To the Lighthouse

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Q: Discuss the third section as befitting conclusion to novel? "To the Lighthouse" is based on stream of conscious technique. It mainly deals with the different ways of perceiving the life. Many of the people in it are struggling to find answers to the answerable questions in the first section: `Who knows what we are? What we feel? These questions have reechoed in the third section. Similarly, there are number of issues which are left loose ended in first part have resolved and tied up in the third section. Structurally speaking the novel is divided into three parts with the unequal lengths of time covered by each of three sections. The first and the third -`The Window' and `The Lighthouse' each occupy less than a day. On the other hand, the middle section, `Time Passes' deals with a span of about ten years. But, there is coherence in the structure, first and third part are well connected. This unity is achieved by the power of an individual's mind to bring all elements of living and feeling together and make sense of them; Lily Briscoe mainly plays this part in the last section. Secondly, the apparent device of ending the `The Window' on night and starting the `The lighthouse' with morning unite the two sections. With this unity constructed, we find the unresolved issues addressed at start, are brought back to live in third part. However, number of characters is missing including protagonist of the novel Mrs. Ramsay. Her absence is felt, but we see that Mrs. Ramsay remains the driving force in solving every problem. To start with, the main concern of expedition to lighthouse is brought into action because of Mrs. Ramsay. She said at start concerning this issue that they will go, "if it's fine tomorrow." Further, on s... ... middle of paper ... ...lighthouse true and in a way accepts the fact father and mother are equally important in his life. Mr. Carmichael, who is seen idle in the beginning, played important part in third. He provides the key answers for Lily Briscoe in achieving her vision. Apart from that, Lily Briscoe achieves what Mrs.Ramsay wanted to achieve. She succeed in forming a communication with Mr. Carmichael at the end, when he says, "They have landed" Lily immediately realizes that he is with her and thinking of the same thing. The last section, stand as the befitting end for the novel. The declaration, "He has landed," and "it is finished" are the official declaration of all the matters being solved. Structurally and thematically third section fulfills all the necessary issues and concludes what ever is started in the first portion of the novel.

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