To The Light House
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 Stream of
Consciousness technique which helps Woolf to put in effective manner what she
experienced in abstractions.)
Ans-: Here we could find some Complex relationship between
mother and son mother with daughter mother with their guest and the
relationship husband and wife how she treat with them. And also we find that
the how the fighting goes on with her daughter and son and father also, but
here Virginia woolf portrait upper class family and they are visiting to
the summer house its mean that it's Victorian time period story but the story
portrait on upper class society that how women are struggling and one more
thing is that it also there is in lower class people who live in society they
also treat women as a like just body or thing. It means Virginia woolf
would try to portrait women condition in our patriarchy
Society and we could understand that in lower class people treat women
very badly but in upper class also we could find that they also treat women
very badly.
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 -
Yes, we can read Mrs. Ramsay as an
Ideal woman through given slok.
Image of Ideal women
The sloka says that: A homemaker
(wife) must be a good loyal worker just like a maid; a good adviser like a
minister of King’s court; a caretaker like a mother; Romantic like Rambha, in
bed room; a pardoner just like a goddess of earth; a beautiful like Lakshmi,
the goddess of learning and wife of Brahma; and perfect duty minded one.
Most important thing is to understand
the in depth meaning of the sanskrit poems.
Karyeshu dasi means not
exactly one who works like maid.But what is the
main quality we look in maid is LOYALTY.
Karaneshu Mantri means one who
advises during the critical times, if you look at history, Chanakya played such
an important role in Chandragupta’s life. The quality we are looking here is
INTELLIGENCE.
Bhojeshu Mata, while feeding
food who thinks like mom. A hotel owner or a chat wala (street food seller)
will not give you food unless you pay money but a mother no matter what time it
is if you tell her that you are hungry she cooks and feeds food to your
hearts content.The quality we
are looking here is UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
Shayaneshu Rambha: in hindu
mythology Rambha , who is an apsara, is pictured as a very beautiful dancer
damsel in indra’s (king of god’s) court. Rambha is known for her beauty and she
pleases gods with her talent. The quality we are looking is who tries to cheer
up, ENCOURAGE & GIVE COMFORT (even on bed).
Roopeshu lakshmi. Goddess
lakshmi is goddess of wealth. Despite her riches she is dedicated when Sri
mahavishnu, her consort, took incarnation as srirama, she followed with him
during vanavasa(exile) instead of sitting in vaikunta(luxury). Here the quality
we see is the DEDICATION and HUMILITY.
Kshamayeshu
dharithri. While forgiving one should be like mother earth. Quality here
is boundless COMPASSION.
So try to understand in between
lines. The author here is saying a kula dharma patni (perfect house wife)
should posses the qualities like loyalty, intelligence, unconditional love,
cheers for good causes, dedication, humility and boundless compassion.
The most wonderful thing about our
ancient literature is every thing said is not time bound… its like eternal
truth. Even though this sloka was written 1000+ of years back, it still holds
the key to a happy family.
The author here is saying these are
the qualities an ideal wife should posses.
The same literature says that where
females are worshipped, there resides the god. Worshipping here means not
literally doing pooja but RESPECTING and UNDERSTANDING.
A Female is given utmost importance
in indian mythology.
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 stoicism of Lighthouse. Read 'lighthouse' symbol
from presentation slide with this insight to connect lighthouse with the
narrator. Give your concluding remarks in the comment below in this blog )
Ans:-, we could interpret the symbol of lighthouse with Mrs.Ramsay who is the center in the novel and direction giver to the family like lighthouse gives the way to the bushed people,About the narrator, with biographically context, we could 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 the Lily's character because Woolf also was a stoic personality in her time as an artist so she is connected with the Lily throughout the novel.
Ans:-, we could interpret the symbol of lighthouse with Mrs.Ramsay who is the center in the novel and direction giver to the family like lighthouse gives the way to the bushed people,About the narrator, with biographically context, we could 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 the Lily's character because Woolf also was a stoic personality in her time as an artist so she is connected with the Lily throughout the novel.
4. In the article by
Joseph Blotner, two myths are patterned together. Name the myths? How they are
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. . . )
Ans:-In this novel Virginia Woolf's concept of woman's role in life
is crystallized in the character of Mrs. Ramsay, whose attributes are those of
major female figures in pagan myth.The most useful myth for interpreting the
novel is that of the Primordial Goddess, who "is threefold in relation to
Zeus: mother (Rhea), wife (Demeter), and daughter (Persephone)." One of
the major sources of the myth is the Homeric "Hymn to Demeter," in
which the poet compares Rhea with her daughter Demeter, and makes it clear that
Demeter and her daughter Persephone "are to be thought of as a double
figure, one half of which is the ideal complement of the other." This
double figure is that of the Kore, the primordial maiden, who is also a mother.
Also useful in interpreting the novel is the Oedipus myth.
5. What do you
understand by the German term 'KÞnstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To
The Lighthouse' is 'KÞnstlerroman' novel?
An artist novel detailing the
artist's growth to maturity.
The kÞnstlerroman is a type of bildungsroman—a novel where the
protagonist undergoes an education—in which the writer charts the course of an
artist undergoing an evolution from nascent stirrings to full artistic voice.
Literally, kÞnstlerroman translates to English as “artist” (from the German,
“kÞnstler”) and “novel” (from the French, “roman”).Where the hero often dreams
of becoming a great artist but settles for being a mere useful citizen, the
KÞnstlerroman usually ends on a note of arrogant rejection of the commonplace
life
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'.
