http://alexinleeds.

com/2013/10/14/to-the-lighthouse-by-
virginia-woolf-thoughts/
oolf and "ily: an artist
and her creation
in
#o the "ighthouse
$ollie %laves
& novel 'nown for it(s poetic)
experimental) stream of consciousness
narrative) #o the "ighthouse is one of
oolf(s most famous and praised pieces of
wor'. %rowing up in the transition from the
*ictorian to the modern
world) at a time when art
was being integrated into
society) she became part
of the +loomsbury %roup)
'nown for their intellectual
and influential ideas) and
here oolf created some
original and modernist
wor's) gaining her a
reputation and categorisation with ,ames
,oyce and -. $. "awrence.
(#o the "ighthouse.is a wor' of
art about art)/ a novel on painterly
creation) in which oolf uses her
words as masterfully as a savant with
a brush(
01ohn cited in #ardiff) 20112. oolf chose to
create a novel as a piece of art) and in #o
the "ighthouse used "ily) an artist
struggling to express her ideas and be
accepted) to reflect this art in text. 1olours)
shapes and artistic ideas are used to show
this and achieve oolf(s painterly
techni3ue.
4n 1563) 1olin %regg) director)
undertoo' the tas' of filming a #* film
version of #o the "ighthouse for the ++1
047-b) 20142.
#he novel and art:
10 years after part one ta'es place)
part three: #he "ighthouse) the destination
from which the novel and chapter is named)
is finally reached. #his symbolises an end
and fulfilment for more than one of the
characters) but "ily +riscoe is an interesting
sub8ect. &s a painter) she holds an
intriguing insight into the art component of
writing. oolf herself believed that
.painting and writing have
much to tell each other... the novelist
after all wants to ma'e us see/
0oolf cited in #ardiff) 20112. oolf turns
her characters into shapes and colours
07rs 9amsey describes herself as a
(wedge-shaped core of dar'ness(2 and uses
colour descriptives 0the 8acmanna was
bright violet: the wall staring white2
throughout ma'ing her words visual and
poetic ; part of her painterly techni3ue. "ily
+riscoe) as an artist) is a reflection of oolf
herself.
#he ending) the completed
artwor':
4n the final chapter) where the
lighthouse is eventually reached) "ily states
audibly (he must have reached it() (he has
landed() (it is finished(. #his emphasises the
landing at the lighthouse) as throughout
parts one and three a third person 0semi2
omniscient narrative is mostly used to
express multiple character(s points of view
; the stream of consciousness. #his insight
into the character(s thoughts would have
been sufficient enough in allowing the
reader to understand that the arrival at the
lighthouse has ta'en place and "ily(s
feeling of completion) but the speech gives
a sense of announcement and importance.
#he lighthouse) oolf stresses) has
no specific symbolic meaning) but (one has
to have a central line down the middle of a
boo' to hold the design together( 0oolf
cited in 9eese) 155<) p. 1332. #he
lighthouse could be seen as a 8oin between
the mystical) spiritual world that the
lighthouse suggests) and the empirical and
rational world 09eese) 155<) p. 1332. #he
central line is also shown by parts one and
three being 8oined by a (corridor( ; part two
0oolf cited in #ardiff) 20112. #his central
line is mirrored at the end of the novel in
"ily(s finality of her post-impressionist
painting of 7rs 9amsey) which was started
in part one) as (she drew a line in there) in
the centre( 0oolf) 2000) p. 23=2.
#he first paragraph of the last
chapter tells the reader that "ily is
(completely tired out( and (had stretched her
body and mind to the utmost() which
teamed with the announcement of the
complete painting) gives the reader a sense
of spiritual enlightenment and achievement.
7r 1armichael also contributes to
http://en.wi'ipedia.org/wi
'i/>ile:*irginiaoolf.8pg
the spiritual feeling in the passage as he is
described as (loo'ing li'e an old pagan
%od) shaggy) with weeds in his hair and the
trident 0it was only a >rench novel2 in his
hand() and seemingly reads her mind)
stating (they will have landed( ; the
semantics of religion strong.
