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《到灯塔去》中两位女性形象的比较研究A ComparativeStudy of theTwo FemaleCharacters inTo theobsession with painting.Compared withLily,Mrs.Ramsay is the mostperfect woman inthe world.Lilys imagedoes notconform to the standardsof womenat that time.Womenshould belongto the family andbe readyto make the greatestcontribution to the family.Their husbandscan havetheir ownjobs andpursuits,such asstudying philosophyandpursuing art.However,the sameview of Mrs.Ramsay as a womanis similarto thatof men.But as a woman,there aresubtle differencesbetween herperspective and the maleperspective.Mrs.Ramsay has a doublevision,and in her eyes,Lily*s imagewill bemorethree-dimensional.On theone hand,as a member of a certain age,the eyes of Mrs.Ramsayand the men of the time—a plain-looking,eccentric oldgirl;On theother hand,from thepointof viewof women,Mrs.Ramsay can see something that no one elsecansee,somethingthat is exclusivelyLilys.She admiresthese qualitiesand wondersif theycouldbe understood.In fact,she knowsmore aboutLily thanshe thinks,but she is sobad atwordsthat shecould notexpress herinnermost thoughtswith specificwords.Though Lily is the same with Mrs.Ramsay asfemale role,she holds a doubtingattitudetowards Mrs.Ramsay,which increasethe uncertainlyof herown position.Lilyrealizes that in this patriarchal society,men alwaystake and women give.Not onlydoes shecomplain about Mr.Ramsays insistence,but she also questionsMrs.Ramsays life.As aresult,she rejectsMrs.Ramsays lifestyle and rejectsthe marriagearranged byMrs.Ramsay.After Mrs.Ramsays death,she refusesto sympathizewith Mr.Ramsay.Lilysacrifices herown marriageto realizeher dreamthatisto bean artist.
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2.2The newfemaleAlthough Lily Briscoe is regarded as a devilby peopleof a certainage,Lily hasanotheridentity,a symbolof a new agewoman.Many scholarsbelieve that Mrs.Ramsaysarchetype isVirginia Woolfsmother,and Lillysprototype isVirginia Woolf.As oneof therepresentativewriters offeminism,Virginia Woolfmust have acertainconnection withLily.In Victorian times,a qualifiedwife hasto takecare of the family,so it is theduty ofawoman toprovide acomfortable livingenvironment forher husband.In the novel,Mrs.Ramsay groupfamily,relatives andfriends to the beachon vacation,can bedescribed as ahousekeeper,the familyis theera ofclimate by the typicalrepresentative of theexpectations of women in the patriarchal society.Lily,by contrast,has adifferent roleto describe.She isunmarried andobsesses withpainting.Although she is nothing to dowith beauty,elegance orcharm,she isunique in theeyes of the author,and she is therepresentative of the new woman.First,she isnot boundbymarriage and family.In Lilysheart,marriage and freedom shouldnot beconflated.Secondly,although womenscareer isfamily,Lily has been pursuingher dreamof painting.Finally sherealizes herown pursuitof art.She isthirty-three yearsold andunmarried.Shelives in her fathershouse asher fathershousekeeper.Her biggestcareer ispainting.Judging bythe traditionalpatriarchal society,she is a woman who has no rightto goout ofmarriageandfamily,but shemade thepainting asher lifelongcareer,which isbelong tomale.
