Virginia Woolf's 'To The Light lighthouse'

 Thinking Activity

Hello readers! 

       Here is my blog on ponder upon some point of the novel 'To The Lighthouse', which is given by sir, click here to visit the blog of sir. So here I would like to interpret and portrait my views, so let's began.. 

Author: Virginia Woolf

  

      Adeline Virginia Woolf Stephen; 25 January 1882- 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th century authors and also a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.

#Brief introduction of 'To The Lighthouse':

       To the lighthouse is a 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf. The novel centres on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920.

Worksheet points

#How can you explain that 'What' Virginia Woolf wanted to say(for example, the complexity of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones, the struggle of a female artist against the values of middle/upper class society etc) can only be said in the way she has said? (Key: The 'How' of the narrative technique is to be discussed along with features of stream of consciousness technique which helps Woolf to put in effective manner what she experienced in abstraction.)

  If we read this novel deeply then we can find many serious as well as contemporary issues. Here what Virginia want to say through this novel is also very significant like the complexity of human relationship, the everyday battles that people are at in their relationship with near and dear ones, for instance, here in the novel the everyday conflict between Mrs. Ramsey and Mr. Ramsey and the conflict between parents and children. One another serious issue she mention here is that struggle of female in patriarchy society especially when female try to new things like painting as a artist then instead of support for this she get inferior comments we because barrier for her. The narrative technique she used here is 'stream of consciousness' the narrator is third person. Through this technique the reader can get through from one character's mind to another, so the reader can get what the character feels. 

#Do you agree: "The novel is both the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay"? Can we read Mrs. Ramsay in the context of the idea of ideal Indian Woman - Karyeshu dasi, Karaneshu manthri; Bhojeshu mata, Shayaneshu rambha; Kshamayeshu dharithri, Roopeshu lakshmi; Satkarma yuktayukta, kuladharma Patni.

Yes, the novel is the tribute and critique of Mrs. Ramsay. We can also read Mrs. Ramsay in the context of the idea of ideal Indian woman, because her duty is to take care of family members or especially take care of boy child (James), and she is also believe in that the women can't write or paint ( stereotype of thinking) while Lilly Brisco trying to painting, she is not supportive as she should be, so in that case we se Mrs. Ramsay as a ideal woman. 

#Considering symbolically, does the Lighthouse stand for Mrs. Ramsay or the narrator(Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily)? Secondly, the narrator/author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse.

Yes, The Main aim of the the Lighthouse is to gave a way to ship when darkness is around it. Here instead of Mrs. Ramsay Lily represent as a lighthouse because she is trying to prove herself by painting, here Virginia Woolf herself who is categorically represented by Lily, here author cannot fully disappear from the novel and thus the stoicism of Lily to paint and thus prove that she can paint, author Virginia Woolf also face this type of problems in her own times, which she has to portrait through the character of Lily, is symbolically presented in stoicism of Lighthouse. 

 #In the article by Joseph Blonter, two myths are patterned together. Name the myths? How they are zeroed down to the symbols of 'Window' and 'Lighthouse'? How does the male phallic symbol represent feminine Mrs. Ramsay?

     In this novel Virginia Woolf used myths like myth of Pahan and myth of Oedipus. 

       In the myth of Pagan, in which Woolf connected with Mrs. Ramsay with Rhea, who had similar numbers of children like Mrs. Ramsay and also a well nurtured woman and with Demeter an important characteristics of Mrs. Ramsay, Demeter was known as maker of earth fruitful while Mrs. Ramsay also a maker of fruitful family. Another myth is the myth of Oedipus complex. We can cannect this myth with James and Mr. Ramsay ( son- father) relationship James hatred towards his father because his father is not as lovable as his mother, his father is always say truth weather he like or not unlike Mrs. Ramsay. 

 #What do you understand by the German term "Kunstlerroman"? How can you justify that 'To the light House' is 'Kunstlerroman' novel?

 The German term 'Kunstlerroman' means development or struggle of an artist  as in ' To the Lighthouse' the character of Lily represent this term in this novel because as being as an artist she has to face a lot ( struggle) the author of this novel Virginia Woolf has to be faced the same struggle as am artist or writer in the patriarchal society in her time, so here through the character of Lily and her journey with struggle make this novel Kunstlerroman novel. 

