Topic > The Window to the Lighthouse

Much of Virginia Woolf's novel To the Lighthouse takes place in the minds of her characters. Although, obviously, their thoughts cannot stop external events, they can stop time in one way: through memory. Therefore, throughout the novel, Woolf uses certain objects as symbols to stimulate memory and transport the mind to the past. An example, in particular, is that of the living room window, which develops the theme of the story according to which memory defends the mind from the tension of change. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay An important symbol, the window is mentioned frequently; in fact, the first section of the book is named after it. It serves as an opening that connects the ever-changing space of the courtyard with the almost motionless living room. Most of the action of the first scene takes place in the backyard, but one of the main characters, Mrs. Ramsay, remains in the drawing room with her son. Because of this arrangement, the characters must look through the window to see the other side; as a result, many of the characters' internal monologues are prompted by the view framed by the window. For example, as Woolf writes, “Knitting…with her head absurdly outlined in the gilt frame…Mrs Ramsay smoothed out what had a moment before been hard in her ways…and kissed her baby on the forehead" (30). This was the vision seen by everyone in the courtyard: Mrs. Ramsay knitting in the living room, her head wrapped in a Michelangelo painting, with her young son making a collage at her feet. This image, framed by the window, embodies the character of Mrs. Ramsay, kind-hearted and maternal, emphasizing her attributes to those in the courtyard, particularly Lily Briscoe. This vision of mother and child becomes a scene that transcends the progression of time itself; even after Mrs. Ramsay's death, it remained permanently imprinted in the minds of viewers. Therefore, the window serves not only as a lens on the private, but also on the past. It is a barrier between the outside world, which will decay as described in Time Passes, and the immutable memory that originates from the parlor scene. It serves as the boundary of the changing world. The concept that the window serves as a barrier between the changing and static world is further emphasized by its observers. Both Mr. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe see the composition of mother and son, and although they are two different spectators, their shared perspective symbolizes the stasis of the scene. Lily even considers the scene as permanent as the house and its attributes. Woolf writes: "Even as she looked at the mass, the line, the colour, Mrs Ramsay sitting at the window with James, kept her feeler around her lest someone should creep in..." (17) . Lily thus groups the unchanging scenery with the scene within the window frame; stasis comforts her as she paints, but she is prepared for any change in her surroundings. Although the scene inside the window is unchanging, outside the possibility of change threatens. The first example of this occurs when Mr. Ramsay denies James the trip to the lighthouse: "'But,' said his father, stopping at the window, 'it won't do'" (4). Woolf includes details of Mr. Ramsay's position - in front of the window - because the one just beyond the window symbolizes the possible change in the family's routine. Mr. Ramsay stands at the window because he opposes change and wants to protect James from any impending false hope. A more physical form of change through the window occurs later in Mrs. Ramsay:..