Assignment:9 Stereotypical Women Characters in 'To the Lighthouse'
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Paper No: 9
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Name: Rudrika Gohel
Course: M.A. English
Sem: 3
Batch: 2017-2019
Roll No: 32
Enrollment No: 2069108420180015
Enrollment No: 2069108420180015
Submitted to: Smt.S.B.Gardi Department of English MKBU
Email Id: rudrikagohel97@gmail.com
Paper No: 9
Topic: Stereotypical women characters in 'To the Lighthouse'
⏩'To the Lighthouse'
Novel written by Virginia Woolf. However it famous for the concept of stream of consciousness. It has three parts, The Window, Time passes, The Lighthouse. The narrator is annonymus. The story connected with stream of thoughts and actions. The main concern is to the lighthouse, going or not. To the lighthouse is a modern fiction, it has nothingness, anxiety, strange and difficult.
The chrarachar are very rational, has scientific thinking. The novel deals with clock time vs. psychic time, all the events tack place in characters mind.
Mostly the entire action built around the stereotypical characters like Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay, Lily Brisco. And the woman characters are portrayed in in a significant way. We can find the autobiographical elements, through the portrayal of characters.
⏩Stereotypical women characters:-
Most probably Woolf has a interested in breaks the way of Victorians. She had complexity of mentally diseases. Because she faced the regulation of victorian society, she wanted to prove her self through her talent of writing. But the more painful is there is no one, because her father died who ignored her constantly. And she suffered from mentally troma. Madness in women is connected with patriarchy. Society's ignorance raises the question on existance, creates unsteady existence. And the person becomes more intellectual, which we find in the character of Lily Brisco. Mr. Ramsay's character focuses on the 'Ideal women', know for best cook, wonderful hostess. Mr. Ramsay becomes a soul of the novel.
In the novel we can find two women hood, Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Brisco, and multilateral feeling of them.
➤Mr. Ramsay..
Life itself is an art for her
She very strongly affirming the traditional gender roles. She helps to bring the world out of chaos and darkness with her positive nature and by being the source of light for the other characters. Most of the narration moved around her character. She preferred idealism which we find in a woman. Because she thought that, spreading love is better than telling truth, because she wanted to be an immortal through her art of cooking. We can say she was a chain between children and father.
#Symbol of the female principles..
The character of Mrs. Ramsay becomes stereotypical women because, her character suggests the idea of ideal Indian women,
Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni.
Mrs. Ramsay presented as a 'perfect woman', who does everything to make people happy. Lighthouse as the symbol of giving light to whom, who losts their path, as Mrs. Ramsay's character was connected to lighthouse. She also take care of everyone who has not even time to appreciate her work. As it is the lighthouse is not remarks by everyone. Part of Mrs. Ramsay's benign positive nature, is her ability as a peacemaker because it is her desire that everyone is happy. When Lily took Mrs. Ramsay's advice it showed how the other characters respected and admired her.
In the very first few chapters we find her busy in knitting stocking for the sick son of the Lighthouse-keeper. We find her going to the town to help the poor and the needy. As women she can not in favour of then, because she tells the story of 'fisherman and his wife', which indicates that women is a fool, we have never listen to them. Fisherman who listens his wife and get worse so, Mrs. Ramsay tells to her children, it means that she shaped her children through this kind of story.
Mrs. Ramsay needs psychological support, she was dependent on Mr. Ramsay. She constantly pampers the ego of him. Because she was a ideal women. Mr. Ramsay doesn't allowed to take decision of outside, it suggested that, he believed in patriarchy. That was the main concern of Virginia, that she wanted to breaks the rules of patriarchal society. Mr. Ramsay represents the patriarchal power. We can not properly said that Mrs. Ramsay has all charm of novel, and she thinks that I'm a main soul of the house, I'm in the centre and everything is dependent on me, but Lily realised to her that she was not a main source, but a fool. Because if she died no one cared. According to Lily she is a servant of the house, who always does everything for the housemates.
Mrs. Ramsay represents the symbol of refrigerator, the preserver of something, as it is she was also a preserver of nature. She doesn't allowed herself to grow, and constantly looking backwards. And she trained her children with the different approaches. She shaped their minds, to her daughter, she wanted that women around her and sustain men, and her daughters also be like her to pampers the patriarchal beliefs. She also believes that marry a man is a best thing.
