Question : Essay-type
Discuss the theme of Virginia Woolf’s novel, “To the Lighthouse”.
Introduction
Virginia Woolf’s most celebrated novel ‘To the Lighthouse’ is one of the greatest novels written on the ‘stream of consciousness’ technique. It is Woolf’s one of the greatest novels. According to William Troy, “To the Lighthouse is probably her finest performance in every respect.”
The Theme of The Novel
Human Relationship
‘To the Lighthouse’ by Virginia Woolf is a study of human relationship. The relationship between husband and wife, mother and children, lover and beloved, and man and universe have been amply discussed. According to her, human beings remain isolated. There is a communication gap between them. Words are not sufficient to fill up this gap. Language is inadequate. For satisfactory human relationships love, sympathy, understanding, harmony, emotional unity, communication, purposiveness and activity are needed tremendously. ‘Role of Expression’ is very important in human relationship.
Mrs Ramsay is the central figure of the novel. Although she dies in the second part of the novel, yet her memory survives and with her memory survives her impart upon the story and her influence upon the characters. Mrs Ramsay is always in sympathy with her children. She wins the sympathy of her children by telling a lie. She plays a very significant role in getting Paul and Minta, Lily and Bankes married. She helps the poor by her philanthropy. She wins people by Love. She sympathizes with her husband. She has the capacity to establish satisfactory human relationships. This makes her a good mother, a good wife, a good hostess and a good woman.
Contrast Between Two Kinds Of Truth
In addition to the human relationship there is one more important point in the theme of the novel. It is a contrast between two kinds of truth. The factual, intellectual truth of Mr. Ramsay is sharply in contrast with the emotional truth of Mrs. Ramsay. Mr. Ramsay is a professor of philosophy. His truth is based on logical and scientific approach. Mrs. Ramsay’s truth is intuitive. She is a woman with a vast store of sympathies and loves. In the first part of the novel the visit to the lighthouse could not materialize. Mrs. Ramsay’s sympathies, assurances and Mr. Ramsay’s reasonings remained in contrast with each other. Lily could not complete her painting. The novel ends with the competition of the painting of Lily.
Conclusion
We may say that in this novel harmony has been achieved, reality has been realized, enlightenment has been obtained, illumination has been observed. Virginia Woolf has succeeded in achieving the desired goal through her artistic excellence.
Virginia Woolf’s style is essentially poetic. Her novels are lyrical, because they convey to us poetic experiences of death and life, pain and pleasure. The whole structure of her novels is based on experience not on dramatic episodes. She was truly a great artist. She worked hard to gain perfection in her art. ‘To the Lighthouse’ is the best specimen of her fictional art.
Related Question
Discuss the ‘stream of consciousness’ technique as used by Virginia Woolf in ‘To the Lighthouse’.
