Virginia Woolf was born in 1882 and grew up

amongst the most influential intellects of her time.

She was a descendant of Englands most
impressive literary family, so talent obviously ran
through her blood. She was one of the most
successful and prolific authors of her time, with
strong connections to the famous post
impressionist Bloomsbury group. To the
lighthouse is one of her most successful novels
that established her as a leading feminist and
modernist writer and is famed for its experimental stream of consciousness writing.
To the lighthouse is divided into three powerful sections, The window, Time passes
and The lighthouse. Many were interested to see how such a novel could be
adapted into a film, as many techniques that Woolf uses (such as acceleration and
compression of time, and free indirect discourse) had only been used within writing
and could not possibly have the same effect on the audience on the screen.
Adaptations have always had mixed reviews as it is argued that many films do not do
justice to their novel counterparts. According to Hutcheon, (p.8) Many professional
reviewers and audience members alike resort to the elusive notion of the spirit of a
work or an artist that has to be captured and conveyed in the adaptation for it to be a
success. However, some writers thought that not only were adaptations all too easy
to produce, the resulting products were an inferior form of art that deserved nothing
but scorn (Cartmell, p.54). Adaptation has various definitions, but can be described
as An acknowledged transposition of a recognizable other work or works, A
creative and an interpretive act of appropriation/salvaging or An extended
intertextual engagement with the adapted work (Hutcheon, p.8). Either way one
views an adaptation, it is clear that it is a derivation that is not derivative, it is a work
that is second without being secondary (Hutcheon , p.9).

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Modernism

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During the 19th century, realism revolted against the exaggerated emotions of
romanticism, in favour of more typical real life situations, and it often reflected
changes brought on by the industrial revolution. Therefore, the writing in this era
was more focussed of social and political problems. The early 20 th century brought a
new movement in, one that reflected the new culture of its time. At this time there
were new scientific discoveries, such as the discovery of the atom, Einsteins theory
of relativity, Freuds theory of the unconscious and Bergsons duration (time as a
flow). New theories on colour and perception had artists experimenting with light,
lines dots and colour, linking their works to the structure of the atom. It is no wonder
intellectuals began questioning time and order, and this is
evident in To the lighthouse as it uses relative time rather than
the historical time of realism. Woolf had rejected the
techniques of realism in favour of what we now know as
modernism. It has been said that modernism is a breaking
away from the established rules, tradition and conventions,
and is an artists freedom from realism, materialism, traditional
genre and form. More precisely, each account defines the
Modern as taking an active role against tradition. Whether it is abandoned, broken
from, freed from, revolted against or rejected, it is clear that there is no place for
tradition in Modern culture (Cartmell, p.53). The main characteristic of modernist
writing is stream of consciousness and playing with stretches of time, such as
devoting a long section of the text in a short period of the story, we see this example
in When time passes in To the lighthouse.

Stream of consciousness
According to Hawthorne, Modernism typically focuses far greater attention onto the
states and processes inside the consciousness of the main characters than onto
public events in the outside world... Modernism has a profound effect on the
novelists conception of character. (Hawthorn p.60) Along with James Joyce and
Joseph Conrad, Woolf was one of the first revolutionary modernist writers of her
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time, using stream of consciousness techniques such as interior monologue and free
indirect discourse within her writing. Modernist writers were more interested in the
form of writing rather than the content or plot, and the use of motifs, symbols and
landscape to represent emotions are apparent throughout. Unity and space is
unimportant to the modernist writer. The study of modernist concepts, especially
stream of consciousness in To the lighthouse is so interesting because it deals with
the characters most personal and private thoughts, ideas and feelings, meaning the
focus is more on the inner self than the outer self, which helps the reader connect
more personally with the various characters, especially Mrs Ramsey. Each
characters inner thoughts and feelings can change at any moment, and with multiple
viewpoints of individual consciousnesses, it is difficult to imagine how this could be
adapted into film. The flow of thoughts is easily written on paper, though not so easy
to convey on the screen. So How does the film depict the consciousness of
characters and stretches of time in to the lighthouse? Firstly I will examine the
opening scene of the film in comparison to the novel, how Gregg conveys free
indirect speech within the dinner scene (chapter 17), I will then look at the
complicating factor of incorporating post impressionist techniques into the film, and I
will also look at how Lilly Briscoes characterisation in regards of gender is built in the
film in comparison to the novel, and Woolfs own ideas on cinematic adaptations.

