To the lighthouse

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?

ANS:-  In this novel by Virginia Woolf, explain problems with the mind of consciousness. This idea connects with many characters with their mind, thought, and what they think about Ramsey. The Central is Mrs. Ramsey in the novel, and the behavior of Mr. Ramsey was important, because in one scene of dinner time, Mr. Ramsey insulted Mrs. Ramsey for food. Now the thing is that Mrs. Ramsey attracted by good talk of food, because Mrs. Ramsey loved cooking food. But this insulting struggle by Ramsey was described by Woolf.

2. Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"?

 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. )

ANS:- Yes, the novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsey. The one side she was central in the novel also in home attraction, but other way she was described as a ideal Indian woman. That have no dreams, only do work of home and talk nothing. 
One think that Lily do is in her painting that the Central of the painting is Mrs. Ramsey and james. Like ideal woman that work as house wife all time. And Lily at other side that she wants to live her dreams and hobbie of painting that describe woman can do anything, but here we find choose of life one side Lily choose painting and other side Mrs. Ramsey choose house wife work.

3. Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator (Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)?

Ans:-  With the starting to end we find that lighthouse was stand as symbol of Mrs. Ramsey because in her house she was Central in home, and in compared with other characters. And the thing that James said I want to go that lighthouse that was dream to go their. 
Secondly, we know that Lily prove with her painting that, she was not as Mrs. Ramsey but as Woolf. But one thing that remarkable is her last painting at the end that she dream house but she feels something missing in her painting that was Central part and that was Mrs. Ramsey and James at last she paint Mrs. Ramsey as housewife with their work and problems. 

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:- 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's mind for his father, she behaves in 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 then 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 relationship 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.

5. What do you understand by the German term 'Künstlerroman'? How can you justify that 'To The Lighthouse' is 'Künstlerroman' novel?

Ans:- 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.

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:- This above lines remarks that….Being mother is celebrated as a wonderful in tradition but in this above discourse there is neither beautiful nor celebrated to being a mother., There is a full of agony and pain. At last mothering is a very bad idea. Prue is the example of that.

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.

7. 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 movie Mrs. Ramsay said to Lily Briscoe that….

“Dearest, Briscoe you are a fool”

Whereas In the Novel Lily Briscoe said that…

“ I have had my vision”

 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.

8. How do you interpret the last line of the novel (It was done; it was finished.

Ans:- 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".)

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

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

ans:-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.

10. 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:- 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.

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

ANS:- 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".