Discuss the character of Lily Briscoe.
To the Lighthouse is a notable literary work by Virginia Woolf. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of To the Lighthouse.
Answer
Discuss the character of Lily Briscoe. [NU: 2019, 21] ★★★
Virginia Woolf’s (1882–1941) “To the Lighthouse” (1927) takes place in the summer house in the Hebrides. Among the Ramsay family and guests, Lily Briscoe is the most important. She is a young painter. She is not married. She lives with her art. Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay, their children, Charles Tansley, William Bankes, Paul Rayley, Minta Doyle, and Augustus Carmichael all meet her.
Lily as a Painter: Lily is an artist. She paints in the garden of the summer house. She begins a portrait of Mrs. Ramsay and little James. Charles Tansley insults her. He says,
“Women can’t paint, women can’t write.”
These words hurt Lily. She doubts herself. But she continues her painting. Her art shows courage. She paints when others talk, laugh, or quarrel. Art is her way to express herself.
Lily and Mrs. Ramsay: Lily is deeply connected with Mrs. Ramsay. She loves Mrs. Ramsay’s kindness and beauty. She often looks at her with admiration. She thinks,
“Fifty pairs of eyes were not enough to get round that one woman with”.
Mrs. Ramsay wants Lily to marry William Bankes. But Lily refuses. She prefers art to marriage. She says love is not her choice. The narrator says,
“She would never marry… she was an independent little creature.”
Still, she respects Mrs. Ramsay as the center of the house. After Mrs. Ramsay’s sudden death, Lily remembers her. She paints to keep Mrs. Ramsay alive. In her heart, Mrs. Ramsay is always present.
Lily and Mr. Ramsay: Lily has a complex relationship with Mr. Ramsay. She sees him as harsh and selfish. He demands sympathy. On the morning of the Lighthouse journey, he turns to Lily. Lily feels pity, but she cannot give him what Mrs. Ramsay gave. Yet she respects him as a philosopher. When he sails with James and Cam, Lily watches. She sees his authority, but also his need for love.