To the lighthouse, a modernist novel by Virginia Woolf, published in 1927. The author has tried to highlight the conflict between Victorianism and Modernism. How the former ideology represented by Mrs. Ramsay wants everyone to be alike as her; one must get marry, live happily, have children, taking care of them and always confine to one's husbands beliefs. While on the contrary, the latter has individual identity, where the question of equality arises, why If a man can write and paint, woman can't? Why only woman is perceived as a home-maker? Why it shouldn't go with man's attitude? Why what man is doing woman can't do? Why there isn't exchangement of responsibilities, among women and men? Why any work is made fixed for an individual entity? Why there is no sharing attitude towards any kind of responsibilities, unbiased of gender pattern forum?
Fluidity&Masculinity
Lily's Dilemma in Woolf's to the lighthouse by Andrea Viola.
In this article Andrea Viola has tried to put such many characters like Lily. Lily who is struggling as said in To the lighthouse masculine perspective, with 'infidel ideas' masculinity in girlish heart, with which not only Lily is concerned but other daughters of Mrs. Ramsay too. Nancy and Rose aren't more present in nove but Prue who is occasionally present had to succumbed to death due to continuous obedience to her mother. Where she must be feeling, as if sacrifing emerging desires. While Cam connects her youth with nursery and Lily being adopted as a girl child, is being marginalized as not confining into Mrs. Ramsay's ideology.
Mrs. Ramsay had often emphasised on Lily, that her painting shouldn't be taken seriously as she seems to be contardicatory to Mrs. Ramsay thus a reason for shattering her own ideology. Which according to her is in a proper frame, this is how a woman must visualize herself through her husband eyes, rather than thriving into conflicts and creating more problems in growth of relationship. Therefore it is the ideal way through which a relationship can made to function(the husband : an engine, the wife : provider of all chemicals and essentials through which an engine can run), precipitating equilibrium, moderated sacrificing oneself's wishes and desires for another only to receive love from him.
While here it seems that Mrs. Ramsay expects Lily should confine to her ideas rather than sticking to her self-established ideas, of fighting each and every odds, coming across as being a potential woman. She constantly fights against patriarchy and the concept of ministry figure of 'angel in the house' that will welcome many pitfalls and seems to be elusive and compel some to struggle for acquiring such kind of successes. But in contradictory it often reflects as though she shows she wants be an idealistic woman, by gaining equality between men and women but inside she likes, Mrs. Ramsay playing a mother character, consolidating an individual entity. Raising questions about the cherishing of embodiement in terms of art; art as artifact or art as memory!
These are all phases of her life, where we see in the end of the novel, how she has progressed as an artist though with setbacks from starting to an end. Which is connected with kunstleroman like idea.
She as a female character, is possessing such kind of tendency towards living life that it had influenced other members in family also. Where the others are urged to think of chivalry and other manliness adoptation, for which the men are but women are restricted to acquire. This is increasing the tension and so though pressurised by their mother not to act or react in such a way, they start making deferences between them and men persona. When in one of the scences in movie, Lily is lying underneath the sky and thinking about landscape, where one can read that unconsciously Lily is thinking to reestablish the society as per her preferences and perspectives, which isn't possible and if made possible, seeks sacrifice and constant effort. Where yes one has to become sea monstor(Leviathan) to overcome such fights and come out as a conqueror.
Therefore it isn't that being a female you can't struggle, but being a female you need strength of masculinity which includes the characteristics of leviathan, where you don't only have to learn how to live in society, but how to adjust at times, how to put any point forward, how by determining the aim in mind, one has to work for its progression.
No comments:
Post a Comment