One
of the quotations from To the Lighthouse that caught my attention was
'[T]here is a
coherence in things, a stability; something, she meant, is immune
from change, and shines out. . . .'. .
Mrs
Ramsay clearly represents stability, peace and unity. All through the
novel up to her death, the reader can see she craves for pleasing
others through her constant service. Her dinner party is a clear
symbol of blissful order, even if it did not start in the best way. The hostess sees a lack of beauty in the room and
feels responsible for solving this problem. Lily feels Mrs.
Ramsay is worn out, cagey and remote, though unwilling to speak up her
mind, probably since she preferred to maintain everything as it was.
Mrs.
Ramsay feels responsible for maintaining harmony in the house. She thinks there are qualities that endure, bringing stability and
peace to a world in which madness and disorder seems to rule supreme. The woman is extremely skilled at creating social order and removing
barriers in order to bridge gaps among people.
Lily
finds several flashes of inspirations, as to how to improve or finish
her painting, although throughout the novel we see eventually fails to. She feels at ease at her marital status, going against the conventions, although Mrs. Ramsay
shows eager to arrange a marriage for the painter.
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