To the Lighthouse - Thinking Activity Worksheet

Hello Readers !

Here is the thinking activity worksheet with the answers

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?

(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.)

Ans: 

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. )

Ans: This is the 18th century thinking. Today, all the new thinking and perspectives about gender roles and identity are welcomed in modern world. 

3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? (Key: Take help from the presentation on Symbolism to connect Mrs. Caroline Ramsay with Lighthouse. Secondly, the narrator / author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse. Read 'lighthouse' symbol from presentation slide with this insight to connect lighthouse with the narrator. Give your concluding remarks in the comment below in this blog)

Ans: 

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. . . )

Ans: 

5. 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)

Ans: 

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'.

Ans:

7. Movie Screening: Worksheet
Ans: Visited.

8. You have compared the 'beginning' and the 'ending' of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg (you can see it again in the embedded video below this). 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?

Ans: Well, it is accepted that a picture is worth than thousand words. But in this particular novel, Virginia Woolf creates a picture which is sharper than of the film. Though some frames of the film stand best. It is advisable to always read the original book before watching it's audio visual adaptation. Colin Gregg, however, has captured many interesting frames which exactly reminds readers of the novel. For instance, James biting nails while sharply gazing at his father, signifies the hatred towards his father, Mr. Ramsay.

    On the other hand, Virginia Woolf has given the strong and in-depth nuance of the major characters. With the technique of stream of consciousness, she creates a milieu of the Ramsay family in the reader's mind. Woolf has spectacularly captured the thought process of Mrs. Ramsay, James, Mr. Ramsay, Lily Briscoe. While reading the stream of consciousness of the characters, it seems like a reader is watching a moving picture while reading the book. This captivity itself is a successful thing for an author. The novel is poignant than the film. We have ample examples from the text itself.

    James, is more closer to her mother. while thinking about his father Mr. Ramsay, He thinks about his mother Mrs. Ramsay, "who was ten thousand times better in every way than he was (James thought),..." (Woolf, 4). On the contrary, James, had so much hatred for his father that, "Had there been an axe handy, a poker, or any weapon that would have gashed a hole in his father’s breast and killed him, there and then, James would have seized it." (Woolf, 4).

"Such were the extremes of emotion that Mr. Ramsay excited in his children’s breasts by his mere presence..." (Woolf, 4).

These are few examples which best explain that the book is more poignant than a film. Though, Colin Gregg's attempt to make an adaptation is also worth noting.

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 his 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".)

Ans:

10. What does the catalogue named as 'Army and Navy' signify? What does cutting of 'Refrigerator' signify?

Ans: War and consumerism. This connotation of consumerism with association of war is significant. Because it was the time where, purchasing goods and utensils from Army Navy store was thought as some sort of significant thing. People used to take sense of pride in purchasing things from such stores. Army and Navy stores basically keep the best quality goods at reasonable, bargain price for soldiers.

    In terms of marketing also we can see that James is cutting a picture of refrigerator from the Army Navy catalogue. We can draw a parallel between war and modernity also. Refrigerator's basic function is to preserve the food for long time. It stops the process of decomposing. It is also a sign of social change as it is a modern device with new technology. Refrigerator conveys the idea of preservation of natural thing. This way it signifies the human mindset of preserving and freezing the things, which is obviously against the natural order. Decomposition of a fruit, or a milk is bad only in the eyes of human being, otherwise it is only a part of natural process. It is a stage of an edible thing, just the way we have childhood, youth and geezerhood in human life. Similarly, spring, autumn, winter, monsoon are just a condition of nature, but it is human who categorize the seasons as good or bad.

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?

Ans: Mrs. Ramsay reads a story of the "Fisherman's Wife" to children. The original theme of the story is materialistic greed of a fisherman's wife. The story, connotes a false belief about the greedy nature of women, and has a misogynistic tone. But here, Virginia Woolf subverts the reference and uses the story as a sharp voice of women in front of patriarch society. Woolf, perhaps, wanted to show the openness of speech that fisherman's wife is having and demanding various things from her husband, and also wanted to be a rebel in the time of Victorian mindset where women's voice was almost silent or not heard. 

12. How is India represented in 'To The Lighthouse'? (Read this blog for passing reference)

Ans: India is referred six times in the novel. 

13. Write summaries of these articles:

Mythic Pattern in To the Lighthouse

Journal: PMLA

Author: Joseph Blotner

Fluidity vs. Masculinity: Lily's Dilemma in Woolf's To the Lighthouse

Journal: Journal of Modern Literature

Author: Andre Viola

Vision in To the Lighthouse by Glenn Pedersen

Journal: PMLA

Author: Glenn Pedersen

Thank You!

