Evolution of the Modern Woman in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse

    I chose to compare and contrast two women authors from different literary time periods.  Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) as a representative of the Victorian age (1832-1901) and Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) as the spokeswoman for the Modernist (1914-1939) mindset.  Being women in historical time periods that did not embrace the talents and gifts of women; they share many of the same issues and themes throughout their works - however, it is the age in which they wrote that shaped their expressions of these themes.  Although they lived only decades apart their worlds were remarkably different - their voices were muted or amplified according to the beat of society's drum.

traditional gender constructs cast men as dominant and women as submissive, and the narrator certainly is bound by these constructs (81). Her husband sees her as a tool by which his needs are met, and line 1 shows that he is pleased with her cooking ability, as he “gives… an A” for the dinner she prepared the previous night. However, she also receives “an incomplete” because she did not finish the ironing (3). Should she modify her performance according to her husbands desires? If she wants the elusive praise that he grudgingly doles out, then the answer is to the affirmative. The wife is little more than hired help at this point, which is another form of objectification she is subjected to.

This was a very sharp contrast to the Europeans, whom had for centuries, been the top of their social hierarchy. In Europe, the women had a very relatively primitive, limited role in society. They were not allowed to attend or partake in political affairs, with very few exceptions. Now, on the other hand, in Indian society there was a council of chiefs, whom was all male, but they were appointed by an elder women. Also, during their deliberation over issues, the males made the final decision, but would be expelled from the council, if they didn't conclude to the same decision that the elder woman came to. The women's main job in Indian society, was being in charge of cultivation of, harvest of, and distribution of food. When the men left to go hunting, women were left to run society. The Europeans simply believed that the males were far superior to the family, which is why women could not have jobs, and were left to only clean, cook, and various other household chores.

Throughout his journey, romantic endeavours cause Ramsay guilt, which he deals with to remain sane and happy. While in Britain, he meets a woman whom he loves, but must abandon, moving on and dealing with the

restate thesis - Overall, the roles of women in the novel Fifth Business played a crucial and influential on Dunstable Ramsay’s life.

Throughout history the importance of women in society has been overlooked, and if not overlooked, then insufficiently attended to. It is only in the last century that societal convention has started to recognize the acts and achievements of women. The women in Robertson Davies’ novel Fifth Business have similarly essential interactions with Dunstan Ramsay, but as supporting characters are, to varying degrees, partially developed. First, Mary Dempster acts as an isolated friend to Ramsay and serves as catalyst for the novel’s main events, namely Ramsay’s departure to war and his study of hagiology. Thereafter another woman, Diana Marfleet, champions Dustan’s physical and mental rehabilitation and is responsible for his rebirth after World War

His mother affected his future relationships with the women in his life. He starts to mistreat women and never starts a serious lasting relationship with any women. Mrs. Ramsay is a crucial figure in Dunstan’s character development, but that is all that she was used for in the

The next requirement for being a “true woman” was submissiveness. According to society men were superior to women by “God’s appointment.” If they acted otherwise they “tampered with the order of the Universe” (Welter 105). A “true woman” would not question this idea because she already understands her place. Grace Greenwood explained to the women of the Nineteenth Century, “True feminine genius is ever timid, doubtful, and clingingly dependant; a perpetual childhood.” Even in the case of an abusive husband, women were sometimes told to stay quiet

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen gives unique insight into the values and social structure of Austen’s world. These insights are expounded on and deepened by Fay Weldon’s Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen. Jane Austen Critiques the Regency Era’s views on marriage, condemning the social norms of marrying for status and social security rather than for love. Letters to Alice evaluates the role of women in Weldon’s 1980’s context, criticising the social expectation of ‘The Angel of the House,’ which was the expectation of women in the early to mid-20th century.

Sometimes she stayed the night at their place. Haddon attempts to get the readers to empathise with Mrs Shears due to losing her husband and dog. Mrs Shears is a lovable character in the novel and is for most parts a character that readers feel sorry for.

Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey establishes the inner feeling of a woman based on her own personal experience which provides a vivid glance into her perspective. Correspondingly, it reinstates Gothic novels as an reflection marginalized by the experiences of women living in the upper class. For contemporary modern day, Northanger Abbey functions as a warning, depicting the danger of amorous and sexual exploitation from the opportunistic characters within a social environment. These dangers are a realistic theme even in today's society marking potential threat for women. Mostly importantly, it serves as a device that's depicts the social separation between the companionship of woman and the inhuman acknowledgement of women as objects, which fosters the necessarily development for both men and

The comparative study of texts and their appropriations reflect the context and values of their times, demonstrating how context plays a significant role. Virginia Woolf’s novel modernists Mrs Dalloway (1925) and Steven Daldry’s post modernists film The Hours (2002), an extrapolation, explore the rapid change of social and philosophical paradigms of the 20th century, focusing on women whose rich inner lives are juxtaposed with their outer lives. They place the characters in their respective context, to respond to, the horrors of the consequences of war and AIDS and the vagaries and difficulties of relationships, sexuality and mental illness. Through their differing intertextual perspectives the film and novel represent similar values, within different contextual concerns.

Lily Briscoe is a character that can be viewed as unique. Unique in the sense that she was living in an era when women were expected to take on the domestic role and fulfill the role as a traditional woman. Lily did not live up to those expectations. She struggled to stay true to herself and found it a difficult task to conform to society’s conventions as it relates to gender roles and expectations. The novel “To The Lighthouse” takes place in the 19th century during that time often referred to as the Victorian era. During the Victorian era, the expectation was that individuals should follow strict gender roles and people who did not follow those roles were frowned upon. Women were expected to take care of their husband and children, take care of the home and make themselves available to fulfill their family’s needs. Men on the other hand were expected to provide for the family, work outside of the home and do “manly” things. They were considered to be the breadwinner for their family. As one reads throughout the novel, you are able clearly identify Lily’s struggles with society’s expectations of her as a woman and the difficult task of staying true to oneself as she visits and shares with the Ramsay family.

Woolf portrays the character of Mrs. Ramsay as a self sacrificing woman and mother as defined through her interactions with men: Charles Tansley, Mr. Carmichael, Paul, Mr. Bankes, Mr. Ramsay, and James. During Mrs. Ramsay's lifetime she is admired by most of these men, and is continually striving to be esteemed by all of them, at any sacrifice to herself. Although there is goodness in Mrs. Ramsay, not unselfishly given, there are also rising questions of this representation of mother by Woolf, primarily put forth through the characters of Lily and Mrs. Ramsay's daughters.

On the other hand, Mrs. Ramsay acts the role of the perfect wife with her warmth, kindness and praise in contrast to Mr. Ramsay that is presented as oppressive. As Naremore suggests, “The narrator is interested not in a report of the scene's action, but in its rhythm, in the light healing pulse of Mrs. Ramsay's sympathy contrasted to Mr. Ramsay's harsh, repeated demands for more” (pg.132 of “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf, 1969).