Generally, the main
theme of the two novels is the women's condition and their efforts through
life. They have to deal with a repressive society that – besides being
oppressive – is prejudiced. The repression of women consists in depriving them
of almost every opportunity to develop as individuals. In "Doll’s House" there is no allusion
or mention of the social classes, but in "To the Lighthouse" there are clear signs of a class society.
Furthermore, Nishimura differentiates between people with power and those
without. In both novels, oppression is more or less obvious.
The following article will be analyzed the two novels which – besides being similar – present many differences as well. The topic of the women's condition, oppressed by their environment, is almost the same; however, there are many differences in treating this theme.
"Doll’s House"
describes, a housewife named Norah and his husband, Helmer a couple having two
children. Throughout the story, more and more information about their marriage
is brought to light through dialogue between the characters. A possible reason
for the failed relationship could be Norah's lack of self-assertion; she always
lets her husband make decisions for her.
Visually, the writer uses
symbols that work as an analogy to the main character. The housewife in a
doll-house: Norah's life is like a doll-house because she lacks individuality
and acts as an accessory.
The story begins with
the wife cleaning the house, preparing dinner, and caring for the children. She
puts on a dress and goes to Helmer's office where he is having a party with his
friends and co-workers. Each person has a drink in their hand and is laughing
and talking throughout the night. Helmer makes his way to Norah while she is
watching her husband and his friends. He offers her a drink, which she
hesitantly accepts. They both sit on the couch and Norah eventually falls
asleep. The author writes, "Her head had dropped and she was fast asleep.
She looked very peaceful, but somehow or other he felt frightened of her peace
[…]"
This quote shows the reader that Norah is not happy with her life because she occasionally drinks alcohol to escape from reality. The quote does not show that Norah is happy with her life, but rather she lives it for the comfort of other people. She only does what others want her to do.
Read also, A Doll's House by
Henrik Ibsen; an In-depth Analysis |
"To the Lighthouse " is about Mr.
and Mrs. Ramsey who leads an uneventful life in an English village. They have
seven children (including triplets), and the story is mainly about their
experiences with them, especially after one of them dies. The novel is divided
into eight parts, with each part containing short chapters which come together
to form a final, coherent narrative. One of the predominant themes in the novel
is how growing up and raising children changes people and their perspectives.
Most of the story takes
place at a seaside house by the name of 'The Lighthouse' which symbolizes a
guiding light to its residents. In the novel, Mrs. Ramsey spends most of her
time cleaning and caring for her children when they are young, but when one
dies she feels useless and unable to complete even menial tasks such as sorting
laundry or cooking a meal. This lack of meaning in everyday trivial activities
can be seen through how it is described that Mr. Ramsey "cooked
supper" after his wife discovered that she could not cook a meal because
she was incompetent at doing so since her son died "without making any
arrangements about food". The triplets also show this new mindset brought
about by their brother's death; instead of playing with dolls like they used to
do before his death, they build a "hospital" in the nursery where
they care for their dead sibling. In doing this, the triplets come to terms
that death is inevitable and that they will die one day as well; some of them
even experience shock when they realize that it could happen to them too and
not only to their brother (such as James who says: "It might be
me!").
This shift in
perspective can also be seen in how Mrs. Ramsey's thoughts towards her children
change from loving them dearly despite knowing she would have no more after
three had been born, to wishing there were no children but her husband at The Lighthouse.
This shift was brought about by her son's passing, which is why she had such
feelings of ambivalence and jealously towards her husband for having a living
child that she did not.
The Doll’s House could
also be seen as a symbol of an inner conflict that Norah is going through. Like
the wife, Norah is trapped in the house and remains passive throughout
everything that happens around her. For example, when Helmer goes to drink with
his co-workers after shutting her out from doing anything as well, he tells
her: "You sit here quietly by yourself". In this way, the writer alludes
to how Norah was imprisoned within the house and had been put on hold until it
was convenient for those around her to have their needs met. This feeling of
confinement can also be seen in how Mrs. Ramsey's thoughts were focused on the
house itself; her fear of it being destroyed is what brought about images like
"it might go rolling, like a snowball", or how she would picture
herself running after it as if trying to save it.
The Doll’s House also
mirrors Mrs. Ramsey's feelings towards her children; both give birth to
children but do not cherish them until they are taken away (and sometimes even
then). This can be seen through how Mr. Ramsey said that he loved his children
only after their deaths and how Norah tried to support Helmer by giving up on
their marital problems only when she realized he was unfaithful to her with
another woman.
