Lily’s Artifice and Mr. Ramseys Work in To the...

A Comparison of Lily’s Artifice and Mr. Ramseys Work in To the Lighthouse In Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, Mr. Ramsey’s lone philosophical work is contrasted against Lily’s encompassing paintings. Both Lily’s and Mr. Ramsey’s professions require sacrifices; Lily gives up the ideal marital life whereas Mr. Ramsey has his wife forfeit her happiness to restore his. Through his work, Mr. Ramsey is able to build himself up and look as though he is a strong male figure. Lily also finds strength within her artistry, rejecting the traditional â€Å"mother-woman† image and taking on an identity that is unique in her society. Mr. Ramsey’s and Lily’s process of thinking are particular to their work; a philosopher must†¦show more content†¦A female artist gives up society’s forced vision of marriage in order to achieve ultimate individuality and freedom within her art. Lily is only able to part herself from this tradition by â€Å"gathering a desperate courage† (50) which wou ld eventually â€Å"urge her own exemption from the universal law†(50). This â€Å"universal law† was the belief that women could only be whole and complete by having a male counterpart. Lily’s rejection of marital life is a tragedy in Mrs. Ramsey’s eyes; Mrs. Ramsey represents a consensus of society’s beliefs and feels that â€Å"an unmarried woman has missed the best of life† (49). Mrs. Ramsey sees her as â€Å"cold and aloof and rather self-sufficing† (104), all of which are characteristics that women should not possess. Women are expected to be self-sacrificing and in a constant cheery mood so that they will uplift and provide contentment for their husbands. Her civilization looks down upon her for being an â€Å"independent little creature† (17) who â€Å"would never marry† (17). Lily is reduced to being â€Å"little† throughout the novel not because she was literally small, but because society saw h er as insignificant and unproductive as a female artist. Only men were supposed to be the ones who could possibly handle a singular life. Mr. Ramsey defeats this image because he is weak and needs someone to be a martyr to his philosophical work. He needs others to validate his work. Once he has