Symbolism in To the Lighthouse - Essay Example

Critical Essay Summary The critical essay “The waters of Annihilation: Double Vision in To the Lighthouse”, Norman Friedman argues that the symbolism in the novel To the Lighthouse has multiple interpretations. In general, commentators have a consensus that the novel revolves around the central themes of intuition and intellection, chaos and order, and female and male. However, different commentators derive different meaning when tracing these themes (Friedman, 1995:61). Friedman argues that the multiplicity of symbolic interpretation emanates from the concept of light. The fact that light becomes visible through shadows resulting from things it does not touch, thus creating a sense of duality reflects the balance of life: the place of stillness and emptiness that light leaves in its wake, and the movement and energy it creates via a crashing wave. According to Friedman, the novel explores the theme of inspiration, order, truth, and light through the characters of Lily Briscoe and Mrs. Ramsey. The critical essay argues that each woman has different perception of light in her life: Mrs. Ramsey via the guiding, strong beam of the Lighthouse, and Briscoe through the light she seeks to capture in her paintwork. Nonetheless, the two women use light as a connection to higher spiritual rhythm and energy, which acts as a source of meaning and inspiration to their lives (1995:62). Mrs. Ramsey is the prime instance of the lighthouse personification, as she is the guiding beacon illuminating life and drawing people into her virtuous circle of safety, energy, and warmth. Essentially, Mrs. Ramsey has a certain characteristic pull that allows her to give herself to others and still sustain herself, represented in her innermost being shadow and quiet. She is able to connect to the world and herself through this inner quiet in a profound manner, enabling her to capitalize on an elemental source of radiance and energy, a “rain of energy” that live though her, reflecting her sustaining and guidance presence. According to Friedman, the fact that the author uses a group protagonist (James, Lily, and Mr. Ramsey), presents a problem of resolving what the structural continuity concerns. What Friedman is trying to highlight is the nonlinearity of the plot in the novel and the use of narrative in a stream-of-consciousness format. Friedman attributes this to the constant change in attitude of the characters, emphasizing on the sequence of moods (1995:63). Mrs. Ramsey’s ability to see the inner side of people, their potential, and their inner selves is similar to the penetrating gaze of the beam from the lighthouse. As she looks at her children, she sees great potential in them: a mathematician, a great beauty, a free soul. Mrs. Ramsey searches for brilliance and love in her husband, potential in others, and faults in her. Thus, light is a basic creative energy to all life, and to Mrs. Ramsey. Essentially, Mrs. Ramsey has a strong connection to the essential power of giving, from giving love to her husband to giving life to her children. She gives all her devotion and love to her husband, leaving herself depleted (1995:63). However, like the lighthouse, her purpose is to bestow energy and light, and similar t the illumination of the lighthouse, she giver her life and light to her children, husband, and the people around her. This interpretation conflicts with what the other characters perception. For instance, the lighthouse is a symbol of potential dreams and goals for Mr. Ramsey and James, but Mrs. Ramsey perceives it a goal in giving and nurturing (1995:69). Yet Lily perceives the balance of light and shadow as a source of order in her life. He further argues that association of the ambiguity and freedom of images and moments and the structure principle of resolution and development that conceptually organizes moments and their sequence, and images and their patterns, to form an intelligible whole, form, or plot. Friedman capitalizes on the different personality and perception of light in the novel to highlight the multiplicity of the theme of light. Lily at first is strongly against marriage, but through the guidance and advice of Mrs. Ramsey, she seems to transform from detachment to involvement. From this point of view, Friedman utilizes on the keen observation of particular moments and their sequence to draw an analysis and conclusion: a dialectic order achieved by the simultaneous difference in perspective and the nature of reality (1995:73). There are thus, two principal perspectives. The first is the objective perspective or the detachment viewpoint is which involves the image of water as a symbol of surrender and the second one involves the subjective viewpoint, which involve in flax. However, Friedman argues that despite the viewpoint of life or the thesis, whether from the characteristics of Mr. Ramsey (detached philosopher) or from Mrs. Ramsey (the home-wife and mother), one has to give up that perspective in favor of the other (antithesis), resulting to the birth of double perspective. The image of water initializes the concept of double vision and watery image. In chapter 14, we see Mrs. Ramsey transforming from her initial position of involvement to detachment. The pool (thesis) transforms to become a sea (antithesis), consequently resulting to notions of nothingness in life (1995:75). The critique analysis divides the book into three parts, similar to original division in the book. The first section (“The Window”) primarily deals with the first level of the multiplicity: the relation of oneself to others. All the characters seem to have double personalities or traits (1995:77). Friedman gives an example of Mrs. Ramsey’s personality, highlighting her as a warm and charming person, but other characters resent her marriage ideals. On the other hand, Mr. Ramsey displays traits of a tyrant, but he is admirable in other aspects. The first section presents different perspectives of each character, harmonizing them at the dinner. Section two of the novel (Time passes) revolves around the second level of multiplicity, or the relation between man and nature. Friedman highlights several time phrases, particularly the figure of Mrs. McNab and the near-destruction of the family house. Friedman analyzes section three (The Lighthouse) as the third level of multiplicity, or the relation of art and life, with emphasis on knowledge of loss and gain. The lighthouse and the light beam it produces act as the lasting symbol of truth, unity, and order. The critical essay argues that principal theme of the novel is transformation, from detachment to involvement, from fragments to a whole, from chaos to order (1995:78). At the end, distance explains the idea of double vision. The characters change their perspectives as they reach the Lighthouse, the surviving characters attain a solution to the conflict of double vision. Bibliography Friedman, N. The Waters of Annihilation Double Vision in to the Lighthouse. English Literary History, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Mar. 1995), 61-79. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8304%28195503%2922%3A1%3C61%3ATWOADV%3E2.0.CO%3B2-C Read More