TTL: Character Analysis

In To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, the narrators change constantly. The kaleidoscopic narration allows each character to input their thoughts and feelings regarding each event and each character they interact with. Every perspective that is suggested gives insight into the character's qualities and others' opinions about them. Mr. Ramsay is an important character who is much talked about throughout the various narrations of the text. James, Lily and Mrs. Ramsay express their feelings toward Mr. Ramsay in their narrations. As each of these characters have diverse relationships with Mr. Ramsay, their perspectives change; however, their overall conclusion of him as a person have similarities.

James Ramsay is the first to portray his feelings toward his father. Although the narration is given in third person omniscient, the basic relationship between the father and son can be interpreted. It irritates James that his father is always right:  "What he said was true. It was always true. He was incapable of untruth; never tampered with a fact" (4). His father dismisses his hopes of going to the lighthouse the next day which makes James want to "[gash] a hole in his father's breast and [kill] him, there and then" (4). Although this is an extreme thought for a six year old boy, it is only an exaggerated representation of what James feels when his father forces reality onto him. James's anger, however, does not last very long because he is aware of his father's intellectual superiority. His acceptance that his father is always right shows that there is a degree of respect and acknowledgement of Mr. Ramsay's statement.

Lily's feelings toward Mr. Ramsay are conflicting. She expresses admiration and awe because of his superiority; however, she also pities him to a certain extent because he disregards anything that does not make logical sense to him: "Naturally, if one's days were passed in this seeing of angular essences, this reducing of lovely evenings, [...] naturally one could not be judged like an ordinary person" (23). Lily does not understand how he can be so focused only on things relating to his studies and dismiss everything else. While feeling sorry for his ineptitude in the emotional areas of life, she refers to him as one of "the finest minds" (23). She is intrigued with his way of life because she can relate to his noble effort of progressing the alphabet, just as she is trying to progress in society.

Mrs. Ramsay's relationship with Mr. Ramsay is the most complex due to their intense differences in character. Mrs. Ramsay is aware of his superiority just as James and Lily are: "she believed it to be true; that with all his gloom and desperation he was happier, more hopeful on the whole, than she was. Less exposed to human worries [...] He had always his work to fall back on" (59). Mrs. Ramsay is constantly preoccupied with the needs of others and tending to everyone. She notices that Mr. Ramsay appears to be happier with his life due to his careless attitude towards anything that does not effect him. She pities him but understand him.

TTLH #2

In To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, there is a stark comparison that is set up between Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay throughout the events of "The Window". In various instances, Mrs. Ramsay's compassionate and gentle nature greatly contrasts Mr. Ramsay's realistic and factual stance about anything and everything. Mrs. Ramsay thinks about things that are not plausible, and this angers Mr. Ramsay: "Why, she asked, pressing her chin on James's head, should they grow up so fast? [...] And, touching his hair with her lips, she thought, he will never be so happy again, but stopped herself, remembering how it angered her husband that she should say that. Still, it was true. They were happier now than they would ever be again" (58-59). Her idea of never wanting the kids to grow up angers Mr. Ramsay because he knows that it is not a realistic thought. She is constantly having mental battles with a figurative Mr. Ramsay in her mind, before verbally communicating. Mrs. Ramsay's idea of contentment and happiness is the equivalent of being a carefree child. She sees the joy and freedom that they have by being young and innocent. Although Mrs. Ramsay is persistent with her thoughts which anger Mr. Ramsey, she is convinced and consumed by his superior knowledge. As she tells him that growing up means you lose everything, he responds saying, "Why take such a gloomy view of life? [...] It is not sensible" (59). Mr. Ramsay's answer is curt and simple, but it is enough to make her change her mind about what she originally thought: "And she believed it to be true; that with all his gloom and desperation he was happier, more hopeful on the whole, than she was. Less exposed to human worries [...] He had always his work to fall back on" (59). Mr. Ramsay has a set ideal of what life is and what is realistic; therefore, he always has a firm mindset. Mrs. Ramsay is in awe with his dismissive response and straightforwardness. Mrs. Ramsay's epiphany shows that she may not be as collected and content as she presents herself to be. She questions her happiness and ability to hope.

