After reading the Diary entries about TL distributed last week, and in your own reading experience, which character do you think is the Center of the novel, and why? What does Woolf say in the diary? How does this fit with your sense of the novel?
Charles Tansley- the "Crazy" of the Story Who Illuminates It
In almost every story or play there is a character who seems kind of detached from reality, kind of gone with the wind and, besides, the talisman/laughing stock of the whole plot. Yet, this character gives the story an incredible vivacity and serves as a foil character for the rest of the character. In "To the Lighthouse", this character is Charles Tansley.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Tansley is an educated intellectual who, for whatever reason, has gone out of the straight way and has turned a little bit insane. He is also an athesist, which gives him the black ship status. His very appearance turns him into the laughing stock for all the Ramsays- he was always "holding his bony fingers spread so that the wind blew through them" and was known as "the atheist" among the young Ramsays-"Rose mocked him; Prue mocked him; Andrew, Jasper, Roger mocked him" (5). However, this man has a great intuition for he can sense that it is not the best time to land into the Lighthouse for the wind is blowing from the least favorable direction. His socialization with Mr. Ramsay, on the other hand, illuminates the latter. They often disagree over a lot of things. As far as we know, Mr. Ramsay turns into nemesis for his son James after not letting him go to the lighthouse, so the crazy nature of Tansley re-defines the image of Ramsay. Mr. Tansley also serves as a prism for the trivial and materialistic pass-times, interest and values of the British upper-middle class. Whereas he is derided by everybody for "he couldn't play cricket; he poked; he snuffed. ...and saying (to Mr. Ramsay) who had won this, who had won that, who was a 'first-rate man' at Latin verses..."(7). Since the rich in England don't have real problems to worry about, all they do is playing cricket and talking about other people's business. The image of Charles Tansley is, in fact, the subliminal chorus who demonstrates the shallowness of the English upper-class mind.
Charles Ramsay cares about more philosophical issues. He has deep reflection on the idea of a marriage and shows keen interest in the life story of Mrs. Ramsay- her early marriage, her voyage in India, and her desire to teach her scions Persian or Hindustanee. Mrs. Ramsay's soul pouring "flattered him; snubbed as he had been, it soothed him that Mrs. Ramsay should tell him this..(10). Charles realizes that women still trust men after all and this interraction between them also shows how different Mrs. Ramsay is from her husband.
Charles Tansley is not really a protagonist; he is a crazed, gone with the wind character whose presence brings funny atmosphere into the whole story. Yet, his image is essential for the plot and for the characters as well.
Charles Tansley- the "Crazy" of the Story Who Illuminates It
ReplyDeleteIn almost every story or play there is a character who seems kind of detached from reality, kind of gone with the wind and, besides, the talisman/laughing stock of the whole plot. Yet, this character gives the story an incredible vivacity and serves as a foil character for the rest of the character. In "To the Lighthouse", this character is Charles Tansley.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Tansley is an educated intellectual who, for whatever reason, has gone out of the straight way and has turned a little bit insane. He is also an athesist, which gives him the black ship status. His very appearance turns him into the laughing stock for all the Ramsays- he was always "holding his bony fingers spread so that the wind blew through them" and was known as "the atheist" among the young Ramsays-"Rose mocked him; Prue mocked him; Andrew, Jasper, Roger mocked him" (5). However, this man has a great intuition for he can sense that it is not the best time to land into the Lighthouse for the wind is blowing from the least favorable direction. His socialization with Mr. Ramsay, on the other hand, illuminates the latter. They often disagree over a lot of things. As far as we know, Mr. Ramsay turns into nemesis for his son James after not letting him go to the lighthouse, so the crazy nature of Tansley re-defines the image of Ramsay. Mr. Tansley also serves as a prism for the trivial and materialistic pass-times, interest and values of the British upper-middle class. Whereas he is derided by everybody for "he couldn't play cricket; he poked; he snuffed. ...and saying (to Mr. Ramsay) who had won this, who had won that, who was a 'first-rate man' at Latin verses..."(7). Since the rich in England don't have real problems to worry about, all they do is playing cricket and talking about other people's business. The image of Charles Tansley is, in fact, the subliminal chorus who demonstrates the shallowness of the English upper-class mind.
Charles Ramsay cares about more philosophical issues. He has deep reflection on the idea of a marriage and shows keen interest in the life story of Mrs. Ramsay- her early marriage, her voyage in India, and her desire to teach her scions Persian or Hindustanee. Mrs. Ramsay's soul pouring "flattered him; snubbed as he had been, it soothed him that Mrs. Ramsay should tell him this..(10). Charles realizes that women still trust men after all and this interraction between them also shows how different Mrs. Ramsay is from her husband.
Charles Tansley is not really a protagonist; he is a crazed, gone with the wind character whose presence brings funny atmosphere into the whole story. Yet, his image is essential for the plot and for the characters as well.