Redefining gender roles: The Image of Women in Virginia Woolf’s 'To the Lighthouse'

Term Paper (Advanced seminar) , 2008 , 25 Pages , Grade: 2

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

Virginia Woolf can undoubtedly be regarded as one of the most famous writers of the modernist era. However, she was not merely a writer, at the same time she was a biographer, an essayist and also a feminist. Being a female writer in a patriarchal society, Woolf raises issues on gender and gender roles, and challenges the role of the Victorian woman, both in her novels as well as in her other essays. The ideas of women, their role and identity become especially obvious in her novel To the Lighthouse, as here Woolf clearly juxtaposes the two images of women, namely the Victorian ideal and the New Woman.
Furthermore, her novels do not merely demonstrate the redefinition of gender roles but also the changes happening in narrative techniques employed in novels during the modernist era. Being part of this movement and the literary changes happening during that time, Woolf herself contributes greatly to shaping the new woman’s identity, as she sets out to destroy the stereotype of that time which suggested that only men can write.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• The Victorian Woman
• The emergence of a New Woman - Woolf's Three Guineas
• Redefining Gender in To the Lighthouse
  • Mrs. Ramsay - The Angel in the House
  • Lily Briscoe – The new woman
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This paper examines the redefinition of gender roles in Virginia Woolf's novel To the Lighthouse, focusing on the portrayal of women in a patriarchal society. It explores how Woolf challenges the Victorian ideal of womanhood and presents a new vision of female identity through the characters of Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe. The paper also analyzes the impact of Woolf's work on the emergence of the New Woman movement.

• The Victorian Woman and the Angel in the House
• The New Woman and her emergence in the 20th century
• The portrayal of women in To the Lighthouse
• The impact of Woolf's work on gender roles and feminist thought
• The evolution of narrative techniques in modernist literature

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The first chapter provides a detailed analysis of the Victorian ideal of womanhood, exploring the social, cultural, and legal constraints placed upon women during this era. It examines the concept of the Angel in the House, the role of marriage and motherhood, and the limitations imposed on women's education and employment opportunities. The chapter also discusses the impact of Queen Victoria's reign on the shaping of the Victorian woman's identity.

The second chapter delves into the emergence of the New Woman movement in the early 20th century, highlighting the challenges to traditional gender roles and the rise of feminist thought. It examines Virginia Woolf's own contributions to this movement through her essays and novels, particularly her work Three Guineas. The chapter explores the key characteristics of the New Woman, including her pursuit of education, independence, and self-expression.

The third chapter focuses on the redefinition of gender roles in To the Lighthouse. It analyzes the contrasting portrayals of Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe, representing the Victorian ideal and the New Woman respectively. The chapter examines how Woolf uses these characters to explore the complexities of female identity, the limitations of traditional gender roles, and the potential for women to break free from societal expectations.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include gender roles, Victorian woman, New Woman, Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse, feminist thought, modernist literature, Angel in the House, Mrs. Ramsay, Lily Briscoe, and the redefinition of gender in the 20th century. The paper explores the impact of Woolf's work on the changing perceptions of women and their roles in society, highlighting the emergence of a new feminist consciousness and the evolution of narrative techniques in modernist literature.

• College: University of Frankfurt (Main) (Institut für England- und Amerikastudien)
• Course: Getting High on Woolf’s Modernism
• Grade: 2
• Author: Anja Benthin (Author)
• Publication Year: 2008
• Pages: 25
• Catalog Number: V127155
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640339426
• ISBN (Book): 9783640336920
• Language: English
• Tags: Woolf, To the lighthouse, women, gender, geschlechterstudien, modernism, new woman, victorian woman, narrative, stream of consciousness, identity, Lily, Ramsay, gender roles, virginia, patriarchal society, lighthouse, frauen