To the Lighthouse Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory

Remember? In their youth, Mr. Bankes and Mr. Ramsay are walking down the road when a hen comes flying up to protect her chicks, and Mr. Ramsay goes, "Pretty pretty." According to Mr. Bankes, that&#...

Mrs. Ramsay spends her afternoon sitting at a window, reading to James. Lily Briscoe is attempting to paint them. The window encapsulates Mrs. Ramsay in a very static position, while everyone else...

So waves do a couple things in To the Lighthouse. First, and most importantly, they are the drumbeat of Time for Mrs. Ramsay. They are usually a soothing force, but they take on a more ominous tone...

Before launching into what Virginia Woolf might be talking about with this here Lighthouse, let's take a second to consider what a lighthouse is. (Here's a photo.) The American Heritage Dictionary...