This blog is part of my academic activity, the link of given task is here...
http://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/worksheet-virginia-woolfs-to-lighthouse.html
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?
The narrative technique which Virginia Woolf has chosen is the best way to say what she wanted to say. She don’t want anything which make people cry or laugh, she wants to tell something which make people think, think about their behavior, their relationships. Every human being has complexity of thoughts which can not be seen from outer appearance, to see that conflict one has to dive deep in to the mind of human being and stream of consciousness technique is the technique which can help best to Virginia. By using this technique she very beautifully shows the inner complexity of feelings and memory towards the people with whom we lived our life, and how our emotions and impressions are continuously shifts.
2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"?
Yes, I am agree that the novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. Virginia Woolf was rebel during her age. Then even if she is putting a domestic character like Mrs. Ramsay 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 idea woman Woolf tries to criticize the way society see the role of woman. In this novel Mrs. Ramsay is a way through which whole family converse with each other but we also can see that till she is alive no relations of family was healthy but after her death all problems have seems to resolve. This way it is critique of Mrs. Ramsay.
On the other hand it is also tribute to Mrs. Ramsay, because after her also she has lived in the memory of everyone. At the end also she is the subject of Lily’s painting and when she completes her painting and she got her vision which is Mrs. Ramsay. At the end whole Ramsay family goes to the lighthouse because it was the wish of Mrs. Ramsay and family wants to fulfill it. So these ways the novel is also tribute to Mrs. Ramsay.
3. Can we read Mrs. Ramsay 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.
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 is her own self.
4. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)?
Yes I think at some extent lighthouse is symbolically stand for Mrs. Ramsay. For whole family and guest she is the one who stands with light in her hand to show directions to the others. She suffers alone from all miseries of her self and of others also. She constantly have inner conflicts like the waves at sea-shore. But I also feel that lighthouse symbolically stands for Lily Briscoe also. As she is representing Virginia Woolf, we can say as a woman artist in Victorian age she has to suffer a lot and that suffering of standing alone, more searching and 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.
5. 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?
The first myth which is shown here is of Rhea and Demeter. First Mrs. Ramsay is compared with Rhea. Rhea is Greek goddess, and her husband is killing all her child but he 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 mind for his father, she behaves front of James as she is trying to save him. Secondly she is compared with Demeter. Demeter is a daughter of Rhea and goddess of corn and fertility. It is said that when she is in sorrow 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. Mrs. Ramsay is here to give everyone.
The second myth which is described is of Oedipus, who kills his father and marry his mother. The relation between James and Mrs. Ramsay and James hatred towards his father reflect the Oedipus complex in him. He always think to kill his father because he want his mother care for only him and live only with him. When Mrs. Ramsay died that place is taken by Cam but then even his feelings for his father is not changed. When Cam also have sympathy for her father James again thought that his father has stolen her. But at the end may be this hate has been vanished because Mr. Ramsay praise James for handling boat very well and Cam thought that James got at last what he always wanted.
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.
6. What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel? (Key: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325047/Kunstlerroman)
Künstlerroman is a German term which can be translated as "artist novel". Basically this term means a novel where the growth of artist is shown, mainly as a painter, musician or poet. In this type of novels the biographical elements are strong, because they describe their struggle as a writer or artist. 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 we can say that this novel is künstlrrroman novel.
7. "... 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'.
By these lines we can say that Lily is in dilemma because of patriarchy and the women who consciously or unconsciously accomplice with patriarchy. We can see in the novel that Lily is attracted towards the Bank but she is not showing her feelings in sense of marriage because she don't want to be like Mrs. Ramsay. She is not happy with Mrs. Ramsay because she is the one who supports patriarchy and also want her daughter to do the same. These lines shows that by following the order one gets death Prue died because she follows her mother's order to get marry. The reason of the Prue's death is child birth, which again is the idea of ideal or perfect woman given by Mrs. Ramsay while bringing up her daughters. In process of becoming perfect she died. This is shows Lily's dilemma, that she is seeing all these things front of her eyes but can not change the mind of women around her.
8. 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?