#Explain Lily's dilemma in 'To the light house' 

In this novel, the character Lily's dilemma is different from others.she is at some point opposite from patriarchal society, for instance she is an artist and she believe that she can do as man can, but on the another side at the end of the novel she also want to become like Mrs. Ramsay as happy married life, to have a children or so on. So this both perspective is different from each other so we can't understand fully. 

#You have compared the beginning and the ending of the novel and the film adaptation of the novel directed by Colin Gregg. Do you think that the novel is more poignant than the movie? If yes, do you ascribe the fact that the power of words is much greater than that of the screen/visual?

Yes, the novel is more poignant than the movie because originality is always superior. When we read the very beginning of the novel then we feel like what the character thought, we are in character's mind, what they thought and feel that can readers also get, this is also well aplied of stream of consciousness. But when we watch the movie then it has different beginning than novel it's not as effective as the novel because movie has to be unable to viewers to connect with characters of movie. Some things which is only expressed by words on express by visual, so in that sense also the novel is more poignant than movie. 

Role of Teachers and Learners

 #ELT Thinking Activity

Hello Readers! 

            English Language Teaching(course) help us to being batter teacher, because we have to need learn so many thing for being as a teacher, while we have to teach our student the English language as a second language then we have to face my problems, because The English language is second language for students so it's little bit difficult to convince the students easily. 

   So here, I would like to portrait some characteristics of teachers and learners as per my understanding. So let's begin.... 

#Role of Teachers

    What is the role of Teacher? It's big question to answer, am I right? Still let's over view or highlight some features of Teacher. 

# presenter in convincing way:

    Being as a teacher should be presenter in convincing way, because my be students are totally unaware of that topic, so if teachers are not presenting in convincing, logical or easy way to students, then they may be failed to understand or grasp the things. 

# effective communication:

        The effective communication would be needed, because learning process can't be happened by one side communication, so it's should be duty to encourage the students to gave their view, or present the query if they have as well as raises the question, this all the things can happen if the teacher's communication is effective. 

# Peacemaker:

       Being as a teacher it would be good to make the class environment peaceful. All the students are not same, some of them are naughty and some of them are peaceful, on another level  some are fast to grasp the things or some are slow to grasp the things. 

# Role of Learners

Edgar Allan Poe

# Pre- thinking activity : Poe, Pandemic and Human Psyche 

Hello readers! 

    As we know that Corona pandemic is going on, and due to corona virus we have to lock up ourselves at home quite a long time so, due to that what human psyche became change, the cases of crime, violence, brutal rape became increase day by day. Sometimes with a silly/ minor thing human react with crime. If we study this with deeply then we can connect with many other things. 

 Edgar Allan Poe 

Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre. Credited to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre, Poe has been regarded as one of the earliest American practitioners of the genre of short story. He has also significantly contributed to the then emerging genre of science fiction now known also as Sci-fi literature.

Poe's short stories :

1. 'The Tell-tale Heart'

2. 'The Black Cat'

3. 'The Fall of the House of Usher'

4. 'The Purloined Latter

5. 'The Cask of Amontillado'

6. 'The Gold Bag

    Newspaper are, figuratively speaking, soaked in blood. We come across news of crimes which send a shiver down our spine. Largely due to COVID19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown, there has been a rise in the cases of domestic Violence, suicide, depression etc in last six months or so. Psychiatrists have witnessed cases of mental health health skyrocketing in recent times. 

      Here I would like to mention some paper cutting, which shows humans abnormal, violence act as well as animalistic act. 

Through this all headline of pepper cutting shows shocking crime stories of murder, suicide, brutal violence, animal abuse and so on thia the things shows animalistic mind of human being, human being has both side but we have to control our bad side to increase. 

Thank you...... 

The Role of English in India

 

Thinking Activity

Hello readers ! 

  Here, is my blog on  ELT (English Language Teaching). Of course it has wide area to discuss but, here my intention is to write this blog as a assign the academic task, which is given by Vaidehima'am Hariyani ( click here to visit the blog) I hope it would be interesting as well as informative for you. So let's begin. 

In this unit there are some essays which is written by Indian as well as foreign author. 

