Faculty of philology department of english philology viktorija mi

Structure in the Novel, we can say that this novel describes ordinary people’s journey in the flow of 
time and covers all the periods of human life, namely: childhood, youth, maturity, old age and 
death. Thus, from this perspective, time in the novel becomes an active participant that develops 
and alters people’s lives, reshapes their decisions, and influences their inner and outer changes. 
As the last metaphor that I intend to analyze states, art can also be understood as a 
metaphorical journey. In my opinion, in the novel Woolf describes the characters’ lives by means of 
the portrayal of fragmentary moments occurring in characters’ mind on ordinary days. It seems 
certainly that their mind receives a flow of various impressions that are at the same time 
inconsequential, unbelievable, and momentary. In To the Lighthouse, Woolf provides the 
description, transformation and psychological analysis of her characters that attract her readers’ 
attention because of the openness of their psyches. Consequently, I tend to believe that Woolf’s 
characters are rarely described directly by means of their physical appearance or concrete activities, 
as very often they are surrounded by a sense of inexplicability and mystery. Art plays a significant 
role in their lives. According to Julia Briggs (2006:103), “at the centre of “To the Lighthouse”, 
stands the painter and her portrait whose structure epitomizes that of the novel itself”. Briggs says 
that one of the major characters Lily believes that art connects human conscious with the 
subconscious and allows people to explore their inner selves and to understand their ever changing 
body, mind, and the world that they are surrounded by. Indeed, I support this idea and think that art 
reflects the most important part of every human being.
In the novel, we learn that it takes more than ten years for Lily to complete her single 
painting. Thus, it is obvious that art is a long journey through imagination, aiming to heighten and 
focus people’s inner mind and to see beyond the ordinary details. Indeed, I believe that although 
people see different things and acquire different experience, their emotions and the ability to 
represent are the most important forces that create and enhance art. Lily’s picture in the novel 
clearly grounds the claim that there is no greater happiness for a human being than to be clear 
sighted and to know this miracle when it happens. This makes for great art as it explains the 
differences in impressions we receive from art works of different artists. I suppose that Woolf 

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shows in Lily’s character that to be an artist is to live and feel and only then to express, and to 
become aware of things in everyday life that people usually do not notice. By comparison, 
Elizabeth Abel (1989) thinks that art is important for all human beings because it enables people to 
do as much as possible in the everyday bits of their lives. With each work of art that he or she 
creates, the artist gains a greater feeling of life and understanding of himself, which will affect his 
or her mind forever. Indeed, according to ancient Greek legends, it is believed that these feelings 
represent moments of the purest freedom of the divine spirit that is present in every human. Once an 
artist creates an image which truly represents that emotional state of mind, the work becomes 
precious to him. That is why towards the end of the novel, when Lily finally finishes her painting, 
she experiences a great deal stronger feelings than effortless happiness of satisfaction. I think that 
the following example from To the Lighthouse (1996) shows that instead, she feels exhausted both 
physically and mentally and relieved as if she has just completed the most difficult task in her life: 
(39) With a sudden intensity, as if she saw it clear for a second, she drew a line there, 
in the centre. It was done; it was finished. Yes, she thought, laying down her 
brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision. (209) 
As can be seen form this passage, Lily is satisfied with her canvas as she finally sees the picture that 
she had been creating for years in front of her. Although the picture portrays something unreal and 
not fully understandable, something which cannot be merely physically measured and is only 
realized as a vision, it is possible to feel the beauty of this work of art which is in the work itself, the 
feeling it creates. Without a doubt, during the long journey towards the realization of her vision, 
Lily had a chance to reconsider events and experiences in her life as well as reflect on her beliefs. 
This idea is supported by the theorists Ruland and Bradbury (1991:219) who argue that indeed, 
Woolf “portrayed human consciousness struggling for pragmatic definition […], while 
consciousness was not a chain of linked segments”. Consequently, I would like to claim that her 
picture can be understood as the allusion to her life and to human life in general, as the whole life 
can be treated as a picture that improves on the basis of the collaborative effort of the humankind 
and nobody knows what the final version of this painting will look like.

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