3.The WritingTechniques inPortraying theTwo FemaleCharacters
3.1Multiple perspectiveson Mrs.RamsayAs apioneer ofmodernist fiction,Virginia Woolf created a new narrativeperspectiveimage on the basisof anall-knowing perspective—multiple perspectives.The image ofthe heroineis depictedthrough constanttransformation ofvision.German scholarAuerbachsaid,nthe basiccharacteristics ofWoolf writingis-we getnot onlytheperformance ofa persons consciousness,but a lot of people consciousness,and fromapersons consciousnessto anotherpersonsconsciousnessconstantly shifting.To theLighthousehas brokenthe traditionalframework of the novel.Woolf paysattention to thepsychological portrayalof the characters,through the characters inner monologue andthoughtstream ofconsciousness andrich imageto expressthecharacter.The character,Mrs.Ramsay,is thetransformation ofmany peoplesvision in the novel.Mrs.Ramsay is a harmoniousmaintainer in the readersminds.When Mrs.Ramsaysees herson,James,being unable to go to the lighthouse because of thebad weather,shecomforts him.When shesees her husband indespair,she canfill herhusband withhope andconfidenceand energy.When shesees thatCharles Tansleyfeels inferior,she tries toprotect himfrom thecold.She generouslyprepares manypresents for the lighthousekeepersson.When shesees that Lily isunmarried andobsesses withpainting,she longstosolve Lilys marriage.In aword,sheis a harmoniousmaintainer,and sheis eagertocomfort andhelp allthose whoneed herhelp.Through differentcharactersperspectives,Mrs.Ramsay isportrayed asfollows.
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1.1Mr.Ramsays vision—a family-oriented wifeIn her husbandsheart,sheisstrangely beautiful,even proud.He thinkshis wifecando anything,can not only onhim but also comfort,encourage andtrust him,but also allowshim toget up,restore confidence,bravely walkout of the trough,but happyto goforwardin ahard work,constantly climbingthe academicpeak.She couldgive himwarmth andcomfortand makehim rich.She canalso fillevery roomwith life and energy.
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1.2Jamess vision—a selflessdedicatorIn theeyes of her youngestson,James,the motheris strongerthan his father.Motheris like a clearspring,constantly sprayingvitality andshowers in the air,let family andfriends enjoythe fullbath.She islike atree full of flowers,people not only canappreciate,see itsflowers,smell,but alsoenjoys fruits.And thefather islikeanaked birdsucking thewaterand thenutrient of the tree.This imagehighlights Mrs.Ramsays selflessdedicationand willingness.
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1.3Lilys vision—a spirituallydivine personLily hasbeendrawing aportrait of Mrs.Ramsay,and sheis theonly personwho hasmadea comprehensiveobservation of Mrs.Ramsay.However,she findsit ifficultto fullyunderstandMrs.Ramsay,even ifshe had50pairs ofeyes thatcould notpenetrate her.She ishospitable,helpful,considerate,eager forharmony,and beautiful.It isvery easyforthe lady to makethe frequentaltercations of Lily andTansley on the beach,and thefriendshipand goodfeeling ofthis momentare eternalin thehearts of them.She wouldgive anythingfor thegratitude and approval ofMrs.Ramsay.Butsometimes itwas difficultfor theladytounderstand,and shefelt thatknowledge andwisdomare hiddenin theladys heart,but shecould notread it.She wasdeeply troubledbythe factthat Mrs.Ramsay wasa micromanagedwoman inher dailylife.With thepassageof timeand theincrease of life experience,a decadelater,when Mrs.Ramsay wasno longeralive,she cameto thisseaside villaagain,and her thoughts hadchanged greatly.Becauseshe foundthatMr.Ramsay was not ascool andbossy ashe hadbeen,and the children werenotestranged from their father.She beganto missMrs.Ramsay and her actions.Finallyunderstand Mrs.Ramsay waspainstakingly,finally foundherself withMrs.Ramsay inspiritualpursuit.Mrs.Ramsay triedto makeevery momentof her lifeaneternity,and Lilywastrying touse colorto makethat momentpermanent.They areall committedto turningdisorderinto anorderly,turning flowinglife principleinto stable,and topractice itin reallife.Lily alsocompleted theharmonious unificationof thetwo sexesin theprocess ofpainting,achieving the perfect artisticrealm,and finallyfinished thepainting.Lilyhasgone througha longhistory,experienced intensivepsychological exploration,and finallybuilt herself.She caughtthe momentof truthand reachedher lighthouse.Thisprocess is also aprocess ofunderstanding andreproducing ofMrs.Ramsay.Here again,thelady is the holymanwhotriumphs overmisfortune andpain,with hostilityand division,and savesthe lostsheep,and leadspeople to the end ofsuccess.A spiritualvoyage isa journeyto discoverthe self,to explorethe truth,totranscend the individual and to the new spiritualrealm.