References:

Woolf, Viginia. To The Lighthouse. Ebooks@Adelaide, 2004, p. 4, PDF. Accessed 23 Oct 2020.

Blotner, Joseph L. “Mythic Patterns in to the Lighthouse.” PMLA, vol. 71, no. 4, 1956, pp. 547–562. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/460631. Accessed 16 Oct. 2020.

Viola, André. “Fluidity versus Muscularity: Lily's Dilemma in Woolf's ‘To the Lighthouse.’” Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 24, no. 2, 2000, pp. 271–289. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3831911. Accessed 16 Oct. 2020.

Pedersen, Glenn. “Vision in to the Lighthouse.” PMLA, vol. 73, no. 5, 1958, pp. 585–600. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/460303. Accessed 16 Oct. 2020.

To the Lighthouse - Film Adaptation of the Novel

Hello Readers!

To the Lighthouse, a novel by Virginia Woolf, has enormously innate and insightful stream of consciousness. It is evidently found, many a times, in the forms of literary texts and its film adaptations that texts explain better than the frames. In light of the current audience of 21st century, majority would go to films, than to read texts. But, artistic liberty or creative liberty takes place in films, sometimes for attracting the larger audience or sometimes to do experiments with frames. This blog also covers a film adaptation of much celebrated novel To the Lighthouse.

In order to understand the film frames, one may need to be familiar with the original text also. For better understanding here are some links to have quick view.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Lighthouse

https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803104833278

Film: To the Lighthouse

Director: Colin Gregg

Released: 1983

Frames from the film

The first two opening frames begin with a fade in... Camera focuses on the objects like doll and toys. Which is the center of children's attraction. Frame is also indicating the upcoming narration which is going to be child-centric. 

The third frame, that directly introduces us to a sleeping girl, affirms the viewers' former prediction about the story of film.

This is the fourth frame which is an entry of James, a character whose wish is to visit the lighthouse. The night scene captures the longingness and waiting for something. When a character is awake in the late night, it is assumed that he/she is thinking something significant, or worrying something, planning something, wishing something. Here James looks at the lighthouse through the window. His wish is going to be a driving force for the film.

There are some novels also written specially for the film adaptation which carries the screenplay and narration both. But here in this film, director has taken the liberty to put this core idea of the novel at the very initial frames to give better viewing experience to the audience.

The white dot in the fifth frame is actually the far stated lighthouse at which James is looking. The narration of camera and narration of books are quite different. We see the lighthouse through the eyes of James.

Those who have read the novel may quickly get the idea about the summer house. This big house having a design of around early 20th century, conveys the wealth and prosperity of the people included in the story.

Mr. Ramsay who is interested in philosophical talks at dining table. He is talking about a metaphysical essay "Appearance and Reality" by F H Bradley.

James biting his thumb nails, is a sign of frustration and anger towards his father. In the novel we find a long description of James' hate towards his father that even he could find and axe or any weapon, he would have directly stabbed it to his father's chest. And here this expression is framed with grinning face of James.

A girl is looking at James and Mrs. Ramsay from the bushes. The gaze of child in this way is always with the motive of comparison. Parents can't be biased with the love and acceptance they give to their children. But here Mrs. Ramsay seems to be more close to James.

For a wealthy family, playing cricket was the favorite pastime activity. Here Ramsay family plays cricket while they are on the vacation stay at the summer house.

Lily Briscoe is a character who finds her own voice through her painting. She paints a landscape and then tries to paint Mrs. Ramsay also. She is thinking about life. Her dialogues are: "Sea, teams with eternal life, yet threatens with oblivion."

Lily further thinks about James, that he is like a kite and the string is in the hands of Mrs. Ramsay. This frame also captures the textual reference of this line. James is coming down to the hill like a kite.

Charles Tansley wants his scholarly dissertation to be checked by Mr. Ramsay and he finds some opportunity to talk about this. But Mr. Ramsay seems a bit loose in checking the chapters.

1:08:11

Lily Briscoe paints Mrs. Ramsay. As the novel says, Mrs. Ramsay wants herself to be remembered for long time. In addition, Lily also wants to pursue her painting. As it was a quite rebellious act in the early 20th century. It was a time of end of Victorian era. Still the Victorian thoughts were quite prevalent.

1:12:55

In this frame, James is upset by the striking order of his father. Mr. Ramsay harshly said, "There will be no trip to the lighthouse tomorrow." Mrs. Ramsay consoles James.

