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.
Showing posts with label Time as a Symbol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Time as a Symbol. Show all posts
Monday, December 6, 2010
Lily Versus Mrs. Ramsay on a Hierarchical Level
Doyle, Laura. "These Emotions of the Body: Intercorporeal Narrative in To the Lighthouse." Twentieth Centure Literature Spring (1994): 42-71. Print.
Doyle expresses her view that the narration in the novel shows many different perspectives of time and of reality. By discussing the three-dimensionality of the world in which the readers live, she shows how this view can make the aspect of time in the novel more understandable. Using many different examples from the novel where the narration illustrates a gap of time, such as how Doyle uses when Lily is reflecting on her picture in the final part of book to show that Lily’s thoughts are complex and appeal to both the temporal and spatial dimensions of the present. To support her view that the narration displays reasoning’s of reality, she uses an example of how Mrs. Ramsay seems to be a mirror for the other characters. “The vision of the world as absolute other, rather than as our connection to each other, makes it a mirror that can only throw us back on ourselves.” (62) Doyle fully expresses that she feels that the narration in To the Lighthouse is complex and has many different insights into the world and the views of the time, such as how Lily is not the female that Mrs. Ramsay is within the patriarchal society. She offers a lot of support in her view and proves her argument to be plausible.
Throughout her article, Doyle shows Lily’s significance in the narrative of the novel; however she does not directly explain how Woolf’s writing style changes while Lily’s consciousness is being written. Doyle tells of how Lily’s epiphanym when she is completing her painting in the final part of the novel, is representative of what Woolf practiced throughout the novel. “The narrator/painter must discover herself as both inhabiter of objects and inhabitant – beside those objects – of an intercorporeal world.” (64) This specific example shows how Lily’s painting is a significant object in the novel because it is key in understand the narration style of Woolf. Doyle shows that it is not necessarily that Lily’s consciousness is narrated differently than the other characters in the novel, but that, in her thoughts, Lily is able to show the artistic aspect of the novel. According to Doyle, having Lily painting creates a connection between Woolf and Lily that shows how Woolf feels about the artistic realm. In her painting, Lily is able to broaden the spectrum of making art a physical sensation, which is seemingly what Woolf is trying to do in her novel.
Doyle expresses her view that the narration in the novel shows many different perspectives of time and of reality. By discussing the three-dimensionality of the world in which the readers live, she shows how this view can make the aspect of time in the novel more understandable. Using many different examples from the novel where the narration illustrates a gap of time, such as how Doyle uses when Lily is reflecting on her picture in the final part of book to show that Lily’s thoughts are complex and appeal to both the temporal and spatial dimensions of the present. To support her view that the narration displays reasoning’s of reality, she uses an example of how Mrs. Ramsay seems to be a mirror for the other characters. “The vision of the world as absolute other, rather than as our connection to each other, makes it a mirror that can only throw us back on ourselves.” (62) Doyle fully expresses that she feels that the narration in To the Lighthouse is complex and has many different insights into the world and the views of the time, such as how Lily is not the female that Mrs. Ramsay is within the patriarchal society. She offers a lot of support in her view and proves her argument to be plausible.
Throughout her article, Doyle shows Lily’s significance in the narrative of the novel; however she does not directly explain how Woolf’s writing style changes while Lily’s consciousness is being written. Doyle tells of how Lily’s epiphanym when she is completing her painting in the final part of the novel, is representative of what Woolf practiced throughout the novel. “The narrator/painter must discover herself as both inhabiter of objects and inhabitant – beside those objects – of an intercorporeal world.” (64) This specific example shows how Lily’s painting is a significant object in the novel because it is key in understand the narration style of Woolf. Doyle shows that it is not necessarily that Lily’s consciousness is narrated differently than the other characters in the novel, but that, in her thoughts, Lily is able to show the artistic aspect of the novel. According to Doyle, having Lily painting creates a connection between Woolf and Lily that shows how Woolf feels about the artistic realm. In her painting, Lily is able to broaden the spectrum of making art a physical sensation, which is seemingly what Woolf is trying to do in her novel.
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