The Destiny Of Women In To The Lighthouse-A Conflict Analysis Of Women Characters

Adeline Virginia Woolf(1982-1941)has been engaged in depicting the life and destiny of women at her time.She portrays the figures of Mrs.Ramsey and Lily Briscoe who represent the "house angel" and "new women" respectively in her masterpiece To the Lighthouse to reflect the complex psychological conflicts faced by traditional women and the tortuous course new women undergo in their pursuit of self-identity.There are numerous researches and theses on Woolf and her works,but most of them center on her writing skill of stream of consciousness,feminist thought and the idea of androgyny.There is still room for the study of the deep reasons for the destiny of women in To the Lighthouse and the complicated conflicts which affect women's destiny.Conflicts are one of the most significant forces which determine the destiny of a character.Conflict analysis is a comprehensive and fundamental way to explore the underlying causes for characters' destiny.With the view of conflict analysis,the thesis studies the conflicting relationships around Mrs.Ramsey and Lily Briscoe in detail to exhibit their destiny clearly and to explore the deep meaning behind their destiny.The thesis begins with a brief introduction of Virginia Woolf and To the Lighthouse,and draws a general description of the female status in the Victorian society.Then the author makes a detailed conflict analysis of women's destiny.The thesis launches the analysis from three aspects.Firstly,it analyzes the male-female relationship from male perspective to describe the social background which causes the conflicts between male and female and to provide a reference for the following analysis.Secondly,it analyzes the conflict relationships around Mrs.Ramsey and Lily,including their conflicts with men,women and themselves to reveal their complicated inner struggle,the doomed fate of Mrs.Ramsey and the difficult process Lily undergoes to find her own identity.Through the conflict analysis,the thesis reveals not only the fundamental causes for the destiny of the protagonists but also their good qualities and glory of their virtue.Thirdly it tries to explore the deep meaning behind women's destiny,that is the growth and independence of women are the cooperative result of keeping their self-conscience in adversity,respecting the contribution of female predecessors who may seem weak but have made their utmost efforts in their environments,and the reconciliation and mutual-respect between the two genders.