This term paper will deal with the discourse of marriage in "To the Lighthouse" and how it is criticised in the novel. A theoretical outline of the construct of marriage in the Victorian era will be presented in order to show how wives in particular were restricted by dominant gender roles of the Victorian era.
In order to indicate that the ideology of Victorian marriage is refuted in the novel, the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay will be analysed in detail. Furthermore, the character Lily Briscoe will be illustrated as an antagonist of Victorian marriage ideology since she consciously decides against marriage.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Discourse of Marriage in the Victorian Era
- The Critique of Marriage in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse
- The Marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay
- Lily Briscoe's Position on Marriage
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This term paper aims to analyze the discourse of marriage in Virginia Woolf's novel "To the Lighthouse" and critically examine how the novel challenges the Victorian ideology of marriage. It explores the restrictive nature of gender roles in Victorian England, specifically focusing on how wives were confined by societal expectations and the "separate spheres" doctrine.
- The Victorian concept of marriage as a societal institution and its impact on women's lives.
- The portrayal of marriage in "To the Lighthouse" and how it differs from the idealized Victorian model.
- The role of female characters, specifically Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe, in challenging traditional notions of marriage.
- The use of modernist literary techniques, such as interior monologues, to reveal the characters' perspectives on marriage and societal conventions.
Chapter Summaries
The introduction provides context for the novel "To the Lighthouse" and Virginia Woolf's modernist approach to writing. It introduces the key themes of marriage, gender roles, and societal conventions that will be explored throughout the paper.
The second chapter focuses on the discourse of marriage in the Victorian era, analyzing the societal expectations, gender stereotypes, and the concept of "separate spheres" that shaped the institution of marriage during this period. It examines how women were expected to embody the ideal of the "Angel in the House" and the consequences of this expectation for their lives.
The third chapter delves into the critique of marriage in "To the Lighthouse," analyzing the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay and examining how it reflects and challenges the Victorian model. It also explores the character of Lily Briscoe as a figure who actively rejects the traditional path of marriage.
Keywords
This term paper focuses on the discourse of marriage, Victorian era, gender roles, "separate spheres," "Angel in the House," "To the Lighthouse," Virginia Woolf, modernist literature, interior monologues, societal conventions, and feminist perspectives.
- Quote paper
- Katharina Zeiger (Author), 2017, The Critique of Marriage in Virginia Woolf’s "To the Lighthouse", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/458187
