Autobiographical Elements in To the Light House by Virginia Woolf

Autobiographical Elements in To the Light House by

Virginia Woolf

             Keyword: Observation, Memories, Childhood, Painting skill, writing skill

            There are several autobiographical elements in the novel to the light house by Virginia Woolf.  Hunnah Williams writes in Transcript of To the Lighthouse as Autobiography as,
“The Ramsay family of To the Lighthouse is meant to portray Woolf's own family, the Stephens”. Adeline Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) is considered one of the foremost modernists of the twentieth century and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.

            Though she writes unconventionally but there are several things she seems to experience in real life. She writes as, “children don’t forget” from childhood memories. Such words come from heart and effect on heart. Some lines as “we are in the hands of the Lord” and to say as no happiness on earth can be equal to love are not without having personal experience.

            Characters of Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay represent her parents. Mr. Ramsay is a genius person and no equal in the whole England. He is a prominent metaphysical philosopher and a famous member of literary circle. Her father Sir Leslie Stephen, was a historian, author, an eminent literary figure and the first editor (1882–91) of the Dictionary of National Biography.

            Her mother, Julia Jackson, possessed great beauty and a reputation for saintly. Virginia represents Mrs. Ramsay is beautiful and loving woman, “with the stars in her eyes and the wind in her hair.” She is a dutiful and loving wife but often struggles with her husband’s difficult moods and selfishness. She emerges from the novel’s opening pages not only as a woman of great kindness and tolerance but also as a protector. She cares of all and management is great in her hands is well.

             Through Lily she describes her own difficulties in writing skills as it is very close to painting.  She states her own experience how men don’t accept capabilities women in writing and painting. “Neither women can paint nor write” may be comments by others on her creative work. She admits that painting is not so easy.