#he long sentences) lengthened by
the use of many commas) can only be read
slowly) creating a seemingly calm
atmosphere in the chapter. #his is
strengthened by (blue ha?e( and (shading
his eyes( which implies a sunny) windless
day.
#he film:
&lthough this is an important scene
in the novel in terms of plot and
symbolisation) the adaptation is hardly
similar. #he setting in the adaptation is
close to the imagined interpretation of the
novel: blue s'ies) sun) the garden. #he
characters) "ily and 7r 1armichael) are
based on very little physical description
from oolf and have no ma8or physical
traits in the novel) but are recognisable and
dressed appropriately for the period.
$owever) these are the only similarities.
#his gives the impression that the director
01olin %regg2) did not feel this scene was
due to be exactly li'e the novel.
#he painting in the novel) started ten
years previous) is almost complete in this
scene. #he painting in the film) however) is
introduced boldly) an ob8ect of importance)
being the centre of the shot and a bloc' of
colour) but starts with a blan' canvas. #his
changes the meaning as the lin' between
the present and the past 0part one2 is not
there. #he viewer will therefore not be
aware that "ily has overcome her
insecurities about her art and finally figured
out and understood who 7rs 9amsey was)
after many characters attempts to describe
and classify her. 1lose-ups of "ily(s face as
she paints are used to show the emotion on
her face.
#he adaptation did receive mixed
views. @hil $ardy said:
(%regg and Atoddart had reduced a
powerful (novel of ideas( to (a simple
celebration of the trials and
tribulations of family life before the
%reat ar((.
$owever) ,ulian +arnes
(suggested that the (shimmeringly
attentive camera-wor'( created a
(visual counterpart( to oolf(s prose(
0hitworth) 200B) p. un'nown2.
4n film) the stream of consciousness
is hard to show) and here it is omitted
entirely. #he moment of emotional change
is clear) and "ily 0Au?anne +ertish2 audibly
announces (they have arrived) it is finished()
but no inner thoughts are spo'en and the
finished piece does not contain the added
line which is described in the boo') losing
the symbolisation.
#he feeling of spiritual enlightenment
is present) as "ily softly touches her own
hands and begins to cry ; clearly overcome
by some emotion. 7r 1armichael however)
is merely sat in a dec'chair) uninvolved.
7edium close-ups switch between
"ily and the family on the boat) bringing the
two scenes together and showing the
overlapping time-frame of the two. #he
overall mise-en-scene is calm as expected
from the novel. Cltimately) the scene is not
that similar to the chapter in the novel and
much symbolisation and deeper meaning is
lost.
http://www.youtube.com/watchDvEt%f1-
oBv%4
@re8udice and feminism:
#he completion of the painting) after
ten years) is an important aspect in lin'ing
the two time passages together. +y not
showing that painting is from the time
period of part one) a deeper meaning of the
story is lost.
4n the last chapter) "ily thin's (it
would be hung in the attics) she thought: it
would be destroyed. +ut what did that
matterD(. #his is in response to chapter
nine) where she imagines 7r #ansley telling
her
(women can(t paint) women can(t
write(.
0p. B=2. #his is a view shared by both of
oolf(s parents and as a female in the
transition from the *ictorian to modern
world) she will have experienced pre8udice
07unca) 2005) p. 2=<2 and ultimately
became widely 'nown as a feminist.
4n retaliation to the dismissal of
writing as an inferior art by her sister and
her friend) the critic) 9oger >ry) oolf used
the painterly techni3ue to create a piece of
writing interlaced with the 3ualities of visual
art at the levels of content and form 0#ardiff)
20112. #his 3uote from #ansley shows the
pre8udice of the era and at the end of the
novel "ily boldly overcomes this ; a mirror
to oolf(s own life as she becomes a ma8or
part of the +loomsbury group and a prolific
writer) against the norms of society.
#his 3uote is referred to throughout
the boo' as "ily attempts to paint. #he first
mention of this 3uote) in chapter nine) is not
entirely shoc'ing as 7r #ansley has a (chip
on his shoulder( and regularly insults
women.
