Comparison / Contrast of “Mrs. Dalloway” and “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf. The Significance of Marine Imagery in Both Novels as Metaphoric for Human Existence
Two novels by Virginia Woolf named “Mrs. Dalloway” and “To the Lighthouse” present a great interest for researchers in many crucial aspects that can be regarded in the variety of contexts and in the variety of themes, like natural human feelings, expectations, desires, the essence of finding the way to happiness. Many characters in both of these novels are depicted from the widest perceptions of close interactions with nature, specifically with sea, waves and water.
The both novels present a good background for discussion about the nature of relations between people from the perspectives of their unity with nature. For Virginia Woolf and her modernist way of treating basic human needs and relations, human beings are the part of natural world, so they should act under the laws of natural world. Undoubtedly, sea and marine imagery present good symbols for the better understanding of human feelings and life events. The marine imagery presents a great significance being metaphoric for human existence. In the opinion of Virginia Woolf, sea resembles the life of human beings who are struggling to survive under the rough conditions. The sea may be as calm as people are under some circumstances, when the life is going on and nothing special happens. And in the other periods of life, the circumstances may turn very hard to bear, and the burdens of life may be so hard, and the people are involved into fighting and continuous struggling for the better quality of life, so their life is similar to the stormy sea. The waves of the sea may go up and after the moment may fall down, it is always risky to face with the open sea when the storm is coming down, and only experienced sailors may take this risk and get all the benefits of it.
In addition, marine imagery presents the uniting symbol (this issue is typical for both novels). Particularly, for every character depicted by Virginia Woolf marine imagery and sea is a model of thinking, the flow of thoughts in some kind. For instance, the main character of the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” Clarissa thinks about the sea when she is mending her party dress before the event. The peaceful cycle of waves is contrasted to the upcoming noisy party that she is going to organize. When Clarissa is going back to the old days in her mind, the sea stands clear in her thoughts, as he “washes over events and thoughts” (Woolf, 2009, p. 37). Sea has the unique power to clear old events and make up new ones. For instance, when something from her heart reminds Clarissa about her marriage of Richard and refuse to marry Peter Walsh who was strongly in love with her and seems to love her still, she is trying to go under up the waterline of time trying to forget old days although Peter is reminding her the old days as soon as he arrives to meet her at her home.
The sea and marine images are not only the issues that are typical for human beings in general. In the opinion of Virginia Woolf, the nature of women is of having the water-like nature and water-like qualities. Women are always changing, both by mood and their attitude to life events. They seem to be often oppressed by the rules of society as well as the cruel rules of their husbands. The marriage is also a kind of water-like instrument that is completely in the hands of men – although even it seems to be strong and well-grounded in the beginning, and then it can be ruined by the harsh waters of sea, by storms of ever-changing life.
Like the marriage can be struck down with the lightning of unexpected life events, the water-likeness is also typical for Lily’s paintings (“To the Lighthouse”). Although the works of art are created for eternity, there is no guarantee that they will be forgotten at all like their author. The fluidity of thoughts mirrors in Lily’s paintings reflecting the essence of life of human beings.
The image of time in both of these novels is water-like and fluid. For instance, there is some passage in the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” that is related to the essence of time from the perspective of Virginia Woolf. The author describes the setting when The Big Ben struck is heard in Clarissa’s room, and she thinks that the time passing by “floods” her room, marking one more hour that is already passed. The narrative structure of the novel is well supported by this passage when the main character don’t really know what to do in her life, where to find more happiness and self-consciousness. Being afraid of death, Clarissa thinks more and more about the sea that has already seen everything in this changing life, as many generations were passed through the variety of ages and saw the sea almost in the same settings. Every symbol of life finds its reflection in the sea frames, as water is the most essential part in this planet. It is very important for life on the Earth, for every living-being – humans, plants, insects, animals, etc. The unique setting in our planet, where nothing is possible without the water, suggests the opinion for Virginia Woolf that the water is ruling everything in this world. Let us consider the life of those people from the poor regions of Africa where water is a deficit substance. If no water, - there no plants and no farming, as water brings everything to people.