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1.4William Bankessvision—a goddessMrs.Ramsays oldfriend,Bankes,regarded Mrs.Ramsay asthe embodiment ofbeauty,a goddessof charm and happinessin Greekmythology.When helooked ather,hiseyes werefullofpassion,which wasthe loveof dozensof youngmen.But thiskind ofloveis not a kind of possessivelove.It isthe loveof appreciationand hope.In hismind,Mrs.Ramsay wasa beautiful,noble,silent goddess.Woolf didnot evengive hera name,because anyname in the worldwasnotworthy ofsuch agreat woman.
3.2Stream ofconsciousness onLily BriscoeAlthoughthe plotof the novel isnot strong,thecharacters in itare quitefull.Mr.Ramsay isa realtough guy;Mrs.Ramsay isa beautifuland elegantlady,especially Lily,adistinctive femaleimagine.Lilys figureis mainlydue tothe Woolfsexquisite writingtechnique,which mainlyincludes twomethods of stream ofconsciousness:innermonologue andfree association.
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2.1Indirect interior monologueIn the novel,Woolf usesindirect interiormonologue toreflect thethoughts andbehaviorof thecharacters.This approachis easierto beaccepted and more logical.Whenshe watchedthe lineand colorinhercanvas,staring atMrs.Ramsay sittingin thewindowand James,she stillto bevigilant againstthe surroundingenvironment,lest someonesuddenlystared ather paintings.The description of Lilyis morevivid,and thereader canimaginethe scenedepicted in the sentence.The thirdperson anddetailed descriptionalsomake readersmore closeto Lilysimage.In addition,this indirectinner monologueis moreconduciveto expressingthe charactersfinner feelingsand novelthemes.,In the novel,a largenumber ofuse wantto,recall,guess sighs,says tohimself/said thepsychological activitiessuch asthe wordsare leadreaders tothelighthouse indirect interiormonologueskill characteristics.For example,in the third part ofthe novel,“The Lighthouse”,Lilys innermonologue:But whata face,she thought,immediately findingthe sympathywhich shehad notbeenasked togive troublingher forexpression...Thinking,night afternight,shesupposed-about the reality ofkitchen tables,she added,...He hadbeen killedby thesplinterofashell instantly,she bethoughther....Then she recalled,worries hadfrettedit...That waswhat theytalked aboutlate atnight sometimes,she suspected;...And then,sherecalled...The gatebanged.Virginia Woolf,1927117In theabove paragraph,there areseven wordsfor mental activity underlined,whichare essentialfor therole ofwords inmental activity.On theone hand,it canenhance theconsistencyof the works.On theother hand,it ishelpful forreaders tograsp thepsychologyof charactersand understand the contentof works.322MontageMontage isa transliterationof theFrench word,originally anarchitectural wordmeaningcomposition and assembly.Montage wasfirst extendedtotheartoffilm,andgradually becamewidely usedin visualarts andother fields.In the novel of To theLighthouse.Woolf successfullyborrowed thistechnique toreveal thecharactersconsciousness.There aretwo kindsof montage,one isthe timemontage,the subjectremainsmotionless in the space,while thecharacter consciousnessis freeto travelthroughthe past,present andfuture.The otheristhespace montage,the timestays thesame and thespace factorchanges.In thethird part of thenovel,Woolf uses the timemontage techniquetopresent Lilysstream ofconsciousness.Lillys thoughtsshuttled backand forthbetweenthe presentand thepast,constantly recallingMrs.Ramsay,who hadpassed away.In the last part,asakey part of the descriptionofLily,Lilys thoughts and feelingsinthe pastand present,rhythmically freeconversion betweenideal andreality.Given thesymbolizationofLilywith memoriesin thepast,made hersolves theproblem ofconfusion,thelastof thestationary pointis duetothethought ofMrs.Ramsay,that has a calmingeffecton hermind.Although Mrs.Ramsay isdead,the activitiesof Lilyslead makereadersstill feelthe objectivityofMrs.Ramsay.She playsan importantrole inLilysthoughts,Mr.Ramsay and her childrensmemories.Woolf naturallycombines thememorieswith thereal life,so that the wholenovel isnot scattered.In addition,Woolfreveals theideological activitiesof variouscharacters in thenovel,from thereality tothefuture timespan concept.It isnot onlythedescriptionof thestream ofconsciousness,butalso thetransformation of the narrativeperspective.The ideaof thefuture hashad animpacton the life of the hero,bringing abit offear tothe developmentof thepresent life ofLily and the Ramsay.
