In Virginia Woolf's novel "To the Lighthouse", the author explores the theme of light through her characters Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe . Both women identify light differently in their lives, figuratively and metaphorically, and use light as a means of connection and inspiration. Both characters are touched by the lines of light from the lighthouse and its rhythm of movement. Mrs. Ramsay connects to the strong guiding light of the lighthouse and finds fulfillment in channeling its light through her own actions. Lily seeks the balance of light through her painting of Mrs. Ramsay, creating a beautiful, meaningful work of art that allows her to express herself while preserving Mrs. Ramsay's memory. Each character has a different interpretation of light and how it affects them throughout the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayMrs. Ramsay is seen as the embodiment of light in the first section of the novel when she comforts her husband before dinner. Mrs. Ramsay uses her keen sense of intuition when her husband approaches her after interacting with their children. The Ramsay children do not care for their father as much as their mother, which often leaves Mr. Ramsay feeling sorry for himself. When Mr. Ramsay stands behind his wife, as if to demand her empathy, Mrs. Ramsay knows that "it was sympathy he wanted, first to be assured of his genius, then to be taken into the circle of life , reheated.” and soothed, so that he may regain his senses, his sterility may be rendered fertile, and all the rooms of the house may be filled with life” (37). Mrs. Ramsay acts as a source of light in this scene by the way she uses her energy to help restore her husband. Ramsay prepares to console Mr. Ramsay: “(she) sat loosely folding her son in her arms, braced herself and half turned around, seemed to rise with an effort and immediately poured down a shower straight in the air. of energy, a column of spray, seeming both animated and alive, as if all its energies were fused into force, burning and illuminating” (37). Mrs. Ramsay helps her husband in the same way a lighthouse would help guide a sailor to shore. The image created by this scene is similar to the description of a lighthouse through the use of words and descriptions. Mrs. Ramsay “stands up” in an “erect” position, creating the image of a tall, unwavering beacon for the reader to visualize. The “rain” and “spray” in the air emphasize the nautical setting and the lighthouse’s ability to withstand the elements while guiding sailors to shore. Mrs. Ramsay uses her energy and “illuminates” the scene, allowing the reader to visualize a beam of light emanating from the lighthouse and passing through Mrs. Ramsay. After Mrs. Ramsay devoted all her love and dedication to restoring her husband's sense of security. , Mrs. Ramsay is exhausted. The author writes: “Thus, boasting of her ability to surround and protect, she had almost no shell of herself left to know herself; everything was so lavish and spent” (38). Yet just as the lighthouse illuminates the shore, Mrs. Ramsay uses its energy to give light and life to her husband, her children, and her guests. When alone after the party, Mrs. Ramsay even identifies with the lighthouse as she watches its beam of light circle the shore while she sits alone knitting: "stopping there, she looked to meet this shot of the lighthouse, the long regular line. , the last of the three, which was his stroke, because looking at them like that, still at that hour, one could not help butto become attached to one thing, especially things that one saw; and this thing, this long steady stroke, was his stroke. Often she found herself sitting and watching, sitting and watching, with her work in her hands until she became what she looked like...like...light for example” (63). This shows the reader that Mrs. Ramsay identifies with the lighthouse and uses it as a source of inspiration and rejuvenation. Lily Briscoe greatly admires Mrs. Ramsay, and it is no coincidence that Lily experiences the effects of light throughout the novel. Lily is not an embodiment of light but rather an observer or student of light. Lily sees Mrs. Ramsay as a mother figure and is drawn to her inner light, often wondering how she can obtain or reproduce it. Lily is also trying to learn more about light and recreate it in her painting. Just as Mrs. Ramsay loses herself in the rhythm of the lighthouse's rays, Lily loses herself in the rhythm of her brushstrokes as she paints and attempts to capture the essence of light. As Lily paints, she "dives precariously among the blues and shadows, moving her brush here and there, but it was now heavier and went more slowly, as if it had conformed to a rhythm of its own." dictated (she continued to look at the hedge, at the canvas) by what she saw, so that her hand quivered with life, this rhythm was strong enough to carry her with it in its currents. Certainly, she lost awareness of external things” (p. 159). Just like Mrs. Ramsay to the rhythm of the lighthouse beam, Lily feels the same rhythm as she attempts to bring her vision to life on her canvas. The light acts as an inspiration and guide for both women as they realize what they believe to be their true purpose in life. The way Lily paints also shows the reader how she puts her life and the world around her into perspective. Lily painstakingly tries to capture the balance of light in her painting and feel the rhythm of each stroke in order to bring her vision to life. Lily looks at the world as a series of opposites with checks and balances as she attempts to perfect her painting. The author writes: “And so, stopping and wavering, she achieved a dancing rhythmic movement, as if the pauses were one part of the rhythm and the strokes another, and all were linked” (p. 158) . Lily truly begins to unleash her creativity on the canvas as soon as she is able to let the rhythm take over. Lily lets go of her insecurities and inhibitions once she feels connected to the source of her inspiration. She is able to add a shadow or line in the right place after feeling close to the lines of the headlight beam and the strokes of her brush. Lily allows the reader to see that there can be no light without darkness; shadows exist just as much as vivid brilliance. Lily helps the reader understand this when she thinks about Mrs. Ramsay's life after her death. Lily still admires Mrs. Ramsay and thinks of her fondly even after her death several years ago. When Lily thinks about everything Mrs. Ramsay has done in her life, she realizes that Mrs. Ramsay has lived a fairly simple life. When Charles Tansley asks Lily to explain the meaning of his painting, she begins to question the meaning of life and comes to the conclusion that Mrs. Ramsay's ability to bring people together and share with them her warmth and his inner light was something incredible. Lily stops and thinks about the time when she, Mrs. Ramsay, and Charles Tansley were all together on the beach several summers ago. She reflects: “Perhaps the big reveal never came. Instead, there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck.