Discuss the trauma of transition from the Victorian female ideal to the feminist figure in Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse."

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Tradition and Change in Modern Literature

Virginia Woolf: To the Lighthouse

Question:

Discuss the trauma of transition from the Victorian female ideal to the feminist figure in Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse."

Virginia Woolf's, To the Lighthouse is widely considered one of the most important works of the twentieth century. With this novel, Woolf established herself as one of the leading writers of modernism. The novel develops innovative literary techniques to reveal women's experience and to provide an alternative to male-dominated views of reality.

To the Lighthouse examines the role of women or more specifically, the evolution of the modern woman. The two main female characters in the novel, Mrs Ramsay and Lily Briscoe, both represent different views on life and follow different paths on their search for meaning. Lily Briscoe transcends the traditional female gender role embodied by Mrs Ramsay; by coming into her own, as an independent and modern woman, she symbolizes the advent of modernism and rejection of traditional Victorian values.

Transition in the simplest sense means change and the idea of trauma or pain is always associated with change. The novel To the Lighthouse subtlety highlights the trauma of

Transition from the Victorian female ideal to the modern woman. This can be seen in the female characters of Mrs Ramsay and Lily Briscoe.
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The role of the Victorian female is envisage by the task of being mother and wife. Her reason for existing is to complete man rather than to exist in her own right. Mrs Ramsay willing accepts this responsibility and conforms to the pillar she is expected to be. The traditional female gender roles of passivity and submission are first reinforced by Mrs Ramsay's attitude and behaviour towards her husband and the guests at her house.

As her defined role of wife and mother to everyone, Mrs. Ramsay believes she is there to care for others for example ...

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