4.ConclusionFrom theabove analysis,the authorof thethesis madea comparativestudy of the twofemale characters inTo the Lighthouse,which isa classicof Virginia Woolfsstream-of-consciousness novels.In herwork,Woolfcreatedtwo distinctfemale images.One wasthe angel in the house,and theother wasa newwoman.nThe angelin the house isatypical productof theVictorian agewhich Woolflived in.Queen Victoriaruled Britainformore than60years,during whichthe Britishfamily formeda hugepatriarchalinstitutions.They actedasafairly heavyfamily economicaffairs manager.Mrs.Ramsay isthe angelin thehouse.In thefiction,Mrs.Ramsay wasa prettydecent womanand sheplayedan importantrole inher family.In thefirst chapter,“window”,describes thetrivialand ordinarylife of her day.At thesame time,she showedthe softerside of the womanandsuccessfully hosteda dinnerparty.She wasableto bring togetherpeople whowere deeplytroubledby personalpain anddiscord,and tomake themunderstand andbe friendlyto eachother.However,such aseemingly radianthousewife,with nocareer orprofoundknowledge,hasnosocial statuscompared with the menaround her.In thehome,when shewasconflicted withMr.Ramsay,she didnot argueany rights,only obey.She believedthatwomen hadto beobedient totheir husbands*work.It canbe saidthat Mrs.Ramsay istherepresentative ofVictorian women and astaunch defenderof the patriarchal system.Compared withMrs.Ramsay,Lily,who livesunder theoppression of men,isafemalerole inresisting thedominance ofpatriarchy.Lily longsfor beingindependent andwants tohavethesamesocial statusas man.Although herthoughts andactions areridiculed bybothMr.Tansley andMrs.Ramsay,she persevered.Lily realizesthatin the patriarchal society,men alwaystake whilewomen constantlygive.Not onlydoes shecomplainaboutMr.Ramsay*s insistence,but also she questionsMrs.Ramsays life.As aresult,sheisunable toacceptMrs.Ramsays lifestyleand refuses the marriagearranged byMrs.Ramsay.AfterMrs.Ramsays death,she refused to sympathizewithMr.Ramsay.After passingthroughthe clouds,Lily finallyreturned to her newlife andcompleted her painting.It canbe saidthatLilyisthe faceof thenewwoman,andherstrong senseof femaleindependence isactuallythe uniqueembodimentofWoolfs feminism.Mrs.Ramsay and Lily havedifferent attitudestowards lifebecause of their differentvalues.The wholelife ofMrs.Ramsay isdominated bypatriarchy.So sheis willingto besubservienttothepatriarchal society,also generalize,to spreadhispatriarchalthought.Shehoped thatother womenwill becomequalified womenin thepatriarchalsociety.As therepresentative of womenin thenew era,Lilys ideologyalways representsthe directionofsocial advancement,which isindependence andequality.She believedthat itwas becauseofthe infinitesubmissiveness andself-sacrifice ofMrs.Ramsay thatnourishing herhusbandsmale despotismand selfishnesswas instilledinher.Virginia Woolfisacharming experimentalwriter.She makesan internalobservationabout peoplesthoughtsandfeelings.She skillfullyusesthestream ofconsciousnesstechniques such as indirectinnermonologue,montage,multiple perspectivenarration,etc.The abovewriting techniquesmaketheplot crossthe boundariesof time,successfullyshow thecharacters9complex innermentalactivityand personalitytraits.In termsof herwriting style,she hascontributed tofemale writers.Theres no doubt thatTo the Lighthouse isa masterpiecein English Literature.It hasitsown influenceupon readers.Most importantly,the variousliterary formsin the20thcentury concerningwomens socialstatus atthattime,will alwaysbe keptin ourminds andgiveus inspiration.References
[1]Jin Bei.VriginiaWoolfs Feminism:From Differenceto Equality[D].MA thesis.Shanghai:Shanghai InternationalStudies University,
2004.