The opening scene....

The opening sentence of the novel is Mrs Ramsey replying to James, her son about
going to the lighthouse. Yes of course, if its fine tomorrow said Mrs Ramsey, but
youll have to be up with the lark (p.7) It takes straight into the middle of a
conversation between two characters. This technique is Woolfs way of questioning
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order and structure, and presenting characters

through their discourse. Then enters Mr Ramsey and
dashes James dream of visiting the lighthouse. It then
goes onto building some lengthy characterisations of
Mr Ramsey... What he said was true, it was always
true. He was incapable of untruth; never tampered
with a fact, never altered a disagreeable word to suit
the pleasure or convenience of any mortal being,
least of all his own children, who, sprang from his
loins, should be aware from childhood that life is
difficult; facts uncompromising; and the passage to
that fabled land where our brightest hopes are
extinguished, our frail barks founder in darkness, (here Mr Ramsey would straighten
his back and narrow his little blue eyes upon the horizon), one that needs, above all,
courage, truth, and the power to endure( Woolf, p.8-9.) This is one long, flowing
sentence in third person narration gives the reader a clear indication of the
masculine character that is Mr Ramsey. It gives the stark contrast of gender and
power between Mr and Mrs Ramsey, which would be difficult to catch on screen.
This is the first instance we see that Mrs Ramsey is more of an emotional, mothering
type towards James, whilst Mr Ramsey is more of a stern, disciplinary yet truthful
character. It would be difficult to transfer the beginning of this text on the screen and
this is apparent because the beginning is entirely different. The opening scene
begins with a shot of James looking towards the lighthouse, paired with emotive
music. The words Cornwall, 1912 appear at the bottom of the screen. We can then
understand that the plots setting has been changed from the novel, where it is set off
the coast of Scotland. Though relatively insignificant, this change of location makes
the film more autobiographical than the novel, since Woolf spent her childhood
summers in Cornwall (Lothe, p.205).The viewer then witnesses James already upset
and crying, with Mrs Ramsey comforting him, assuring him that he can visit the
lighthouse another time. It does not include James asking the question Can we go
to the lighthouse tomorrow? and it does not give us Mrs Ramseys answer, or Mr
Ramseys interjection. Mr Ramsey is first introduced at the head of the table, talking

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directly and philosophically to the rest of his peers. This does keep in with the
characterisations of the novel, but portrayed in a very different way.

Gender roles and the dinner

scene
Gender roles are a major theme
running throughout the novel, and the
dinner scene (chapter 17) refines
these characterisations of Mrs
Ramsey who is the main character in
it. Here, it is clear that Mrs Ramsey is
the social glue that holds the family and friends together, and her dinner party to
celebrate their friends engagement could be Woolfs representation of Mrs
Ramseys patriarchal family values. Greggs design of this scene is inspired by the
following passage in the novel Now all the candles were lit, and the faces on both
sides of the table were brought nearer by the candlelight, and composed, as they
had not been in the twilight, into a party round a table, for the night was now shut off
by panes of glass, which, far from giving an accurate view of the outside world,
rippled it so strangely, that here, inside the room, seemed to be order and dry land;
there outside, a reflection in which things wavered and vanished, waterily. (Woolf
p.131-132). This is a classic example of Woolf using landscape to convey emotions
and feelings. This is also keeping with the theme of light/dark and inside/outside that
is apparent throughout the novel. Gregg conveys this by shifting from the dark, wet
outside to the warmth of the dining room several times throughout the scene, and the
diegetic sound of thunder and lightning is in the background. As the dinner party
progresses, we get these shifting focalisations of free indirect discourse in the form
of a voice over. Charles is thinking What am I doing here? Were pretending to have
a banquet but really were sat in a shabby old house whilst the wind howls outside.
This keeps in theme with the sense of isolation and loneliness of the characters. The
focalisation and voice over then shifts to Lilly who think Charles is clamouring for
attention, she then goes onto ponder how men need a rein of sympathy. It then shifts
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focus once more, to Prue who is questioning herself and questioning marriage. As
Charles is talking aloud, Lilly thoughts are about her painting and it is as if she has
an epiphany on how to finish it and she moves the closest contents of the table as if
she is rearranging her painting. This could represent an alternative, creative path for
women, rather than the role set out in a patriarchal society. This is all keeping in with
the theme of gender. It is also a good technique used by Gregg to show how the
inner dialogue and flow of thoughts is happening around the dinner table in the
various characters minds.

