Describe some small event of your day from your own perspective AND from the perspective of another person involved. Be sure to describe what is happening on the physical, emotional, and psychological levels. (Think about how Virginia Woolf uses multiple perspectives to describe things like Charles Tansley carrying Mrs. Ramsay’s bag or Lily Briscoe’s painting?)

Aim: What images are especially important to Lily Briscoe and William Bankes and what is the significance of those images?

Do Now: Name three images that we’ve come across so far and the character(s) who see them.

1. Pretend you are William Bankes and write a journal entry in which you describe seeing Lily Briscoe’s painting OR

Begin with a purely physical description, but make sure to describe how the image makes you feel and what it makes you think of.

Lesson 3

Aim: Describe Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay's relationship.

Do Now: Read this quote and then paraphrase it. Whose thoughts are these and what do you think they mean?

p. 20, second paragraph: "How then did it work out, all this? How did one judge people, think of them? How did one add up this and that and conclude that it was liking one felt or disliking?"

Procedure:

1. Read from the middle of page 25 ("She was trying to get these tiresome...") to the end of the third paragraph on page 26 ("She was not good enough...").

2. Read from the last paragraph on page 29 through the first paragraph on page 31.

3. What's happening literally in this scene?

4. What are the most striking images in the scene? What do you think they mean?

Homework:

Read pages 31-41 and write down three key images.

Aim: Describe the conflicts in Mr. Ramsay's personality.

Do Now: Write down three adjectives for Mr. Ramsay from what you know so far.

Procedure:

1. Re-read the scene between Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay at the window, when Mr. Ramsay comes up to his wife "demanding sympathy" (pages 29-30).

2. What kind of power dynamic do you see in this scene? Is one character superior, or more powerful, than another?

3. For both Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay, write down five words (nouns, adjectives, or verbs) from this scene that describe the character's personality or emotions.

4. Whose point of view is expressed in this scene? Is it just one character's, or more than one?

5. Why does Mrs. Ramsay feel a "disagreeable sensation" or "dissatisfaction" after Mr. Ramsay walks away?

6. Re-read from the third paragraph on page 33 through the second paragraph on page 34.

7. Why is Mr. Ramsay thinking about Shakespeare and the "liftman in the tube?" Why is he so concerned with the role of great men (or "a slave class") in history?

8. How does Mr. Ramsay imagine himself in the middle paragraph of page 34? Do you think he is right about himself?

Homework: Read up to page 53.

Aim: Why do Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay both like being alone? Is it for the same reasons?

Do Now: Write three sentences describing what you think Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay's relationship is like. (Is it an equal or unequal relationship? What does each give to/take from the other?)

1. Describe the following minor characters: Augustus Carmichael, Minta Doyle, Paul Rayley. Who are they and what are they doing/thinking about?

2. On page 44, Mrs. Ramsay thinks of "the charge against her," what people sometimes accuse her of. What is this "charge" and do you think it's accurate? How does Mrs. Ramsay defend herself?

3. How does Mrs. Ramsay feel about each of her children and what does this reveal about her?

4. Re-read pages 45-47. What is Mrs. Ramsay's view of childhood? What kind of view does Mr. Ramsay have? What do their different views reveal about their personalities?

5. Re-read the first paragraph of section 11 (page 47). Why do you think Mrs. Ramsay like to be alone?

6. What sort of imagery is in this paragraph? What image do you think is the most important in the paragraph?

7. Re-read pages 51-2. Why does Mr. Ramsay like to be alone?

Homework: Read up to page 61.

To The Lighthouse Final Project

Project Requirements:

Your final project must include three written pieces and a visual component. Your challenge is to incorporate these elements into a single form. The three written pieces must be:
1. An analytical essay (an analysis of a character, a theme, a symbol/image, setting, etc.) This piece should express an opinion about something from To the Lighthouse and use facts and examples from the book as supporting evidence. (roughly 250 words)

2. A summary or fact-based piece: you can list the facts, using bullet points, present them in a diagram, or write them in paragraph form. This piece is meant to demonstrate your comprehension of the book’s plot, setting, characters, etc. The piece should not be primarily opinion-based.

3. A piece of creative writing: this piece could be a poem, play, lost chapter, letter, interview, etc. The purpose of this piece is to demonstrate your awareness of the book’s themes and style. (no restrictions on length)

Project Ideas:

Here are some ideas for ways of organizing your written and visual elements. Feel free to use them or change them however you like.

1. Newspaper: Write a newspaper for the Isle of Skye (where the book takes place). You could include weather, headlines or events of the day, gossip columns (about various characters) or advice columns (advice from/for characters), letters to the editor, opinion or editorial pieces, articles about the lighthouse, reviews of Mr. Ramsay’s book, advertisements, etc.

2. Travel Brochure: Write a brochure trying to get people to stay at the Isle of Skye. You could include testimonials from characters (“I had all the time in the world to walk by myself!”—James Ramsay), descriptions of the scenery, descriptions/offers of activities (walks to the ocean, etc.),

3. Playbill: Make a playbill for a stage version of To the Lighthouse, including a list of acts/scenes, plot synopsis and fact lists, and a commentary on the play’s themes. For the creative component, you could adapt a short scene from the screen for the play. (How would characters speak their thoughts aloud?) The playbill should also have a cover (with a picture/drawing) and advertisements.

4. Book Jacket: Design a book jacket for To the Lighthouse, using the conventions for book jackets: a front cover with an image, an inside left flap with a plot summary and commentary, and an inside right flap with biographical information about the author. For the creative component, write a “missing” section of the book.

5. Film Promotion: Imagine you are Virginia Woolf and that you are trying to get a film version of To the Lighthouse produced. Write a letter to the producer explaining why the book would make a good movie. Be sure to describe the characters, plot, conflicts, etc. Offer suggestions for filming locations and actors.

6. Political Campaign: Imagine that one of the characters from To the Lighthouse is running for a political office. Choose a position that fits the character or is at least believable (you probably wouldn’t choose Mrs. Ramsay for Secretary of Defense, for example). Create campaign materials for your character, including a poster or some other visual publicity, a brief biography (your fact-based piece), and a speech or letter. Think about what qualities your character has: emphasize their strengths and account for their weaknesses.