[2]Shen Weiju.Lily Briscoe-the NewWomen ofTo the Lighthouse[i].Lanzhou:Journal ofLanzhou Jiaotong University:Social Sciences,20070520-
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[3]Tang Zhifeng.A FeministApproach toVirginia Woolfs To the Lighthouse[J].Changsha:Central SouthUniversity,
2010.
[4]Virginia Woolf.To theLighthouse[M].Hertfordshire:Wordsworth Editions,1994:
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[5]Wisker Gina.Woolf:To theLighthouse[M].Dalian:Dalian Universityof TechnologyPress,
2008.
[6]弗吉尼亚•伍尔芙.伍尔芙读书随笔[M].上海上海文汇出版社,2006:23-
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[7]霍世镜.伍尔夫研究[M].上海上海文艺出版社,
1988.⑻霍世镜.意识流小说家伍尔夫[M].上海上海文艺出版社,
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[9]伍厚恺.弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫存在的瞬间[M].成都四川人民出版社,
1999.
[10]张岩冰.女权主义文论[M].济南山东教育出版社,
1998.作为二十世纪现代主义与女性主义的先锋,弗吉尼亚•伍尔芙在《到灯塔去》小说中,对两位截然不同的女性人物形象的社会地位与生活进行了描写弗吉尼亚•伍尔芙擅长运用意识流的写作手法,例如,在《到灯塔去》中,她巧妙运用了间接内心独白、蒙太奇、多视角等,对文中人物形象内心进行描写同时,她还运用了象征主义描绘出灯塔给予人们的希望本文从《到灯塔去》这部小说出发,使用比较研究的方法,对小说中“家中天使”拉姆齐夫人与“蜕变的新女性”莉莉•布里斯科的形象塑造进行分析,以此加深对该部作品的理解关键词意识流,女性人物形象,拉姆齐夫人,莉莉•布里斯科AbstractAs apioneer ofmodernism andfeminism in the twentiethcentury,Virginia Woolfdescribesthe socialstatus andlifeoftwo differentfemalecharacters in thenovel To theLighthouse.Virginia Woolfis good at usingthe writingtechnique ofstream ofconsciousnessofthecharactersin the text.In lb theLighthouse,she skillfullyuses streamofconsciousness techniquessuch asindirectinteriormonologue,montage andmultiplepoints ofview toshow thecharacters9complex innerspiritual activities,and toachieve atrueexpression ofthe life.Meanwhile,shealsouses symbolismto painta beaconof hope.This thesisproceeds fromthenovelTo theLighthouse anddiscusses the female imagesofMrs.Ramsay andLily Briscoein differentperspectives through the methodof comparativeanalysis;namely,the Angelinthehouse and thenewwomaninorder tohaveabetterunderstanding ofthework.Key wordsstream ofconsciousness;female images;Mrs.Ramsay;Lily Briscoe
1.Introduction
1.1Introduction toVirginia WoolfAs a famousand prolificfemale author,critic,essayist,publisher andwriter ofshortstories,Virginia Woolfisregarded as oneoftheforemost modernistliterary figuresof thetwentiethcentury andholdsasignificant positioninthehistory ofEnglishLiterature.Throughout herlife1882-1941,she wrote10novels,4short storiescollections,14non-fiction booksand severalother literaryforms.Inher works,she experimentedwithstream-of-consciousness andthe underlyingpsychological aswell asemotional motivesofthe characters.Virginia Woolfwas influencedby herfather,who wasa famousVictorianphilosopher,bibliographer andcritic andmany of herworksrelated toher earlyexperiences.She wastaught athome byher parentsand tutorwith hersister Vanessa.Froma veryearly age,Virginia beganto writestories andkeep diaries.She eventried variousformsand soundsof narrativeliterature.Virginia Woolfslife was tortuous.Her motherdied in May1895,which ledtothefirst of Virginias severalnervous breakdowns.Nineyears later,the deathof herfather provokedher alarmingcollapse and she triedto jumpthrougha windowto commitsuicide.Complicated familybackground lefther with apermanent mentaltrauma.After that,she wasamemberoftheBloomsbury Groupwhichwas asmall groupof intellectualsknown asninfinite inspiration,unlimited passion,unlimited