This feeling of
unfulfilled motherhood could be because Mrs. Ramsey never got to know her
deceased son since he died before she could even hold him. This is why she feels
so detached from the other children; they are not hers and therefore, she does
not love them as much as if they were.
|
Read also, Themes in A
Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen with Critical Analysis |
This mother-child
relationship can also be seen in Norah's relationship with Helmer, which
mirrors Mrs. Ramsey's feelings of unfulfilled expectations toward her children.
This is because Norah was expecting things to get better between herself and
Helmer once their child was born only for the opposite to happen: Helmer became
more distant towards his wife and would rather share a bed with another woman
than with his wife.
The setting in this
novel - The lighthouse - symbolizes what its inhabitants subconsciously wish
for, to be free of the confinement that they are currently in. This is evident
even to the children who are depicted as being more liberated than their
parents since "they would have no scruples, were their stones for
throwing". This shows how it is easier for them to adapt to new changes
because they are not weighed down by their situations like their parents are.
This can be seen quite
clearly through how Mrs. Ramsey desires freedom from her house and
child-rearing responsibilities so she could have her husband all to herself. On
the other hand, since Mr. Ramsey had a living son, he wishes that his wife
would be free of her burdens so that they could all move away together instead
of just him alone. The triplets also desired freedom from their own confined
situations. While James desired freedom from his bedridden state, Lily simply
wanted to be freer to do things that she enjoyed since she was too busy taking
care of her children to enjoy herself.
The fact that there are
only three children in the novel is what symbolizes how they all had similar
desires of escaping their current situation, whether it was being stuck in a
house or being sick with no money. This is because they were triplets who
shared everything so they saw themselves as equals despite their personalities
and appearances. The fact that they did not have anyone else outside of each
other can also explain why Norah initially did not wish for Helmer's child -
because if she had another human being with her, she would not feel the same
need to escape her marriage.
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Read also, Relation of Art and Life in To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf |
Conclusion
The different symbolic
references throughout the novel all point to one thing: despite being surrounded
by people who supposedly love them, none of the characters are happy. This is
why the setting - The lighthouse - is so important to them because it
represents their innermost desires which are to escape their confined lives.
The symbolism of the Doll’s House and the lighthouse is what makes both narratives so similar to each other despite being completely different stories since they both offer insight into the innermost desires of their characters. The reason why this similarity exists is that both narratives convey one thing: that happiness can only be achieved when one is free.
Feminism refers to any theory, movement, or action that advocates the rights of women and girls. It is not just limited to the women's suffrage movement of the 19th century but encompasses a range of movements including women's rights and equality, access to education, and reproductive rights.
The women's suffrage
movement refers to the struggle for women's right to vote and stands as one of
the most controversial movements in our society's history. The reason why it
was so controversial is that it went against beliefs about women being passive
and caring only for their families, and proved that women could think
rationally and logically without the influence of men.
It advocates equality between men and women by taking part in the actions and movements which help to change society's perceptions of gender roles.
A Doll’s House is an
object used by women in the 19th century to display their wealth and status, as
well as to act as a symbol of the roles that women play in society. It is
symbolic because it represents how women are to be passive and composed; Mrs.
Ramsey is described as having the Doll’s House to "preserve something from
the wreck" of her life, and Lily is unable to move it even when she tries
because the Doll’s House is so heavy.
|
Read also, Stream
of Consciousness in To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf |
This symbolism becomes important when looking at the novel because Lily does not understand Mrs. Ramsey's desire to escape with her husband, but through the Doll’s House, it is clear that this is not just about her marriage but also about the confines that are placed on women by society. By using this object, Woolf describes how women like Mrs. Ramsey are forced to indulge in their domestic lives, and it also references the suffrage movement by showing that women's roles were limited at this time.
This is why the Doll’s House plays such an important role in 'To the Lighthouse' because it acts as a metaphor for women's repressed desires.
The lighthouse is
another object that has significance in Woolf's To the Lighthouse because it
represents freedom for the characters who are stuck in the house. The
lighthouse is used as a metaphor for women's repressed desires because it
stands as an important part of how they wish to be seen, but this freedom is
never given to them because they are stuck in the suffocating house for their
whole lives.
This comparison can
also be made to Woolf's own life because she could not escape to the Lighthouse
despite her desire to do so. This symbolism shows us that despite being surrounded
by people who care for her, Mrs. Ramsey desires something different because
freedom is a human instinct that cannot be taken away from us regardless of our
social status.
In both novels, the settings have been chosen deliberately to reflect the desires of their protagonists so that the reader can see how they are limited by the confines of society. This is seen in both cases because the women are trapped inside their houses, and despite knowing that they want more than this they are unable to escape this fate because they are bound by their social status.
The article is produced by Madiha Naaz, one of the contributors to the School of Literature. Join SOL Team here.