1:34:50

Mr. Ramsay at a dinner table. When Augustus Carmichael talks about a poem he had written at 17 years and tries to remember the magazine in which the poem was published. Here, Mr. Ramsay speaks a significant dialogue. That, "What we produce in the flush of our youth, is often the best we ever produce, then we sing our melody. From then on its elaborate harmonies and orchestration, but the melody is already sung."

1:48:18

The boat is now sailed off to the lighthouse. James wish is now fulfilled.

1:51:30

Lily completes her painting of Mr. Ramsay. She pursued her passion and fulfilled it.

In the blog of Dilip Barad sir, some questions were also asked with reference to this novel.

1) Reference to Shakespeare

Mrs. Ramsay reads Shakespeare's sonnets.

2) Reference to India

There is also a passing reference of India in the novel. Here are the quotes from the original text where India is mentioned.

(1) "...for reasons she could not explain, for their chivalry and valour, for the fact that they negotiated treaties, ruled India, controlled finance; finally for an attitude towards herself which no woman could fail to feel or to find agreeable... to the marrow of her bones!"

This was the reference found in the first part The Window. Mrs. Ramsay's approach towards the hospitality and his affection with men's care taking. The reasons are vaguely discussed why Mrs. Ramsay is much leaned on the nature of hospitality.

(2) "... Bank of England, and the Indian Empire, of ringed fingers and lace, though to them all there was something in this of the essence of beauty, which called out the manliness in their girlish hearts, and made them, ...  been invited to stay with them—in the Isle of Skye."

India is described, in this paragraph, as prosperous and a good place to live. India has empathy and love with romance and adventure.

"(3) Holding her black parasol very erect, and moving with an indescribable air of expectation, as if she were going to meet some one round the corner, she told the story; an affair at Oxford with some girl; an early marriage; poverty; going to India; translating a little poetry “very beautifully, I believe,” being willing to teach the boys Persian or Hindustanee, but what really was the use of that?—and then lying, as they saw him, on the lawn."

This excerpt is from the first part. August Carmichael thinks about India and its a kind of achievement to him to visit India.

(4) "But which was it to be? They had all the trays of her jewel-case open. The gold necklace, which was Italian, or the opal necklace, which Uncle James had brought her from India; or should she wear her amethysts?"

This is a reference where Rose wants to choose which necklace to wear. Mrs. Ramsay also helps her out. A necklace from India is a sign of some worthy possession of a valuable things which is famous even outside India.

(5) "The autumn trees, ravaged as they are, take on the flash of tattered flags kindling in the gloom of cool cathedral caves where gold letters on marble pages describe death in battle and how bones bleach and burn far away in Indian sands."

Here, India is taken as an unknown yet good place to visit.

(6) "Her horizon seemed to her limitless. There were all the places she had not seen; the Indian plains; she felt herself pushing aside the thick leather curtain of a church in Rome."

Again here, India is described as a breathtaking land. A desirable place to travel.

3) Reference to Philosophy

* Philosophical points are discussed by Mr. Ramsay. He, at the dinner table, talks about F. H. Bradley's essay, Appearance and Reality.

* One more reference of philosophy is, when Mrs. Ramsay thinks about her husband Mr. Ramsay and his work. She thinks about a philosophical trajectory, that a persons thinking can be patterned from A to Z. But in Mr. Ramsay's case, he is unable to move beyond Q. He is stuck somewhere at Q. In short, Mrs. Ramsay thinks that her husband isn't making a mark in his philosophical field. She is also afraid that someone would become more successful than Mr. Ramsay, as if this was any race of thinking.

We get some quotes from original text about this as following.

"It was a splendid mind. For if thought is like the keyboard of a piano, divided into so many notes, or like the alphabet is ranged in twenty-six letters all in order, then his splendid mind had one by one, firmly and accurately, until it had reached, say, the letter Q. He reached Q. Very few people in the whole of England ever reach Q."

"He had not genius; he laid no claim to that: but he had, or might have had, the power to repeat every letter of the alphabet from A to Z accurately in order. Meanwhile, he stuck at Q. On, then, on to R."

References

Barad, Dilip. India in Virginia Woolf's Lighthouse. blog.dilipbarad.com/2015/09/india-in-virginia-woolfs-lighthouse.html

Barad, Dilip. Worksheet: Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse. blog.dilipbarad.com/2014/09/worksheet-virginia-woolfs-to-lighthouse.html

Thank You!