talent11intheearly twentiethcentury.After completingthe manuscriptof herlastnovel,Between theActs,she committedsuicide.She puton herovercoat,filled pocketswithstones andwalked intothe RiverOusenear nearher homeand drownedherself.In termsofVirginiaWoolfs works,she advocatedthe independenceofwomen,independence intheir workandfreedomof expression.She expectedthat womenwill beequalwith menandtheliterary creationof herwas aninterpretation ofwomens rights.Forexample,thefemaleimage portrayedintheTo theLighthouse isextremely impressive,andit followsthe combinationofstream-of-consciousness andpractice,which makespeoplemore clearlyaware ofherthoughts.She wroteabout theinner feelingsand emotionalresponsesofpeoplein differentstages ofreality inher TotheLighthouse.Definitely,Virginia WoolFsliterary achievementsandherwritingstyleleaveenormous impactonthelater greatfeminist thinkers,novelists andpoets.Her radicalandexperimental writinglaid afoundation for them.
1.2Introduction toTotheLighthouseTo theLighthouse isa quasi-autobiographical andstream-of-consciousness novelwhichbest exhibitsVirginia WoolFsstyleandinnovation.It servesasacentral cluethroughoutthe book,writing aboutthelifeexperiences ofthe Ramsay familyandseveralguests beforeand afterthe World War I.Mr.Ramsays youngestson,James Ramsay,wanted to gotothe lighthouse,but hefailed becauseofthebad weather.After theoutbreakof thewar,the Ramsay family experiencedalot.After thewar,Mr.Ramsay tooka pair ofchildren tosea,and finallyarrived atthe lighthouse.When Mr.Ramsay andhis childrenreachedthe lighthouse,Lily Briscoefinally drewthe illusionofhermind formany years.In theendofthenovel,Lily Briscoebecame areal artist.The contentofTotheLighthouseis dividedinto threephases:The Window”,“TimePasses andThe Lighthouse”.Each sectionis composedof variousnarrators.In additiontothe lighthouse,the”window isalsoacentral symbolofthenovel.“The Window”opens justbefore thebeginning ofWorldWarI.As thefirst partofthe novel,The Window**separates theobjective worldfromtheundetectable subjectiveconsciousnessofMrs.Ramsay,and alsoprovides achance forthe wifeto integrateherselfinto reality.A windowis commonlyused asa channelfor communicationwith theoutsideworld.However,in thisnovel,Mrs.Ramsay observes the worldthroughthewindow andexaminesherlife.Perhaps ina moment,the sceneryandthelight insideand outsidethewindow giveher thetrue meaningand sherealizes theintegration oftheindividualto thesubjectiveandtheobjective world.The secondpart,nTime Passes,is onlyone tenthofthenovel,but itisalyricalportrait ofthe ten years ofhuman life.The authorusesthedarkness ofpain anddeath torepresentthe painsofthedecade.In themiddle ofthe night,Mrs.Ramsay died,a sondied,a daughterdiedinchildbirth,andthewhole familysuffered.At thesame time,Ramsaysbeach househas becomestale inthe erosionof wind.This part,like theinterlude betweenthetwo parts,succeeded incompressing theactual tragedyinto asymbolic night.The thirdpart,nThe Lighthousereveals the most poeticand passionatescene inthebook.The nightpassed andthelightreappeared,andtheRamsayfamilyreturned tothevilla onemorning afterten years.In ten years,with aflick ofa finger,pain andmisfortunehave becomehistory.Under theleadership ofMr.Ramsay,thefamilysailed tothelighthouse,but buriedintheheart fortenyears,completed thespiritual journey.
