Bravery in the Face of Conventional Stereotypes

Perhaps the most remarkable journey throughout the novel To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is Lily's pilgrimage to finish the painting; a journey that is both literal and figurative.

Lily, a character whom we meet in the very beginning of the novel, is a blooming young artist. Despite her obvious talent, she cannot seem to ever find what is "missing" for her painting of Mrs. Ramsay, and therefore has trouble feeling confident in her artwork. She works on this painting throughout the entire novel and by the end, it represents how far she has come in her beliefs.

By completing the painting, she contradicts the typical gender stereotypes. Mr. Tansley in the beginning of the novel stated that women could not be good writers or painters, solidifying the expectations of the time period. However Lily completely disregarded this and finished her painting in the way that suited her. The journey of her actually painting it over such a long period of time really is the journey of her coming to accept her position as a woman artist, especially since this was not a common profession for women during this time period.

This journey is best portrayed through Lily’s feelings and thoughts surrounding her painting. In the beginning of the novel, she is very anxious about showing the painting to her male friend Mr. Bankes. She was worried about his reaction and how he would view it. However, by the end of the novel, Lily’s frame of mind had shifted completely. She went from worrying about what others, particularly males, thought of her art to not caring about the reactions that came from her work. She simply cared about finishing it in a way that truthfully depicted the subject from her own point of view.

This journey, which led to contradicting the prevailing gender stereotype, was particularly difficult for a woman during this time period. It took a lot of strength and courage for Lily to challenge the status quo, especially since it was so engrained into the minds of her peers. This inconceivable bravery is why I view Lily’s journey with her painting to be the most profound throughout the entire novel.