Lily's Painting as an Epic Conception

Levenson, Michael. "From the Epic To the Lighthouse." Modernism and the Fate of Individuality.. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1991. 166-179. Print.

Levenson relates relationships in the novel to relationships that were present in Woolf’s life, such as the similarity of Mr. Ramsay and Woolf’s father, Leslie Stephen. In Levenson’s writing he expresses his views that the novel as a whole is very complex and is representative of many of the relationships that Woolf had in her life. By looking at the novel with a mindset of Woolf’s influences, Levenson relates many of the thoughts in the novel to thoughts and views that her close friends has, such as Milton, Joyce, and Eliot. Levenson views Woolf’s work as being an effect of her influences, such as the similarity in the writing styles of Joyce’s Ulysses and Woolf’s To the Lighthouse. With both novels it seems that the author lost their mind and hence their writing becomes excessive and seemingly to be annoying. Also, when talking of Woolf’s writing style, Levenson refers to her as “a lyrical novelist.” Referring to her writing as lyrical, he simply means that much of her narration seems to be of musical taste, such as the elaborate descriptions that are present throughout the novel. Levenson’s view of To the Lighthouse is one of a thought provoking and enlightening enjoyment.

“The problem posed by Lily’s art, as well as the problem posed by Lily’s life, is how to exist outside an epic conception of art and self that construes both the significant life and the significant work as expanding outward, continually extending the domain of its values.” (Page 171) This quote shows how Levenson feels that Lily, in her painting and her life, shows the significance of the time aspect of the novel. Throughout the novel there is mention of different characteristics of time, and the middle section of the novel is one of the main examples of this in that the title, “Time Passes” is representative of the timelessness of eternity. Levenson expresses that the character of Lily is used by Woolf to represent time, and how the rectangular image of the window can be used as a transparency between perceiving the self and the world. When Lily is looking through the window it becomes a guide to examine facts without any illusion present. In viewing Lily as a significant character to show the different thoughts that Woolf had as she wrote the novel, it is to show that it was not that the narration necessarily took a dramatic turn when Lily’s consciousness is the focal point of narration.