2.Two femalecharactersinTotheLighthouse
2.1Mrs.Ramsay—the AngelintheHouseIn theTotheLighthouse,Woolf shapedthe imageofMrs.Ramsay,who hada strongcontrastwith menandwomen.Mrs.Ramsay istheperfectrepresentativeofthe Hangelinthe houseunder theinfluence ofpatriarchalsociety.She isan upper-class housewifeof aphilosopher,the motherof eight children in Victoriantimeandsheloves herhusband andsacrificesfor children.She isconsiderate,patient andvirtuous.She all the timeconsolesfriends aroundher andeven othersfar fromher oncein need.
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1.1The AngelintheHouse-eight childrens motherAs eightchildrensmother,Mrs.Ramsay fosterseightchildren,cherishing themasgifts withhope.She protectsher childrenfrom setbackand disappointmentandaccompanies themwhen theyneed her.She supportsthem andgives freedomforthemtoenjoy it.For herchildren,she alwayshasabenevolent heart.She caresabout children andunderstands children.At ordinarytimes,she readsfairy tales toherchildrenandsings tothe children.Edward givesthe childrena boarsskull,hanging onthe wall.At night,whenthe childrencouldnt sleepbecauseofthe boarsskull hangingonthewall,she triedto takehershawl offand windit roundthe boarsskull.To comfortthechildren,she depictsthescene asa fairyland.It wasas ifa mountain,a birdsnest ora gardenhad appearedbeforethe eyes ofthechildren.Her tonebecomes moreandmoregradual,and Camdrifts intosleep.She isa motherwho isgoodatinspiring children.Mrs.Ramsay believesthat givinghopeand loveis far more importantthan tellingpeople thatitisa coldfact forchildren.When Jameswas abouttogotothe lighthouse,her answerwas,first ofall,yes”.Then sheadded/1if itis finetomorrow,In spiteofthebad weather,she,asaloving mother,fullyunderstood hersons heartand gavehim akindofmaternal tenderness.Therefore,Mrs.Ramsays maternal love hasan importantemotional educationand guidingrole forchildrenslife,and isresponsible forthe emotionalgrowth ofchildren.Her motherhoodmakesthe worldofmenin harmony.
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1.2The AngelintheHouse Mr.Ramsays wife一As Mr.Ramsays wife,Mrs.Ramsay adoresand lovesherhusband.Mr.Ramsay isadiligent butstrict philosopher.For Mr.Ramsay,the principleof reasonis aboveall else,respecting thefacts,insisting onthe principle,farmorethan caringforthechildren.Healways needssupport,relief andencouragement fromhis wife.He isnot onlydependent onhiswife inlife,but alsomentally unableto leaveher.He seekscomfort fromMrs.Ramsay,and keepsasking Mrs.Ramsay togive himprotection andunlimited satisfactionuntil hewassatisfied.Mrs.Ramsay dedicatesher timeand energyselflessly andgives herhusbandgreat supportany time.She isno doubta competentangel.