Essays

# Teaching English as " Second Language " In India by Kapil Kapoor (JNU) 

# Teaching of EST in Indian Conditions " By R. S. Sharma (Banaras Hindu University) 

# Teaching English as a Second Language in India: Focus on objectives " by Shivendra K. Verma (Central Institute of Foreign Language, Hyderabad)

# Socio-Cultural Dimensions English as a Second Language " by Rekha Aslam

# Teaching of English: A Plea for Practical Attitude " by R. K. Singh ( Indian Institute of Mines, Dhanbad) 

# "English for Academic Purposes" by Liz Hamp Loyns

# " English for Specific Purposes" by Tony Dadley Evans

# "Intercultural Communication " by Clarie kramsch 

1) What is the role of English Language in India according to you with reference to any one essay discussed in the class? 

   If we discuss the role of English Language in India then it has a wide area to discuss, because if  we gone through the journey of English language from its origin or introduce part to up till now in India then it's hard to pin down, but here I would like to mention one essay Teaching English as " Second Language " In India by Kapil Kapoor (JNU) 

In this essay Kapil Kapoor is arguing and giving his view on the contemporary teaching style. We Indians by childhood have First Language or Mother tongue, and then Hindi becomes the Second Language, and then comes English. In fact English is our third language not second. So, the teaching style of English should be different.

  

   English is studied as a " Second language " But as such it is a third language, so we find a contrast in the language we study and the method which we study. 

2) what are the challenges you faced while learning English Language as? 

  Of course, every one has faced various types of challenges during learning process, because it's became part of our learning process. So, I take it positively

      If I share my journey of challenges which I faced while learning English Language, then during my school days my English learning is very interesting as well as practical learning, I got everything which I should have to learn. But in my high school or higher secondary education of English is not well as I have to aspect.In my college journey as a English learner is good but still I feel hesitate to speak in english. In my post graduation it's best place to learn English but what I am facing the challenges is that I am not able to speak English in fluent because of lack of self confidence. 

3) Write your reflection regarding the classroom activities. What challenges you faced in doing the activities as a teacher? 

 Here, I am sharing my experience regarding the classroom activities, what I am facing some challenges in doing the activities as a teacher. 

Activity:1

 The translation of sentences in English Language

   Really, this classroom activity is interesting as well as funny because every regional or Hindi language's sentences can't be translated, because language and culture are inseparably connected. Cultured concept cannot be translated. 

Here in this activity ma'am has given some sentences from film dialogue, proverbs or some phrase etc, which all we have to translate in given time, and during the translation we face problem because because these all sentences connected with cultural context, which have perhaps no perfect word in English, and if we gone through literal or word to word translation then also it is lost it's really meaning. But we get a lot through this activity. 

Activity 2

Introducing a word in your classroom

     In this activity can be assign only by being teacher ( in this task, we have to think like teacher) so, being as a teacher we have to select one word, which is introduce in classroom by using different technique or methods to became leaning more effectively or easy to understand, so through this activity I have new experience. 

Activity 3

Choose a profession and find out the words related to the profession ( Register and Sub- Registered) 

  In this activity, we have to choose any profession, after selecting the profession we have to find out various word related to that profession, it would be any thing related to that profession, for instance, I have to select the profession Civil Engineer, then which thing he mostly used, like map, scale, cap, shoes, etc may be some words are new for us and through this we can learn new words and increase our vocabulary. . 

3) How do you see your future with English Language? 

     Of course, everyone can see the future with English Language is bright, because English language is the global language, and if we want to interact with world then English language is our first need.

 as Kapil Kapoor mentioned in his essay that the English language is the "window of the world ".

Thank you....... 

To The Lighthouse

 

#Movie Screening: To The Lighthouse

Hello readers! 

   Here, I am going to present my frame study of the movie screening "To The Lighthouse", it's also a part of our class room activity. 

Author: Virginia Woolf

  

Adeline Virginia Woolf Stephen; 25 January 1882- 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th century authors and also a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.

#Brief introduction of 'To The Lighthouse':

  To the lighthouse is a 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf. The novel centres on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920.

Frame study

 

 The very first frame is a fade out there is a dark screen and the very first frame, that come out before our eyes it is about candles or some toys there are those dolls and it's open with without any dialogue, it was with the sentence spoken by Mrs Ramsey and this is opening with this now this itself making a huge statement, about candle or the dark shade or the toys there and there is how it moves. 

  

   In this frame, we can see that a little boy looking at something in a distant, there now here we can capture, that this is must be James or watching at lighthouse that is what, If we have not read the novel line by line then it's difficult to understand deeply. 