4n this passage) where "ily
discusses 7rs 9amsey with 7r +an'es) the
stream of consciousness is shown by the
use of long) repetitive sentences 0it was
bad) it was bad) it was infinitely bad2 and
the following of "ily(s thoughts from one
sub8ect to the next.
oolf uses a strong semantic field of
art to bring the painterly techni3ue into her
writing) using comments on the colour)
shapes and framewor' of "ily(s painting.
#he beach:
#his scene exactly does not occur in
the adaptation) but %regg clearly feels the
pre8udice and the impact on both "ily and
#ansley(s characters are important as a
scene) albeit 3uite different) ta'es place
regarding the 3uote.
#his scene) set in the garden in the
novel) is now ta'ing place on the beach)
and "ily is not painting. #ansley) seemingly
being nice) as's her (how was your
s'etching 7iss +riscoeD( then follows by
saying (there(s never been a ma8or woman
artist( to which "ily responds 3uite heatedly.
&s 7r #ansley never directly says (women
can(t paint) women can(t write( to "ily 4n the
novel) she has no reason to ever confront
him or respond. 4n the film) #ansley then
states he is certain 7r 9amsey would
agree) attempting to show his authority as a
man and as someone that is educated.
#his is a good way of showing #ansley(s
personality as in the boo'.
&lthough the setting) the characters
involved and the actual speech are rather
different to the novel) the director achieves
a good representation of the personality of
#ansley and includes an important event of
the story.
&gain) no inner thoughts are
expressed and therefore some personality)
meaning and understanding of "ily is lost
as she here does not express her
diffidence about her art or describes how
she sees and wishes to depict it) which is
done via the stream of consciousness
narration in the novel.
& lot of deeper meaning)
symbolisation and character understanding
is lost in the novel to film adaptation simply
from the lac' of internal monologues) but
overall %regg manages to create a film with
some deeper meaning) but only to readers
of the boo'.
(Fumerous literary critics... have
signaled the fact that *irginia oolf(s
personal life and her wor' were
inseparable) and part of that life was
inscribed in every novel she wrote(
07unca) 2005) p. 2==2.
"ily overcoming #ansley(s words is a
reflection of oolf(s own personality as a
feminist who overcame *ictorian pre8udice
to achieve and excel in an art. oolf(s idea
that writing is an art form is highly reflected
in her poetic) experimental writing style and
feminine sentences used create her own
piece of art.
47-b 020142. #o the "ighthouse 015632. GHnlineI.
&vailable at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt006<4B2/
0&ccessed 14/0B/142.
7unca) -. 020052. ,ournal of 4nternational
omen(s Atudies: *irginia oolf Js &nswer
to .omen 1anJt @aint)
omen 1anJt rite/ in #o the "ighthouse.
GHnlineI. &vailable at:
http://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgiD
articleE12=1KcontextE8iws. 0&ccessed
1B/0B/142.
9eese) ,. A. 0155<2. 9ecasting Aocial
*alues in the or' of *irginia oolf.
Aus3uehanna Cniversity @ress: Gs.l.I
GHnlineI. &vailable at:
http://boo's.google.co.u'/boo'sD
idEF9C6rcp#4xo1KprintsecEfrontcoverKso
urceEgbsLgeLsummaryLrKcadE0MvEonepa
geK3KfEfalse. 0&ccessed 1B/0B/142.
#ardiff) 9. 020112. &rt about &rt) &rt about "ife:
oolf) Achwitters) and the +lurred "ine between
the &rts and "ife. GHnlineI. &vailable at:
http://www.english.umd.edu/psr/2601
0&ccessed 13/0B/142.
hitworth) 7. $. 0200B2. 1hapter: 1olin
%regg(s #o the "ighthouse 015632. Hxford
Cniversity @ress: CN. GHnlineI. &vailable at:
http://boo's.google.co.u'/boo'sD
idEF9gF'3OF'C1Kv3ElighthouseKd3Et
oPthePlighthousePfilmPadaptationKsourceE
gbsLnavlin'sLs 0&ccessed 14/0B/142.
oolf) *. 020002 #o the "ighthouse.
@enguin: Qngland.