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1.3The AngelintheHouse-the hostessanda friend for all peopleAsthe hostessinthehouse andafriendforallthe people,her kindnessfor everyonecanbe seenclearly inthenovel.Mrs.Ramsay loveseveryone aroundher.,notonlyis shesucha hospitableand consideratehostess tomake everyonefeel relaxed,but alsooffershelp tothose whoin need.She wentto townto buythings;visited asick woman;knittedstockings forthechildrenofthelighthouse keeper;read fairytalestoher littleson;lookedfor toolsto cutgrass inmunitions;prepared supper;accompanied herhusband forwalksand reading;worried aboutneeding50pounds forrepairs,etc.The cynicalatheist CharlesTansley,who onlyrespects Mr.Ramsay andnooneelse inhis eyes,thinks thatMrs.Ramsay isthemostbeautiful womanhe hasever seen.At adinner atRamsays house,thereseemed tobe noconnection atall.She carefullyobservesthesubtle changesof everyfaceand seesthe souland whisperof eachface.Finally,through herown efforts,she removesthetension andestrangement betweenpeople.In atwinkling,allthecontradictions,doubtsand anxietieswere resolvedbythepower ofMrs.Ramsay*s femininecharmandlove.Sheforms acertain orderin chaosand contradictionwith hermaternalloveand personalitycharm,and gainsharmony.She knitsstockings forthelighthousekeepers childrenandbrings thema heapof oldmagazines,some tobacco,and soon.She sympathizeswith thelonelymen.In aword,she wantstobringthem comfortwithin herpower.
2.2Lily BriscoeOnthe surface,Lily Briscoe is onlya guestoftheRamsayfamily.Her mainactivity istopaint Mrs.Ramsay andJames.In fact,a largepartofthe storyof7btheLighthouse istolook atthereallife andpsychological changesofthemain charactersthrough LilyBriscoesperspective,especially inthethirdpartofthenovel,“The Lighthouse”,when Mrs.Ramsay died,Lily Briscoebecame thecenter ofher novel.The descriptionofhermentalactivity takesup almostall ofthe narrative,and endswiththecompletion ofherpainting.Asamatter offact,Lily Briscoeistheimageofanewwoman withindependentconsciousness thatVirginiaWoolffocuses on.She representsanewgeneration ofwomenin thelate Victorianera.They areno longerlimited bythe traditionallimitation andchains,withanew lookat bravelyand evaluationofthesociety asa whole,but alsoaccording totheirwishes tobuild theirown life.
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2.1The devilIn thepatriarchalsociety,Mrs.Ramsay isregarded asthe angelinthehouse,whileLily isregardedasthe devil.It wasnotonlythemen,butalsothe women,who sawLilyas nthe devil”.In theeyesofmen,Lily lacksthe featuresthat womenshould have.She isunattractiveand obsessedwithpainting,and isthedevil”compared toMrs.Ramsay.Inthe novel,Lily Briscoehasapairofsmall eyesandawrinkled faceoftheChinese people,even aftertenyearsofherback intothehouse,intheeyesofMr.Ramsay,“she seemedabit dry”.There isnodoubtthatLilyBriscoeisnotabeautiful youngwoman.In theera ofmale dominatedsociety,men believedthatthenature andresponsibilityof womenwastoundertake householdchores,husbands andchildren,andtoprepare andrespondto allthe demandsofthehusband.In thefamily,women areconsidered tobe mensaccessories,not wivesor mothers.This wasespecially trueinVictorianEngland.As aresult,LilyBriscoeis degraded,ostracized andbeaten bymenandtraditional women.Charles Tansleyusedtosay thatwomen cantpaint,cant write.Inthenovel,Mrs.Ramsay,theangelinthehouse,is eagerto helpfigure outLilysmarriage.At thebeginning ofthenovel,Mrs.Ramsay assertsthat“you canttake herpictures tooseriously.She thinksdrawingis onlya formof entertainment,andLilyprefers paintingto marriage.Mrs.Ramsay wouldnever allowsuchathingtohappen,soshetriestomatch upLily andMr.Bankes,even thoughthe latterisawidower andcould beLily*sfather.In addition,shetells Lily,a notmarried womanlost thebest partoflife”.Mrs.Ramsay triesher besttobring Lilyback tolife fromher。