Symbolism in Virginia Wollf’s ‘To The Lighthouse’

Prepared By:Shabana KhalaniPaper-9

Unit No: 1Roll No: 28

Sem III

Department Of EnglishMaharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar

University

To The Lighthouse

• This novel is published on 5th

May – 1927.

• The novel is landmark of high modernism.

• To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf used the language of psychoanalysis.

• Reader can find stream of consciousness during reading the novel.

To The Lighthouse

• The centre of the novel is Mr. and Mrs. Ramsays and their visit to the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Modernist Literature and Symbolism

• In discussing literature, however, the term "symbol" is applied only to a word or phrase that signifies an object or event which in its turn signifies something, or has a range of reference, beyond itself.

• The Modern Period, in the decades after World War I, was a notable era of symbolism in literature.

• The general association of a Peacock with pride and of an Eagle with heroic endeavor,

• The Rising sun with birth of something good.

• The Setting sun with death, or surrender or failure.

Lighthouse: Titular Significance

• The lighthouse is standalone on a rock with thehuge construction.

• That light symbolized theray of goodness.

• It is symbolized like truthtriumph over darkness.

• Different critic hasexplained this symbol in adifferent ways. (See .doc)

Lily’s Painting

• Symbolizes woman’sstruggle in patriarchalsociety.

• Against gender convention:“Women can’t paint orwrite”.

• . The process of Lily’spainting throughout thenovel can be seen as notonly a symbol of the artisticdilemma faced by themodern artist, but speciallyo a female artist.

Ramsay’s Summer House

• Against gender convention:“Women can’t paint orwrite”.

• “Time Passes” section

The Boar’s Skull

• The presence of the skullacts as a disturbingreminder that death isalways at hand.

• Symbolizes transient natureof art and life.

Rose’s arrangement of the grapes and pears (The Fruit Basket)

• The basket testifies both tothe “frozen” quality ofbeauty that Lily describesand to beauty’s seductiveand soothing quality.

• The absence of fruit basketin 3rd part, signifies thetransitory nature of beauty,art and truth.

The Sea, the Storms, the rock, reefs and shallow water

The Sea• The Sea shows the instability of time

and life.

The Storms• Storms consist of both wind (air) and

rain (water). And as air is theelement representing the mind, andwater is the element representingthe emotions, storms symbolizeagitated thoughts and emotions.Metaphorically, storms are our InnerDemons which torment both ourmind and our Subconscious.

The Rock• The rock show the life is too hard to

life. It gives suffer, as Mrs. Ramsayssurvived her life. The rocks, reefsand shallow water symbolized thefinal danger and miseries .

• Just as the saying. “its always seemsalways darkest before the dawn”

Reefs & Shallow Water

• These symbols are showing certainty of life. The rock show the life is too hard to life. It gives suffer.

Conclusion

• While finding symbols in the novel, it is still asubject of debates. Still critics are interpreting thesymbols in different ways. To The Lighthouse is amasterpiece of construction through symbolism. Itis an organic whole.

Thank You…...