A Study On To The Lighthouse From The Perspective Of Figure-ground Theory

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) is a distinguished stream-of-consciousness writer in thetwentieth-century British literature. Among her works, To the Lighthouse is considered asthe masterpiece. It takes the Ramsays as the epitome of the society during the interwar timeand describes their expectation to visit the Lighthouse. This work is noted not only for itsskillful stream-of-consciousness techniques but also for its exquisite artistic descriptionsand deep meditation upon human existence.There are plenty of studies on the novel with fruitful achievements at home and abroad,but few of them are from the perspective of cognitive poetics, especially from thefigure-ground theory. The thesis gives a research on the novel from this theory to providethe interpretation of Woolf’s novels and other literary works with the new perspective andto encourage interdisciplinary studies. The figure-ground theory is a cognitive style thatlays stress on the target through highlighting the prominent part as the figure, which is thefocus of attention, and taking the rest part as the ground. The theory is adopted in the thesisfor its connection with the stream of consciousness and Post-impressionism. These threenotions all put emphasis on the major mentality or the focus of attention. Thus, from theperspective of the figure-ground theory, this thesis interprets the novel’sPost-impressionism reflected in its artistic forms and then the existential balance behindthe forms.In her novel, Woolf pays attention to the textual balance and literal art. She borrowspictorial, musical, and poetic techniques innovatively to create an aesthetic feeling in theconstruction of the novel. The balance in pictorial representation includes the transferringfigures, distinctive use of light and colour, and momentary impression. The musical balance is discussed from the trilogy structure, symbolic repetition, and multiple tunes,which are in accordance with the musical features like sonata form, leitmotif, andcounterpoint. The poetic representation is explained from the novel’s poetic language,including repetition, pun, alliteration, rhyme and rhythm, etc., and its creative images.These artistic devices reflect the Post-impressionist characteristics in the novel. Meanwhile,the balance in artistic forms conveys the novelist’s deep thoughts of existential balance,which are reflected in the social relationship, meaning of life, and self authenticity. Thebalance in social relationship is illustrated from the harmony in marriage, parent-childrelation, and guestship. The second balance can be explained by the characters’ differentpursuits like order, truth, and art. The balance in self authenticity is achieved through thebalance between aloneness and freedom as well as that between nothingness andauthenticity. Finally, the existential balance is achieved with the Ramsay’s arrival at theLighthouse. Thus, the journey to the Lighthouse is also the journey of exploring thebalance in society, life, and self.Therefore, through innovative use of artistic means, Woolf obtains the perfect unity ofthe artistic forms and the philosophical meanings in the novel, expressing her profoundthoughts of existential balance.