Virginia Woolf always liked the idea of leaving room for oneself in terms of a lifestyle and it is a theme running throughout much of her writing, calling for a reflection of what people think is the truth. From the perspective of society, this subjective reflection on objective experience allows for the possibility of greater social change in the face of normalized adversity and opposition. With respect to one of Woolf’s most famous books, To the Lighthouse, the lighthouse itself acts as the force behind a social reassessment of men and women’s everyday occurrences. Lily Briscoe’s liberal understanding of what it means to be feminine shows that the “lighthouse” is neither the peak of a journey nor the purpose of a distressing tension but rather
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Even though the lighthouse is thought to be a phallic symbol and has masculine influence, I think that it is a symbol of femininity. Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe are both, though in different ways, similar to the meaning and description of an actual lighthouse. As the emotional safe haven for her family, Mrs. Ramsay accomplishes her societal obligations by “burning bright” with understanding and empathy and “beckoning” people home to emotional security and stability. Lily, on the other hand, “brightens” and “dims” her “light” which can be analyzed as the unrestrained approval of societal gender expectations, in an attempt to dodge the social criticism which would make her seem less feminine when compared to an the perfect model of femininity which is Mrs. …show more content…
For instance, how will women ever reach the lighthouse when they cannot even leave the shore? In order to answer this question, it is important to analyze the lighthouse as an identity and symbol of femininity as opposed to a literal landmark. The lights of a non-metaphoric lighthouse are meant to bring people and boats to safety. Similarly, the female emotions are expected to act as safe havens for those experiencing confusion or suffering. Although Mrs. Ramsay is usually seen as a “shadow to the light of patriarchy,” she also acts as a “potential source of counter-illumination,” which help in the progression of a more equally gendered analysis of what the lighthouse truly stands
Even though the lighthouse is thought to be a phallic symbol and has masculine influence, I think that it is a symbol of femininity. Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe are both, though in different ways, similar to the meaning and description of an actual lighthouse. As the emotional safe haven for her family, Mrs. Ramsay accomplishes her societal obligations by “burning bright” with understanding and empathy and “beckoning” people home to emotional security and stability. Lily, on the other hand, “brightens” and “dims” her “light” which can be analyzed as the unrestrained approval of societal gender expectations, in an attempt to dodge the social criticism which would make her seem less feminine when compared to an the perfect model of femininity which is Mrs. …show more content…
For instance, how will women ever reach the lighthouse when they cannot even leave the shore? In order to answer this question, it is important to analyze the lighthouse as an identity and symbol of femininity as opposed to a literal landmark. The lights of a non-metaphoric lighthouse are meant to bring people and boats to safety. Similarly, the female emotions are expected to act as safe havens for those experiencing confusion or suffering. Although Mrs. Ramsay is usually seen as a “shadow to the light of patriarchy,” she also acts as a “potential source of counter-illumination,” which help in the progression of a more equally gendered analysis of what the lighthouse truly stands