Being up and down the water is another issue of interest and widest interpretation in the both novels by this author. If the life is a big sea, then all the people are similar to big and small ships who are wishing to stay up the water-line. Managing a ship in the water is not as easy task as it may seem, as sailor and captain skills are not for all people on the Earth. Not everyone in this life can really adjust to the rules of society that are sometimes not fair, cruel, and initially bad and cannot be changed by individuals, due to their systematic character. While for some people, the waves of the sea and sea winds (sent from Aeolus, the God of the wind, according to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks) are of the positive influence, they may be destructive for others. Let’s recollect in mind the waves sent to the great Odyssey from the God of the Sea Poseidon who sent many trials to him to test the ancient hero who was coming back from Troy to his native island. The theme of Ulysses was typical for many modernist writers including Joyce and also Virginia Woolf. If the gods are angry, the sea can be extremely destructive, and none of humans can do anything to stand strong when it comes to the struggle with nature.
The examples of such struggle can be found in both of the novels by Virginia Woolf that are under the analysis. One of the characters of the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” Lady Bradshow “had gone under” (Woolf, 2009, p. 77) suppressed by her husband Sir William’s will. Another example from this novel is Septimus for whom it is very difficult to adjust to the changing and troubled rules of society of those days. It is not by coincidence that when he is looking out of the window before committing suicide it seems to him that everything is under water. It’s not only related to some shift in his mind, but also is a good proof of the main idea of the novel that is transformed and depicted by the author using some marine imagery. When water is coming to Earth, it is not only ruins houses, trees, but also takes human lives away.
Septimus’s instant violence against himself in the novel “Mrs. Dalloway” is contrasted to the gradual destruction caused by the sea and presented in the novel “To the Lighthouse”. For instance, decimating islands is the symbol of self-destruction from inside that is typical for many characters in both of novels, especially for Clarissa who feels lonely in this world (the fact that she buys flowers for she proves the opinion that she feels very lonely in her inner world, always in search for happy moments).
The principles of society dictate the same rules for all people suggesting to be strong when instead of the “watery-gold” light, the storm is outside that affect all the aspects of human life, including way of life, relations, work, family, etc. Even the trees in one of the Woolf’s novels are depicted as those who drag their branches through air like through water. For them, the air is an essential component of their existence.
The existentiality in novels by Virginia Woolf is closely related both to the sentimental loneliness and danger that every human being as well as living being may face with when building relations with other people, adjusting social rules and accepting them. Clarissa is compared by the author with a mermaid. It is not by coincidence that this comparison is presented by Clarissa’s friend peter that is in love with her. At the party, he meets her dressed in “silver-green mermaid’s dress” (Woolf, 2009, p. 57) that suits her very well. This dress symbolizes not only Clarissa’s fluidity and water-like existence, but also that she presents a great danger for Peter who has been in love with her for many years, in spite of that she has got married to another man. Like a mermaid he attracted him and did not let him go. Moreover, Clarissa is leading him deeper and deeper to the sea of life, and he cannot manage to leave this obsession. Clarissa manages to function in the society, although sometimes her thoughts are turned far away from the common state of things. According to her unique world view, life is a long-long sea voyage that is full of danger. In Clarissa’s opinion, there is no sense to give birth to children in such a cruel world where they would hardly able to float above the water.
In both of these novels, Virginia Woolf depicts the sea beautifully and lovingly. It seems like, for the author, sea is a superficial power of nature that cannot be conquered by humans. In contrast to the settings in the novel “Mrs. Dalloway”, in “To the Lighthouse” the setting are some different. Both engaged with marine theme, the novels are different in its presentation and interpretation. “Mrs. Dalloway” is the novel where the central figure is a human. Although Clarissa stands strong in life, she seems to be very lonely her “mermaidness” and loneliness can be compared to the Lighthouse that is a man-made item, but seems to be like an alive character for some other characters of this novel. Unlike Clarissa (“a mermaid”), the lighthouse does not attract men who lost their way in the sea of life, but shows them the right way in the changing weather circumstances of floating. For instance, for the character of the novel “To the Lighthouse” James, the lighthouse is a symbol of his childhood. (Woolf, 1927). When he reminds about or sees it, he turns very sentimental trying to go back to the old days when the life was simpler. Unlike Clarissa, the lighthouse shows the right way, to the old days of the childhood for those who are lost in the sea-waves of the adult life. If every person on Earth could find the light of such a lighthouse in their lives, the floating on the troubled sea would be much easier.
Works Cited
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse. London: Hogarth,1927. Print.
