“Dubliners” is a collection of fifteen short stories written by James Joyce in which the author analyses the failure of self-realisation of inhabitants of Dublin in biographical and in psychological ways. The novel was originally turned down by publishers because they considered it immoral for its portrait of the Irish city. Joyce treats in “Dubliners” the paralysis of will in four stages: childhood, youth, maturity and public life. The paralysis of will is the courage and self-knowledge that leads ordinary men and women to accept the limitations imposed by the social context they live in. In “Dubliners” the style is both realistic - to the degree of perfectly recreating characters and idioms of contemporary Dublin - and symbolic – giving the common object unforeseen depth and a new meaning in order to show a new view of reality. Joyce defines this effect “epiphany” which indicates that moment when a simple fact suddenly explodes with meaning and makes a person realise his / her condi...
In the symbolic novel To the lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, the lighthouse occupied a
relevant position both as physical element and a metaphorical one.
On the one hand, its light marks the passing of time and reassures the sailors, or the people looking at it. According James Ramsay and her mother Mrs. Ramsay, the lighthouse is, moreover, the favorite place for children, where they have the possibility of amusing themselves.
On the other hand, the lighthouse represents a safe shelter and a landmark or a guide for people.
In a certain sense, it could be argued that Mrs. Ramsay is like a lighthouse, the essential point of reference in her family’s life.
In the novel, she is showned as a beautiful, charitable,
hospitable, sympathetic woman, who holds several characters, with their own
ideas, together through her sympathy and cleverness.
From the beginning of the novel, she is structurally and psychologically a cohesive force, whose purpose is the creation of a balance in her family and make important relationships with intellectual or relevant people in society.
From the beginning of the novel, she is structurally and psychologically a cohesive force, whose purpose is the creation of a balance in her family and make important relationships with intellectual or relevant people in society.
Firstly, this unifying and cohesive force of Mrs. Ramsay is revealed during a conversation with Mr. Ramsay and her youngest son James, described in the first chapter of the novel.
She tries to convice her husband to organize a trip to the lighthouse, where her son James, threatened with a tuberculous hip, and other children have the possibility of amusing themselves and going away from boring and darkness daily-life.
This experience is not accepted by Mr Ramsay, who his a pragmatic and insensitive man, because he thinks that children should be aware of difficulties of life.
Dislike her husband, Mrs. Ramsay feels compassion for poor and unfortunate children and wants to preserve their carefree childhoold.
Secondly, she is a constant source of inspiration to Mr. Ramsay, who is absolutely dependent on her for sympathy and understanding; in fact, the great charming, attractiveness and good manners of Mrs. Ramsay elicits high admiration from all members of the circle. In this way, she introduces her husband, a philosopher, into intellectual society.
Her role of guide for her family knows no boardens, not even death; in fact, her influence on other characters is really great.
For example, Mr. Ramsay undertakes the trip to the lighthouse together with his son James and his daughter Cam in order to fulfill one of her wife’s wishes. Then, the vision of her soul inspires Lily Briscoe to complete her great picture.
Despite of all, Mrs. Ramsay is a unique female character in the novel, appreciable for her primary role as a good mother and wife in her family, and as a respectable lady in society, who helps others or does some good deeds, without losing her charm and personality.
Commenti
Posta un commento