Through the character of Mrs. Ramsay Woolf represents the one stereotype of a woman. Who was a ideal, homemaker, constantly thinking with the flow of time. Mrs. Ramsay thought that I have knowledge of the relationships, and in many contexts. But, we only get the perception, our complete knowledge is in incomplete.
➤Lily Brisco...
Lily Brisco has different mindset from other women. We can say it is a fictional character but she has her own rules, her passion is painting, she doesn't want to be a ideal woman or homemaker. She wants to do something different. Her character is very much different from traditional victorian idea. Woolf represents her thoughts through the character of Lily as painter. Woolf also a writer and a painter, so Victorian society doesn't allowed the woman to be a writer and painter. In the novel Charles Tensley represents the victorian idea that, women can't write, can't paint. Lily trys to resist that idea, there is clash between them. Many men believed that women could not write or create art. She is very insecure and fearful of the opinions of others about her painting. Her insecurities about her painting are a reflection of her insecurities about herself.
#Single and Independent..
She wouldn't never wants to marry, no one could take her painting seriously. She wants be an independent, and likes to be herself. Her perception of of the world is very different. She made no attempts at her likeness. She doesn't wants to be like Mrs Ramsay and only devot her entire life to her craft. Our some thoughts are very different from other but everyone has their own imageries, we can resist anyone to be like someone. Lily herself feels “her own inadequacy, her insignificance”. Lily Briscoe is by no means the main character in To The Lighthouse, but she has more moments of vision than any other figure in this novel.
#Comparison of Mrs Ramsay and Lily..
In Mrs Ramsay we find a woman from former times who tries to maintain the old traditions and values. Lily, on the other side, is a so called “New woman”. Both have different view points. Mrs Ramsay is very purticular type of a lady, who has one motto, that she wants to happy everyone with her art. For Mrs Ramsay family is the most important and she thinks that without a family one cannot be happy and must feel alone. Where as Lily, who has different vision, she wamwa to something from her life. With those two women, Virginia Woofl chose two characters who present very well the old and the new times.
➤Conclusion..
Virginia Woolf very precisely draws the image of the character, everyone has own significance. Lily and Mrs. Ramsay, two different mindsets and their stereotypical point of views. So, both the characters leading the novel with the different points one which is victorian and modern.
⏩Stereotypical women characters:-
Most probably Woolf has a interested in breaks the way of Victorians. She had complexity of mentally diseases. Because she faced the regulation of victorian society, she wanted to prove her self through her talent of writing. But the more painful is there is no one, because her father died who ignored her constantly. And she suffered from mentally troma. Madness in women is connected with patriarchy. Society's ignorance raises the question on existance, creates unsteady existence. And the person becomes more intellectual, which we find in the character of Lily Brisco. Mr. Ramsay's character focuses on the 'Ideal women', know for best cook, wonderful hostess. Mr. Ramsay becomes a soul of the novel.
In the novel we can find two women hood, Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Brisco, and multilateral feeling of them.
➤Mr. Ramsay..
Life itself is an art for her
She very strongly affirming the traditional gender roles. She helps to bring the world out of chaos and darkness with her positive nature and by being the source of light for the other characters. Most of the narration moved around her character. She preferred idealism which we find in a woman. Because she thought that, spreading love is better than telling truth, because she wanted to be an immortal through her art of cooking. We can say she was a chain between children and father.
#Symbol of the female principles..
The character of Mrs. Ramsay becomes stereotypical women because, her character suggests the idea of ideal Indian women,
Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yukta, Kuladharma pathni.
Mrs. Ramsay presented as a 'perfect woman', who does everything to make people happy. Lighthouse as the symbol of giving light to whom, who losts their path, as Mrs. Ramsay's character was connected to lighthouse. She also take care of everyone who has not even time to appreciate her work. As it is the lighthouse is not remarks by everyone. Part of Mrs. Ramsay's benign positive nature, is her ability as a peacemaker because it is her desire that everyone is happy. When Lily took Mrs. Ramsay's advice it showed how the other characters respected and admired her.