POST

IMPRESSIONISM
As Lily struggles to compose her painting, her concerns and methods mirror those
of Woolfs composition of the novel. Woolf uses the techniques used by Post
impressionist artists to try and convey her characters and produce a plot. Woolf
attempts to depict the characters this way has proven very difficult to be captured on
the big screen by Gregg. There are always these blurred lines between art and
literature in her novels that we can only assume are created with her close
connection to the Bloomsbury group. This small group of philosophers, artists,
writers included intellects such as John Maynard Keynes, E.M Forster, Vanessa Bell
and Roger Fry. They got their name because they used to study together near
Bloomsbury, London. They studied literature, aesthetics and criticism, as well as
having modern attitudes towards sexuality and feminism.(The literature network,
2000). Woolfs painterly techniques are intertexualised in To the lighthouse through
Lilly, who is attempting a post impressionist painting throughout the novel and in the
film. This painting could be a symbol of the abstract flow of thoughts we see in
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Woolfs work, and tt is a parallel to Woolfs own struggle with the novel in general.
This idea is backed up by literary critic Goldman, who also says it serves as a
symbol of Lillys struggle for independence and her right to femininity. Lily Briscoe,
hemmed in by patriarchal contempt for womens artistic abilities, and by Mrs
Ramsays forceful marital ideology, attempts a painting, which serves as selfreflexive reference point for the novel itself. Indeed, it closes with an account of her
final visionary brushstroke in an elegiac moment of lyric consolation. Lilys rejection
of Mr Ramsays amorous approaches, combined with his childrens defiance,
suggests an unsettling, if not an overcoming, of (his) patriarchy. (Goldman, p1) The
idea that Woolf incorporates art into her work has further evidence from the woman
herself. When questioned on her writing, Woolf describes her novel as an
impression not an argument The use of poetic prose gives her work a rhythm, and
this is backed up when as she claims I always think of my books as music before I
write them (Woolf, Letters, 6, Cartmill p.2)

Woolf has never been fond of adaptation, and she expressed the concern in her
essay, The Cinema, in which she laments how Anna Karenina translated to screen
is barely recognizable. (Cartmill p.2) The films attempt to re-create literature,
according to Woolf, not only is a disservice to literature but also to film. She
personally claims The alliance is unnatural. Eye and brain are torn asunder
ruthlessly as they try vainly to work in couples (Woolf, 1950: 168, Cartmell p.2) So
many would agree that Gregg did the unthinkable and Woolf would be turning in her
grave. The overall argument is that modernist concepts such as post impressionism
and stream of consciousness cannot be adapted fairly to the big screen, just to the
very intricate nature of these techniques. Although voice over is an interesting way to
convey free indirect discourse and the flow of thoughts, it is near impossible to get
the same effect as the novel itself does.

References
Cartmell, D (2012) A companion to literature, film and adaptation. Chichester:
Blackwell publishing,
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Goldman, 2006, the Cambridge introduction to Virginia Woolf, Dr Michelle Denby,

seminar materials.

Hawthorn,(2001) 4th ed. studying the novel London: Arnold.

Hutcheon, L (2006) A theory of adaptation. New York: Routledge.

Lothe, Jakob (2005) Narrative in fiction and film: an introduction, Oxford: Oxford
university press.

To the lighthouse (1983) Directed by Colin Gregg. 114 minutes. IMDb [video]

The literature network, (2000) The Bloomsbury group Jalic Inc [Online.] Available
from:
http://www.online-literature.com/periods/bloomsbury.php [accessed 14th May 2015]

Woolf, V (1927) To the lighthouse. Oxford: Oxford university press.

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