Both the beginning and ending of novel and movie are different. In novel we are wandering by the mind of the characters, while movie is giving introduction to all. We can see in movie we can understand but the sharp narrative is in the novel. At the end also both differs. In novel Lily put her brush in extreme fatigue but she stays with her art, that tiredness is of giving birth to something and she is enjoying her creation by staying there. While in movie she runs in to the house, which is discomforting to me. She behaves in the movie like she doesn't care about her painting and her vision, which is totally different from novel. I am agree that while making movie one has to add changes because the language of novel and camera differs but here in this case novel is more poignant than movie.
9. 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 her 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".)
The last lines of novel and movie both are different. In the novel Lily's last line is "I have had my vision" and in the movie it is "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool". So if we take reference to understand novel's last line, from my perspective, it is the realization of Lily what she actually wants. She is fool to thinking about being like Mrs. Ramsay, she got her vision in her painting. Now she will continue with her painting and not with the thought of being like Mrs. Ramsay.
10. What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?
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 is a 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. James is cutting refrigerator, which may seen as Mrs. Ramsay is the one who is preserving James' feelings.
11. 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?
By giving place to the story like "Fisherman and His Wife" we can see that Virginia Woolf is trying to criticize here the way woman is portrayed in the story. She also wants to criticize the women who thinks these types of stereotyping real and also believe in that, that they themselves are like this only. This notion of believing her self less this is criticized here. On the other hand we can see that this particular story is subverted here. It is misogynist but the use of the story here is different. The Fisherman's wife is here connected with Mr. Ramsay and the Fisherman who is fulfilling every demand of his wife is here Mrs. Ramsay, who is also fulfilling the demands of Mr. Ramsay. So in these ways we can see the meaning of using this story is changed.
12. How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'? (Read this blog for passing reference)
The people from west have different lenses to look towards the India. In "To The Lighthouse" also there are many reference of India but all are different. At some place India to west world is like a land which is unknown to them and far away from them, so they don't have any direct connection with India. While on the other hand it is represented as a country of wealth and jewels. The jewels of India is own by western people with proud of possessing it. At some place it also becomes the land of desire, great romance, adventure and happiness. Mostly when west is attracted towards India is because of the high level of spirituality in India. So when Augustus Carmichael is going to India is considered as some kind of achievement. It also shows the patriarchy in India as it also refers that it is ruled by men folk. So these are the different ways in which India is represented in "To The Lighthouse".
Thank you.
http://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/worksheet-virginia-woolfs-to-lighthouse.html
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?
The narrative technique which Virginia Woolf has chosen is the best way to say what she wanted to say. She don’t want anything which make people cry or laugh, she wants to tell something which make people think, think about their behavior, their relationships. Every human being has complexity of thoughts which can not be seen from outer appearance, to see that conflict one has to dive deep in to the mind of human being and stream of consciousness technique is the technique which can help best to Virginia. By using this technique she very beautifully shows the inner complexity of feelings and memory towards the people with whom we lived our life, and how our emotions and impressions are continuously shifts.
2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"?
Yes, I am agree that the novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. Virginia Woolf was rebel during her age. Then even if she is putting a domestic character like Mrs. Ramsay 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 idea woman Woolf tries to criticize the way society see the role of woman. In this novel Mrs. Ramsay is a way through which whole family converse with each other but we also can see that till she is alive no relations of family was healthy but after her death all problems have seems to resolve. This way it is critique of Mrs. Ramsay.
On the other hand it is also tribute to Mrs. Ramsay, because after her also she has lived in the memory of everyone. At the end also she is the subject of Lily’s painting and when she completes her painting and she got her vision which is Mrs. Ramsay. At the end whole Ramsay family goes to the lighthouse because it was the wish of Mrs. Ramsay and family wants to fulfill it. So these ways the novel is also tribute to Mrs. Ramsay.
3. Can we read Mrs. Ramsay 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.
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 is her own self.
4. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)?
Yes I think at some extent lighthouse is symbolically stand for Mrs. Ramsay. For whole family and guest she is the one who stands with light in her hand to show directions to the others. She suffers alone from all miseries of her self and of others also. She constantly have inner conflicts like the waves at sea-shore. But I also feel that lighthouse symbolically stands for Lily Briscoe also. As she is representing Virginia Woolf, we can say as a woman artist in Victorian age she has to suffer a lot and that suffering of standing alone, more searching and 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.
5. 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?
