puts her brush aside, walks through the dark and light to enter her room. Gently closes the door - speaks: "Closed doors, open windows" - lies on the bed and with some sort of satisfaction utters: "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool".) 

          

 "It was done, it was finished" these last lines suggest with reference to the movie that she finished her painting with Mrs. Ramsay’s painting and found her vision means her mental confusion or dilemma about Mrs. Ramsay’s character sees Mrs. Ramsay and jams wandering happily in the garden. She also might want to live that life.

9- What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator'  signify?

Army and navy catalog signifies time of war. Refrigerators are a symbol of technology changing and presumably improving human culture. It also signifies slow down and stave off death.

10- Why did Virginia give such prominence to the tale of the “Fisherman’s Wife”? In particular, why did she weave such a misogynist tale into the fabric of a book which so eloquently challenges received patriarchal notions about the roles and capabilities of women?

The tale of "Fisherman's wife is connected with the character of Mrs. Ramsay as well as Mr. Ramsay, because both make unreasonable demands upon their husbands. The wife keeps asking to her husband to return to save and request more and more from the flounder while, Mrs. Ramsay's desire to protect Jame's sensibility, she opposes hopes and wishes against Mr. Ramsay's Judgment.

Thank you!