Hello Readers,
Todays i am going to make a blog with the activity of TO THE LIGHTHOUSE. MOVIE ADEPTION it's an initial part of activity. CLICK HERE to read the task blog.
so let's start with activity...…
The novel by Virginia Woolf is the based on elite family and they are supposed to go for mini vacation . and the which kind of situation by emotionally there as well. Some point are there which are i 'm going to discuss as under.
- 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.)
ANSWER
Here VIRGINIA appropriately shows that she try to used the COMPLEXITY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIP. Like in MR. and MRS. RAMSAY. And also in the painter LILY BRISCOE. As we in the novel as same like in our day to life. Virginia shows the struggle of painter lily Briscoe As we read this part as stream of consciousness then the novelist try to indicate that the same can be done by woman as well which is done man. Lily negotiate with this point in novel. MR.AND MRS. RAMSAY are also have the struggle with their own points.
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; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni.
Answer
Yes, i am agree that this novel is critique and tribute of MRS.RAMSAY. Virginia Woolf was Rebel at her age. And Then even if she is put a domestic character like Mrs. Ramsay so, we can say that it is for criticizing the stereotypes of woman and for that she is putting a total opposite personality Lily. By showing Mrs. Ramsay as an ideal woman Woolf tries to criticize the way society see the role of woman.
The shloka which is given here can be translated as "Who works as maid, advice as minister, feeds like mother, pleases in bed like heavenly beauty Rambha, beautiful as goddess Lakshmi, forgive as earth, these six virtues who has is a ideal wife." Though the link which is given here will give a different idea about looking towards the shloka but what both have same is it needs to erase one’s self from the root, one needs to be submissive, which Mrs. Ramsay posses. We can see in novel that she often works too much that she fell unconscious, she advise Mr. Ramsay to go and give lectures on philosophy, she cooks what everyone wants to eat and in large quantity, she also please Mr. Ramsay in bed, she is beautiful and she forgive all misbehave which done to her. So yes she has every quality of ideal wife as per Indian myth but what she don't have her own self.
3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)?
Answer
Yes i think it is.. stands for Mrs.Ramsay symbolically at some point . Because as we know that For whole family and guest she is the one who stands with light in her hand to show directions to the others. She constantly have inner conflicts like the waves at sea-shore.
But i also feel that lighthouse is also stands for lily Briscoe too. as she is Representing Virginia Woolf and a woman like Woolf who is working at Victorian age. She suffered a lot and stand alone for her self. at some level guiding others to start walking on their own path, it suggests that lighthouse is symbolically stands for Lily Briscoe. As a woman artist she has to stand in against of whole society and that constant suffering is we can see as sea waves. So I found the symbol of lighthouse more for Lily Briscoe than Mrs. Ramsay.
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. . . )
Answer
There are two myths are indicated here . These are RHES and DEMETER....
The first myth which show here is RHEA.
First Mrs. Ramsay is compared with Rhea. Rhea is Greek goddess, and her husband is killing all her child but She saves the Zeus. We can see same with Mrs. Ramsay as she is also saving James from Mr. Ramsay. Saving in the sense of anger. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay treat James differently. Mrs. Ramsay treat James in a sense which create anger in James's mind for his father, she behaves in front of James as she is trying to save him As always.
Secondly Mrs.Ramsay compared with DEMESTER.
Demeter is a daughter of Rhea and goddess of corn and fertility. It is said that when she is in sorrow while whole earth becomes barren. Demeter is more worshiped by men than women, same as men are in more need of Mrs. Ramsay than women. Every men in summer house are need the help of Mrs. Ramsay in one or the other way. More importantly Mr. Ramsay and James. Further more the story of "Fisherman and his Wife" if read by changing the gender we can see it is Mr. Ramsay who is more demanding of sympathy then Mrs. Ramsay.
At last "The Window" is symbolically female and "The Lighthouse" is symbolically male. Virginia Woolf has shown female as love and life giver while on the other hand she has shown male has hatred, violence and fatal. In a way she wants to say that female energy is necessary to function. By Virginia Woolf the quality of giving birth by female is emphasized here over male. Is related here by Woolf.
5. What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel?
Answer
Künstlerroman means "ARTIST'S NOVEL" in English. In general meaning of this term means a novel where the growth of artist is shown, mainly as a painter, musician or poet. In Virginia Woolf's " To The Lighthouse" we can see the growth of poet and painter is shown. Augustus Carmichael as poet and Lily Briscoe as painter. In both the cases it is shown that how a artist struggle for one thought or feeling that can lead towards the creation or how it is hard to paint our mind on canvas. At the end of the novel both the artist have their own creation. Augustus Carmichael has his collection of poems and Lily Briscoe has her vision in painting and at the end Virginia Woolf also had her novel. so, in a way this is künstlrrroman 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'.
Answer
Throughout the novel, Lily strongly oppose to patriarchal power, she believe 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 like Mrs.Ramsay . So, Lily was very confuse 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 … 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?
Answer
MOVIE ADAPTION (click here to read )
8. How do you interpret the last line of the novel (It was done; it was finished.
Answer
i gave the link in question no. 7 where i included answers related movie adaption .
9. What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?
Answer
The catalogue named "Army and Navy" signifies by its name that war and consumerism, both are connected. Virginia Woolf here may tries to criticize capitalism during her time. The refrigerator in that catalogue, which first symbol of modernism and accepting new technology. Refrigerator is tool of conserving the things and prevent it to change naturally. We can connect Mrs. Ramsay with refrigerator, because she also tries to preserve the feelings. She is accepting new technology but she want her daughters like her with the old mindset and stereotypes. Mrs. Ramsay is the one who is preserving James' feelings.
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?
Answer
The tale of "Fisherman's wife is connected with the character of Mrs. Ramsay as well as Mr. Ramsay, because Woolf is subverting the misogyny of fairy tale for example, the male character are behaving like fisherman's wife, they have wishes which are not fulfilled in a way they wants and that unsatisfied desire leads them towards failure. Mrs. Ramsay is more successful in her work than Mr. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe is better in her profession than Charles Tansley. Fairy tale shows the dangers of male willfulness and desire.
11. How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'? (Read this blog for passing reference)
Answer
India is there SIX (6) Times i guess.. the Indian Reference Reflected by Barad sir .
1) she asked too many people to stay, and had to lodge some in the town, she could not bear incivility to her guests, to young men in particular, who were poor as church mice, “exceptionally able,” her husband said, his great admirers, and come there for a holiday. Indeed, she had the whole of the other sex under her protection; for reasons she could not explain, for their chivalry and velour, for the fact that they negotiated treaties, ruled India, controlled finance.
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 achievement.
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.
Reference :-
Künstlerroman. (2020, June 30). Retrieved October 30, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCnstlerroman
Barad, D. (1970, January 01). Edward Said On Orientalism. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2016/07/edward-said-on-orientalism.html
Barad, Dilip. India in Virginia Woolf's Lighthouse, 1 Jan. 1970, blog.dilipbarad.com/2015/09/india-in-virginia-woolfs-lighthouse.html.
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