TTL 7

Throughout the novel, Lily goes back and forth on her opinions of Mrs. Ramsay and all that she embodies.  In some parts, Lily looks almost longingly at Mrs. Ramsay.  Mrs. Ramsay acts as a stereotypical housewife in the novel, providing endless support for both her husband and her children.  Lily, in contrast, is a working, independent, yet lonely woman.  In these instances, Lily acknowledges the work that Mrs. Ramsay puts into her life and how fulfilling and loving Mrs. Ramsay's life truly is.  At other times, Lily looks at Mrs. Ramsay with disgust.  In these instances, Lily views Mrs. Ramsay as a symbol of patriarchal society, saying that she could be considered so much more successful if she were independent, working, and helped herself instead of others.  Following Mrs. Ramsay's death, Lily initially shows no true feelings.  She cannot express herself in words, which shows her in contrast to Mrs. Ramsay's feminine side.  Finally, in chapter seven, Lily expresses her pain regarding the death of Mrs. Ramsay, especially when she realizes that after all this time, "she remained a skimpy old maid" (181).  As a fairly unfeminine character, this is a big step for Lily and her possible understanding of Mrs. Ramsay.  Similarly, the same goes for Woolf's feelings towards her mother.  Although Woolf oftentimes struggled to comprehend her mother's motives, given both that Woolf was incredibly young when she died and that Woolf was a strong, working woman compared to her stereotypical housewife of a mother.  However, in this point of the story, Woolf is finally able to accept the fact that feelings cannot be hidden, even for an unfeminine, strong, working woman.