The first myth which is shown here is of Rhea and Demeter. First Mrs. Ramsay is compared with Rhea. Rhea is Greek goddess, and her husband is killing all her child but he 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 mind for his father, she behaves front of James as she is trying to save him. Secondly she is compared with Demeter. Demeter is a daughter of Rhea and goddess of corn and fertility. It is said that when she is in sorrow 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. Mrs. Ramsay is here to give everyone.
The second myth which is described is of Oedipus, who kills his father and marry his mother. The relation between James and Mrs. Ramsay and James hatred towards his father reflect the Oedipus complex in him. He always think to kill his father because he want his mother care for only him and live only with him. When Mrs. Ramsay died that place is taken by Cam but then even his feelings for his father is not changed. When Cam also have sympathy for her father James again thought that his father has stolen her. But at the end may be this hate has been vanished because Mr. Ramsay praise James for handling boat very well and Cam thought that James got at last what he always wanted.
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.
6. What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel? (Key: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325047/Kunstlerroman)
Künstlerroman is a German term which can be translated as "artist novel". Basically this term means a novel where the growth of artist is shown, mainly as a painter, musician or poet. In this type of novels the biographical elements are strong, because they describe their struggle as a writer or artist. 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 we can say that this novel is künstlrrroman novel.
7. "... 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'.
By these lines we can say that Lily is in dilemma because of patriarchy and the women who consciously or unconsciously accomplice with patriarchy. We can see in the novel that Lily is attracted towards the Bank but she is not showing her feelings in sense of marriage because she don't want to be like Mrs. Ramsay. She is not happy with Mrs. Ramsay because she is the one who supports patriarchy and also want her daughter to do the same. These lines shows that by following the order one gets death Prue died because she follows her mother's order to get marry. The reason of the Prue's death is child birth, which again is the idea of ideal or perfect woman given by Mrs. Ramsay while bringing up her daughters. In process of becoming perfect she died. This is shows Lily's dilemma, that she is seeing all these things front of her eyes but can not change the mind of women around her.
8. 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?
Both the beginning and ending of novel and movie are different. In novel we are wandering by the mind of the characters, while movie is giving introduction to all. We can see in movie we can understand but the sharp narrative is in the novel. At the end also both differs. In novel Lily put her brush in extreme fatigue but she stays with her art, that tiredness is of giving birth to something and she is enjoying her creation by staying there. While in movie she runs in to the house, which is discomforting to me. She behaves in the movie like she doesn't care about her painting and her vision, which is totally different from novel. I am agree that while making movie one has to add changes because the language of novel and camera differs but here in this case novel is more poignant than movie.
9. 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 her 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".)
The last lines of novel and movie both are different. In the novel Lily's last line is "I have had my vision" and in the movie it is "Dearest Briscoe, you are a fool". So if we take reference to understand novel's last line, from my perspective, it is the realization of Lily what she actually wants. She is fool to thinking about being like Mrs. Ramsay, she got her vision in her painting. Now she will continue with her painting and not with the thought of being like Mrs. Ramsay.
10. What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?
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 is a 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. James is cutting refrigerator, which may seen as Mrs. Ramsay is the one who is preserving James' feelings.
11. 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?
By giving place to the story like "Fisherman and His Wife" we can see that Virginia Woolf is trying to criticize here the way woman is portrayed in the story. She also wants to criticize the women who thinks these types of stereotyping real and also believe in that, that they themselves are like this only. This notion of believing her self less this is criticized here. On the other hand we can see that this particular story is subverted here. It is misogynist but the use of the story here is different. The Fisherman's wife is here connected with Mr. Ramsay and the Fisherman who is fulfilling every demand of his wife is here Mrs. Ramsay, who is also fulfilling the demands of Mr. Ramsay. So in these ways we can see the meaning of using this story is changed.
12. How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'? (Read this blog for passing reference)
The people from west have different lenses to look towards the India. In "To The Lighthouse" also there are many reference of India but all are different. At some place India to west world is like a land which is unknown to them and far away from them, so they don't have any direct connection with India. While on the other hand it is represented as a country of wealth and jewels. The jewels of India is own by western people with proud of possessing it. At some place it also becomes the land of desire, great romance, adventure and happiness. Mostly when west is attracted towards India is because of the high level of spirituality in India. So when Augustus Carmichael is going to India is considered as some kind of achievement. It also shows the patriarchy in India as it also refers that it is ruled by men folk. So these are the different ways in which India is represented in "To The Lighthouse".
Thank you.
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