PODG Outline: Prompt 2

Mariana Goncalves

Mr. George

AP Lit

12 March 2014

Nature vs. Nurture

Thesis: Dorian Gray is introduced with his simple and pure nature, but is molded and manipulated into a vain and evil person. A continuation of foul deeds can corrupt a person's character; however, Dorian is transformed into a truly bad person by external influences rather than his own impulses and desires.

I. Dorian, representing a clean slate, becomes a truly bad person due to his lack of understanding of the world around him, making him an empty vessel for those around him to fill.

A. "He has a simple and a beautiful nature. Your aunt was quite right in what she said of him. Don't spoil him. Don't try to influence him" (10).

1. Basil is aware of Dorian's untouched soul, and wants to preserve it. He is also aware that if Dorian is influenced by Lord Henry, he will become a product of Lord Henry's hedonistic ideals.

II. Human nature consists of innate feelings, desires and actions which one cannot fully control.

A. "To be good is to be in harmony with one's self, [...] discord is to be forced to be in harmony with others. One's own life – that is the important thing. [...] Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one's age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality" (57).

1. The main idea of hedonism is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. This tactic is a natural human instinct regardless of the hedonistic principle. Lord Henry teaches Dorian that the only thing that matters is his pleasure and happiness with himself.

2. Lord Henry's advice about inner peace and harmony teaches Dorian to be unsympathetic towards the people he interacts with. Dorian's innocent character absorbs this advice like a sponge and suffers greatly from it.  

III. Dorian's continuous evil actions caused him to lose his innocence completely. Although his foul deeds were elicited by someone else, he feels remorse once he realizes there is no return.

A. “Every moment of his lonely childhood came back to him as he looked round. He recalled the stainless purity of his boyish life, and it seemed horrible to him that it was here the fatal portrait was to be hidden away” (89).

1. Dorian is aware that his once known innocence and purity have been completely spoiled and lost.

The Flea and The Apparition

The themes of fault and unity in "The Flea", are contrasted to the themes of repentance and innocence in "The Apparition" by the author's use of tone. The contrasting ideas are used for a similar purpose which is to determine the fate of the deadly flea.

The aggressive and admiring tone in "The Flea" The speaker describes the situation in a warning-like manner as he says, "It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be" (3-4). While warning the other person of the flea, the speaker uses their blood taken by the flea to unite them. The speaker's tone is aggressive towards the flea, but is loving towards the person he is speaking to: "This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed" (13-14). The blood of the two people being together inside the flea is the same as their physical bodies being married and laying in a bed together. The flea is metaphorically a child: a result of marriage. Although the flea is looked upon as a killer who sucks blood, the flea becomes the holder of multiple lives after taking blood. If the flea dies, it will be killing multiple people: "... this flea's death took life from thee" (29-30). The speaker condemns the flea for sucking their blood but also admires it for uniting their blood.

The contemplative and threatening tone in "The Apparition" represents the mixed feelings the speaker has towards the flea in comparison to "The Flea". Rather than killing the flea as revenge for killing him, the speaker says, "What I will say, I will not tell thee now, Lest that preserve thee; and since my love is spent, I'd rather thou shouldst painfully repent, than by my threatenings rest still innocent" (17-21). If the speaker threatens the flea, he will be doing something just as wrong as the flea sucking the blood of others. The speaker wants the flea to repent and feel the guilt for taking a life. The speaker wants to cause harm to the flea but is hesitant: "WHEN by thy scorn, O murd'ress, I am dead, And that thou thinkst thee free From all solicitation from me, Then shall my ghost come to thy bed" (1-5). The flea thinks that after killing the speaker, nothing harmful will happen. The speaker wants to simply show the flea that he cannot feel content after doing such a terrible thing.