Character of Lily
In this novel, Lily strongly oppose to 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 be
a like Mrs. Ramsay a married life have family and children to be enjoy
the life. Ramsay. So, Lily was very confused to follow pure femininity or man
company and also somewhere he attracted towards Mr. Bank.
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?
There is always difference between movie adaption and novel.
Because When we read the beginning of the novel it has effective start
like we enter in the mind of characters one by one and in the film it has
differently begun with the introduction of the characters. At the end, the
confusion of Briscoe has very well described by the narration and in the
film, it has described by the visual effects of light and sound.
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".)
Ans. We could see that significant that Lily briscoe in her subconscious mind she thinking about Mrs Ramsay but now finally after 10 years her painting is complete so the interpretation come that the Mrs Ramsay is bridge for family but at one time she is also barricade for family after her death the family goes to visit lighthouse and Augustine carmichael poem are also sale so in that way finally Lily briscoe get her vision and the novel will end.
9. What does the
catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does
cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?
“Army and Navy” signifies the time of war and consumption.
And Refrigerator symbolies the change,of technology changing and
presumably improving human culture. The refrigerator is an instrument of
science and it occupies the same sphere as the light house.It could be viewed
as a domestic light house of sorts.According to me for the 2nd question.What
does cutting ”Refrigerator signify?. It is signifies that breaks the old
thoughts and accept the new things.
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?
Ans:-Prominence to the tell of the fisherman’s wife and
Mrs.Ramsay both make unreasonable demands upon their husband. In
this novel Virginia woolf use of the the fairytale seems to be ironic .She
is the subverting the misogyny of the fairytale. Mrs.Ramsay is acting from
empathy. She has much more in common with the empathetic and reasonable fisherman
than with his wife. In this novel on other hand, Mr. Ramsay and Charles,
despite the truth of their assertion are as an uncompromising and as an
unreasonable as the fisherman’s wife. In this novel we could find that
characters about the dangers of unopposed female will and desire. The red
danger seems to be the male need for self assertion. So the last I would like
to say that Mrs.Ramsay told such a misogynistic tale Virginia also
indicting Mrs.Ramsay by showing the Mrs.Ramsay as transmitting and
perpetually harmful myths about female will and desire Virginia is
criticizing and attacking the way in which women are complicit in
limiting their ability to full realize themselves.
11. How is India represented
in 'To The Lighthouse'?
Ans:-
India is referred 6 times in this Novel
1.
India is ruled by the men-folk.
2
India is exotic place where lies great romance, adventure and happiness
3
Augustus Carmichael’s going to India is considered as some sort of
achievements.
4
India is referred as place of desire. . . a desire to visit.
5
Made in India jewelry is a thing to be possessed – owned with pride
6
Some land which is far away – unknown land, the exotic land.
12.....Summaries of
Articles
Mythic Patterns
In this novel we could find some myths like Pagan myth and Homeric Myth. We can
see that in using myth as an approach to a work of literature Virginia Woolf diaries shows that she read
Greeks, "On not knowing Greek " shows that she veneraled. There is no
evidence that she consciously used myth in the writing of this novel. Virginia
Woolf in her diary reiterated the role of her "subconscious" in
Germination of a novel and noted "How tremendously important
unconsciousness is when one writes ". However this preposition is
susceptible of neither proof nor disproof. Virginia Woolf agnosticism appears
on many pages of her diary. And criticism symbolism is quite as an appropriate
for Mrs. Ramsay when the phrase "We are in the hands of Lord's ". In
this novel we could find that main character Mrs.Ramsay is a symbol of the
female principal in life.
Fluidity v/s Masculinity
In the novel Mrs.Ramsay'S daughter are presented as sporting
with "Infidel Idea "
In this novel lily is secondary character but Lily is
statistically more present than Mrs.Ramsay. To the light house is kind of
Kunstlerroman. In the lighthouse Woolf more or less consciously transferred to
Lily. Phrase,"Women can not paint " introduce in scene on the beach
never mention in part one. The desire to control the object the sadistic
gratification as overcoming it. Women is specifically defines it self in
patrilinear society, woman is specialist in unconscious, a witch, a
bachchalan, taking her i an anti Apollonian, dionysian ". Virginia
Woolf it must be stressed in view of the condition of her early life in
Victorian England. That time patriarchal power so much dominated in
society even today's time also dominating.
Vision To the lighthouse
"Someone had blundered " The vision of lily briscoe
reveals that it was Mr.Ramsay.The novel begins with Jame's desire to go the
lighthouse and ends with that desire full filled. Mr.Ramsay is villainous
character in this novel. We discover that Mrs. Ramsay'S attitude towards other
is determined by their attitude towards her. Virginia Woolf used the fairytale
beautifully as an analogue to Mrs.Ramsay'S Dominating her husband.
Mrs.Ramsay could never say that what she felt. She didn't know her unconscious
feelings and unconsciously she didn't love Mr.Ramsay.Mrs.Ramsay is matriarchy
of family that is dangerous things as well as patriarchal. In vision Mr.ramsay
has come to fulfillment he has integrated the family. Lily's vision revealed
the resolution of conflict. Lily briscoe vision is James desire, and in effect
the whole family's fulfilled.
x
Such a long discription.... over all nice...k keep it up ððð
ReplyDeleteAll examples are good, well described, keep blogging.
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