In the very first few chapters we find her busy in knitting stocking for the sick son of the Lighthouse-keeper. We find her going to the town to help the poor and the needy. As women she can not in favour of then, because she tells the story of 'fisherman and his wife', which indicates that women is a fool, we have never listen to them. Fisherman who listens his wife and get worse so, Mrs. Ramsay tells to her children, it means that she shaped her children through this kind of story.
Mrs. Ramsay needs psychological support, she was dependent on Mr. Ramsay. She constantly pampers the ego of him. Because she was a ideal women. Mr. Ramsay doesn't allowed to take decision of outside, it suggested that, he believed in patriarchy. That was the main concern of Virginia, that she wanted to breaks the rules of patriarchal society. Mr. Ramsay represents the patriarchal power. We can not properly said that Mrs. Ramsay has all charm of novel, and she thinks that I'm a main soul of the house, I'm in the centre and everything is dependent on me, but Lily realised to her that she was not a main source, but a fool. Because if she died no one cared. According to Lily she is a servant of the house, who always does everything for the housemates.
Mrs. Ramsay represents the symbol of refrigerator, the preserver of something, as it is she was also a preserver of nature. She doesn't allowed herself to grow, and constantly looking backwards. And she trained her children with the different approaches. She shaped their minds, to her daughter, she wanted that women around her and sustain men, and her daughters also be like her to pampers the patriarchal beliefs. She also believes that marry a man is a best thing.
Through the character of Mrs. Ramsay Woolf represents the one stereotype of a woman. Who was a ideal, homemaker, constantly thinking with the flow of time. Mrs. Ramsay thought that I have knowledge of the relationships, and in many contexts. But, we only get the perception, our complete knowledge is in incomplete.
➤Lily Brisco...
Lily Brisco has different mindset from other women. We can say it is a fictional character but she has her own rules, her passion is painting, she doesn't want to be a ideal woman or homemaker. She wants to do something different. Her character is very much different from traditional victorian idea. Woolf represents her thoughts through the character of Lily as painter. Woolf also a writer and a painter, so Victorian society doesn't allowed the woman to be a writer and painter. In the novel Charles Tensley represents the victorian idea that, women can't write, can't paint. Lily trys to resist that idea, there is clash between them. Many men believed that women could not write or create art. She is very insecure and fearful of the opinions of others about her painting. Her insecurities about her painting are a reflection of her insecurities about herself.
#Single and Independent..
She wouldn't never wants to marry, no one could take her painting seriously. She wants be an independent, and likes to be herself. Her perception of of the world is very different. She made no attempts at her likeness. She doesn't wants to be like Mrs Ramsay and only devot her entire life to her craft. Our some thoughts are very different from other but everyone has their own imageries, we can resist anyone to be like someone. Lily herself feels “her own inadequacy, her insignificance”. Lily Briscoe is by no means the main character in To The Lighthouse, but she has more moments of vision than any other figure in this novel.
#Comparison of Mrs Ramsay and Lily..
In Mrs Ramsay we find a woman from former times who tries to maintain the old traditions and values. Lily, on the other side, is a so called “New woman”. Both have different view points. Mrs Ramsay is very purticular type of a lady, who has one motto, that she wants to happy everyone with her art. For Mrs Ramsay family is the most important and she thinks that without a family one cannot be happy and must feel alone. Where as Lily, who has different vision, she wamwa to something from her life. With those two women, Virginia Woofl chose two characters who present very well the old and the new times.
➤Conclusion..
Virginia Woolf very precisely draws the image of the character, everyone has own significance. Lily and Mrs. Ramsay, two different mindsets and their stereotypical point of views. So, both the characters leading the novel with the different points one which is victorian and modern.
Work cited:-
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Virginia-Woolf
Hello dear Rudrika ,
ReplyDeleteHere i also wants to say something after learning about this awesome work ....
You work well
Good observations and personal views are also well discribed ....
If I choose than I prepare to be like lily a free life .. dienst wants to live in some kind of power who rule over me .... She is right but also on the other side mrs . Ramasy.. is also apt for her family love ,care but she can make discussions there is no different in both male and female ... But that was Victorian stereotype so it's characteristic of the age and she represents the ideas of Victorian ... But as Woolf depicts in the characters of lily by putting qualities and charatersisfics of her it's shows modern mindset and one have to be like that ....
In the moder era ... Self improvement , self confidence , proove self ....
This is what I wants to say ......
Keep writing and sharing ....
😊👍