The Frame of dinner table, In the novel there is one dinner only, but in the film they are many times sitting on the dinner table morning afternoon or evening and in the background there is some kind of noise of little boy James, and Mrs Ramsey became nervous by his naughtiness. 

 Attachment the Edipus attachment. Edipus complex in this film we can see very strongly, James attachment towards mother and hatred towards father, getting reflected in the part. 

 

 In this frame we can see that, Mr Ramsey talking about philosophy because he is philosopher so obviously the normal talk on dinner table or whenever they talk all about philosophy deeply engrossed in kind of a thing so they talk about philosophy as such and here he is talking about F. H. Bradley's philosophy appearance and reality. The talk is going on, here Virginia Woolf never talk about highly philosophy, but something very simple things that people use as per. 

High thinking 

 Virginia Woolf writing is kind of philosophical discourses earlier, the men used to control the kind of the philosophical discourse about those things Virginia Woolf is displaying an intellectual capacity, that even a woman may have which in her time was very difficult to prove or justify that are normally emotional beings, rationality is far away from woman in that time. When she makes a philosopher character there is a very interesting philosophy that also comes into this film. 

 Here in this frame, there is no dialogue, but it's speaks a lot. When we read the text we can understand what is this, we are with stream of consciousness of James and narrator, James is thinking this, James is so happy, all the sounds in and around are giving happiness adding to his all joy. 

  But, here in the film there is no language, there is nothing, just a frame, but the frame speaks lot many things, there is, the way he looks very sharpening and very angrily with that normal habit of eating the nails that itself is an act of revolt, because his father says never doing this but he doing as revolt, without any words the frame is captured. 

   The little girl breeding hart with thought of romantic or manly thought, which Mrs. Ramsey is trying to protect her daughter. She is nurturing by Mrs Ramsey but still she is quite anti Mrs Ramsey and this is very Automatical. 

The second frame is shows, what the daughter is looking, this is not Objective narrative, here the camera is now the eyes of little daughter, what we are seeing here is what the little girl is seeing, she is observing. Mrs.Ramsey has different treatment of son and daughter. we can also connect this frame with Indian context that, how the woman nurturing her children base on gender for girl and boy have different treatment instead of same, this clearly shows how the gender bias play a role as well as Mr. Ramsey also represent as an ideal Indian woman.  

  Here in this frame, Lilly's looking at sea and her thought. She looking at the sea that is a sea is treat with eternal life yet treaters with oblivion this is a very interesting philosophical observation that sea, sea is a symbol of something, where it is always moving or see is never silent so it is teaming with life it is full of life and also opposite of abyss ability to lead us into oblivion, if you get lost in the sea, you are lost in at the bottom of the sea oblivion. 

Philosophise " Time is slipping by time is sleeping "

  

Thank you....

Rivers and Tides

 Documentary Film : Rivers and Tides

Hello reads! 

 This blog is about the frame study of the documentary film : Rivers and Tides, given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir as a task on google Classroom. 

#Rivers and Tides :

 Rivers and tides is a 2001 documentary film directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer about the British artist Andy Goldsworthy. It is about Transitory nature of art and life Goldsworthy create intricated and temporary sculpture from natural materials such as rocks, leaves flowers, snow, ice, clay. He connects creativity of art with deep philosophical meaning of life and nature. River means growth it has deep connotations like River of growth goes through trees, growth of animal( birth), River of sheep, flow and movement. 

Brief introduction of the documentary:

   Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working With Time is the most spiritually literate documentary. It won the Golden Gate Award Grand Prize for Best Documentary at the 2003 San Francisco International Film Festival. 

   Try to picture an art piece that cannot be put in a museum, purchased by wealthy collectors, or displayed in a corporate foyer or boardroom- because it disintegrates in less than a day, perhaps even within 20 seconds. 

  Try to imagine executing artwork through the medium of iron oxide chalk, raw sheep's wool, flower blossoms, leaves and grass, feathers, random stick and stones, broken rocks, pieces of icicle, green iris blades and red berries, thorns, brachen, or handfuls of snow. Try to fathom the notion that an artist could a take stroll in the woods, along a riverbank, no canvases or pendestals or quarried granite or polished wood - manage to create unutterably beautiful art from the objects and materials he finds by chance.

"Art for me is a form of nourishment" He tells us. 

 

       Having isolated pieces of a new environment and formed them into an unexpected artifact then watched it dissipate back to its component parts in the larger setting.