Subjective Reality The omniscient narrator remained the standard figure in fiction through the end of the nineteenth

century, providing an informed and objective account of the characters and the plot. The turn of the 20th century, however, witnessed innovations in writing .Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse is the triumphant product of this innovation, creating a reality that is completely constructed by the collection of the multiple subjective interiorities of its characters and presented in a stream-of-consciousness format. Woolf creates a fictional world in which no objective, omniscient narrator is present. Time is an essential component of experience and reality and, in many ways, the novel is about the passage of time. However, Woolf does not represent time in a traditional way:time here is a forward motion that both accelerates and collapses. In "The Window" and "The Lighthouse," time is conveyed only through the consciousness of the various characters, and moments last for pages. Indeed, "The Window" takes place over the course of a single afternoon that is expanded by Woolf's method, and "The Lighthouse" seems almost directly connected to the first section, despite the fact that ten years have actually elapsed. However, in "Time Passes," ten years are greatly compacted into a matter of pages, and the changes in the lives of the Ramsays and their home seem to flash by like scenes viewed from the window of a moving train. Time Time is one of the major themes of To the Lighthouse. Mrs. Ramsay cannot help to notice that the present moment becomes the past and she also worries endlessly about how time will change her children's lives. She does not want James and Cam to grow up, for she knows that they will inevitably suffer. This is why she wishes to stop time for her children, allowing them to be young and carefree forever. Mr. Ramsay is obsessed with the future and, more specifically, the future of his career. He desperately longs to achieve greatness as a philosopher, but is almost certain that he will not and that no one will read his books after he has gone. Lily Briscoe is also preoccupied with time, but her fixation changes shape over the course of the novel. Originally, she shares similar concerns with Mr. Ramsay, wondering whether anyone will ever see her paintings. By the final section of the novel, however, her thoughts are located more in the past and in her memories of Mrs. Ramsay. It is partially the effect of these memories that pushes her forward and brings her vision into focus. Ephemerality Few novels capture the ephemeral nature of life as vividly as Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse Each of the main characters grasp for symbols of permanence and stability despite their understanding of the transience of experience. Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay take completely different approaches to life: he relies on his intellect, while she depends on her emotions. But they share the knowledge that nothing lasts forever. Mrs. Ramsay is very much aware of the passage of time and of mortality. She reflects on James growing into an adult, registers the worlds many dangers, and knows that no one, not even her husband, can protect her from them. She wants to have precious and

memorable moments whatever time she has on earth,and also to unite her friends, family, and guests in the creation of lasting beauty. The Lighthouse Lying across the bay and meaning something different and intimately personal to each character, the lighthouse is at once inaccessible and infinitely interpretable. The lighthouse suggests that the destinations that seem surest are most unobtainable. Just as Mr. Ramsay is certain of his wifes love for him and aims to hear her speak words to that end in The Window, Mrs. Ramsay finds these words impossible to say. These failed attempts to arrive at some sort of solid ground, like Lilys first try at painting Mrs. Ramsay or Mrs. Ramsays attempt to see Paul and Minta married, result only in more attempts. The Lighthouse can also be interpreted as Mrs. Ramsay's source of stability and permanence, and it is the force that defines and joins the members of the Ramsay family. It is even present in their home during the ten years that the family is not there--presiding over the abandoned house. Lilys Painting Lilys painting represents a struggle against gender convention, represented by Charles Tansleys statement that women cant paint or write The painting also represents dedication to a feminine artistic vision, expressed through Lilys anxiety over showing it to William Bankes. In the end, she decides that her vision depends on balance and synthesis: how to bring together disparate things in harmony. The Sea The symbolism of the water is complex, for it seems to represent both permanence and ephemerality. Mrs. Ramsay enjoys listening to the waves beating against the shore. The rhythm is steady and constant, serving as a symbol of eternity. She learns to depend upon this sound, and it soothes her, providing a deep sense of stability Yet water also represents a destructive and erosive force. As Mr. Ramsay stands outside viewing the sea, he reflects that the piece of land beneath his feet will one day be completely worn away by the sea.As a force that brings destruction, the sea is a powerful reminder of the impermanence and delicacy of human life. The Ramsays House The Ramsays house is a stage where Woolf and her characters explain their beliefs and observations. In the Time Passes section, the ravages of war and destruction and the passage of time are reflected in the condition of the house rather than in the emotional development of the characters. The house stands in for the collective consciousness of those who stay in it. At times the characters long to escape it, while at other times it serves as refuge. From the dinner party to the journey to the lighthouse, Woolf shows the house from every angle, and its structure and contents mirror the interior of the characters who inhabit it. As a conclusion, the means of communicating the information about characters and events within the novel is fundamental in comprehending its central ideas, themes and symbols, giving the reader a unique viewpoint and understanding of its implications.