LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 25:6 June 2025
ISSN 1930-2940

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Self-Traumatic Explorations and Psychological Elements in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse

T. Iswarya, Ph.D. Research Scholar and
Dr. D. Sujatha, Associate Professor

Abstract

This paper examines To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf through a psychological lens, highlighting the novel's exploration of consciousness, emotional repression, identity, and healing. Drawing from Freudian and Jungian psychoanalytic theories as well as Woolf's own psychological experiences, the study investigates how inner turmoil, trauma, and mental fragmentation are articulated through narrative techniques such as stream of consciousness and temporal fluidity. The central section titled "Time Passes" is analyzed as a symbolic representation of grief, memory, and the unconscious. The paper explores how Woolf's use of shifting perspectives and fragmented subjectivity captures the complexities of human psychology. Lily's artistic journey is interpreted as a path toward individuation and emotional resolution. Through her characters' psychological introspections, Woolf critiques patriarchal constraints and portrays identity as fluid and relational. The novel's deep psychological elements are intertwined with motifs of personal grief, loss, and internal conflict. This study also highlights Woolf's nuanced portrayal of self-traumatic exploration, where characters confront suppressed memories and painful realizations within their inner worlds. Ultimately, To the Lighthouse is revealed as a profound meditation on the invisible workings of the mind, offering insight into the intertwined realms of self, memory, trauma, and transformation.

Keywords:trauma, psychology, stream of consciousness, cognitive interiorities

Introduction

Virginia Woolf, a central figure of literary modernism, revolutionized the novel through her deep exploration of human psychology. In contrast to the traditional realist narrative structures of the 19th century, Woolf's work prioritizes the internal experiences of characters over external events. Influenced by the emerging psychological theories of her time, particularly those of William James and Sigmund Freud, Woolf's fiction represents a profound inquiry into consciousness, identity, time, and mental illness. Through narrative innovation such as stream of consciousness and shifting perspectives, Woolf captured the complexities of the mind in ways that anticipated contemporary understandings of psychological processes. Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse remains a foundational text in both modernist literature and psychological literary analysis.

Its experimental form and deep focus on internal experience challenge conventional narrative structures and foreground the role of psychological processes in shaping human behavior and perception. Set primarily in the Ramsay family's summer home, the novel unfolds through the minds of its characters rather than external action. Woolf's engagement with Freudian theory, memory, perception, and emotional repression makes To the Lighthouse a masterclass in the psychological novel. This essay explores the psychological dimensions of Woolf's characters, narrative style, and thematic concerns. Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse (1927) is a landmark in modernist literature and a profound exploration of the inner workings of the human mind. From a psychological perspective, the novel delves deeply into the subconscious motivations, emotional states, and perceptual experiences of its characters, particularly through the use of stream of consciousness narration.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

T. Iswarya, Ph.D. Research Scholar
Department of English, Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women, Udumalpet-642126, India
iswaryaraj96@gmail.com
&
Dr. D. Sujatha, Associate Professor
Department of English, Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women, Udumalpet-642126, India

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