A Woman Breaking Out of Society and It’s Norms

In Virginia Woolf’s novel “To the Lighthouse” readers can detect feminist undertones subtly seeping in throughout. The struggle to secure and proclaim female freedom is constantly challenged by social normalcy all through the story. Woolf ’s ability to subtly include the conflict between what traditional female ideologies should be and the internal tug-of-war of those who challenge them is found many times and eventually gives rise to the idea that the even women who choose to live unconventional lives have the ability to end up happy and successful. In the novel Woolf selects the character of Lily Brisco to embody this idea. She represents the rosy picture of a woman whom ends up challenging social norms to effectively achieve a sense of freedom and individuality by the end. Woolf all through the novel approaches Lily’s break with conventional female ideals in a myriad of ways, from the comparison between Lily and Mrs.Ramsey, Lily’s very own stream of consciousness, as well as the profess she makes on her painting, in order to reinforce the idea that a happy life doesn’t necessarily have to come from living by the standards society sets for women. One of the most prominent ways that Woolf opts to use Lily’s break with social norms as an example of how women taking unconventional paths in life can still end up content is by comparing Lily to Mrs. Ramsay. In the novel, Lily is depicted as a middle aged woman, who chose to focus more on her success in painting than the concerning herself with finding a husband and even settling down, a stand that could make it extremely difficult for her interact with not only society in general but with anyone whom does not share her same viewpoints. All through the novel Lily more often than not feels the pressure to conform to certain gender roles, and from time to time can even be seen doubting herself. It clearly impacts her