Virginia Woolf's To the Lighouse is ultimately a celebration of the human spirit. In the novel, time is synonymous with ocean and darkness, and this triumvirate of forces, in essence, serves as an antagonist. Time ebbs and flows, continuing incessantly, destroying everything in its path. It is the supreme force of nature, unstoppable, unyielding. While he emphasizes the absolute insignificance and transience of humanity, he simultaneously emphasizes humanity's two greatest capabilities: the ability to adapt to monumental changes and the ability to freeze certain moments of time. Indeed, in these two capacities, humanity has somehow managed to tame the effects of time, defeating it at least momentarily. Although it initially seems that time will ultimately defeat humanity, erasing all its achievements and glory, by the end of the novel we realize that, although it may ultimately erode human honor, it is necessary, even essential, to allow human brilliance and happiness to be as intense and appreciated as it is. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From the beginning of the novel, Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay contemplate time and its effects. In the first mention of the passage of time, Mrs. Ramsay compares it to the waves, saying, "...[T]he monotonous fall of the waves upon the shore... like a ghostly drum roll mercilessly beat[ing] ] the measure of life... it made her think of destruction... and she felt... that everything was as ephemeral as a rainbow..." (15-16). Likewise, Mr. Ramsay recites to himself lines from Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade," a poem of glory, honor and immortality. He thinks to himself, "...[F]ame lasts how long? ...The same stone you kick with your boots will outlast Shakespeare" (35). Both are painfully aware of how insignificant humanity, and they in particular, are to the world and in the larger scheme of things. For Mrs. Ramsay, the waves act like a clock, measuring out the rest of her life, defiantly reminding her that she is nothing and that everything she is and everything she does will eventually be destroyed. The same goes for Mr. Ramsay, who thinks to himself that even the greatest people will eventually be forgotten, their memories eroded by the passage of time, surpassed by every seemingly insignificant rock. He cannot accept this, however, and therefore needs to be reassured by others, particularly Mrs. Ramsay, that he is indeed important to the world. Ramsay views the passage of time on a much more personal and emotional level than Mr. Ramsay, accepting and handling it very differently than he does. He thinks to himself, "...he would never want James to age a day! And neither would Cam. He would want to keep these two the way they were...never see them grow up...They were happier now than they could be again ... Why do they have to grow up and lose everything?” (58-59). Here he reflects on the issue, finding it unfair, but in the end he is able to accept the reality of the situation. He accepts that happiness is indeed fleeting and evanescent, but believes that although it passes in an instant, it can still be frozen in time, in the memory for as long as one is willing to hold it there. At the dinner, his final triumph, he thinks to himself: anything seemed possible. Everything felt right. Just now (but this can't last, he thought, dissociating himself from the moment...) just now he had achieved safety... Needless to say... He carefully helped[ed] Mr Bankes to a piece particularly tender of eternity... [T]here is a coherence in things, a stability; something,he meant, it is immune to change, and shines... in the face of the flux, the fleeting, the ghostly... From such moments, he thought, the thing that lasts is made... He couldn't finally, he knew... [ but] for the moment, it was suspended (104-106). Here, in this splendid moment of glory, of ecstasy, of her greatest achievement, she revels in the perfection of it all. In the end everything worked out, fell into place, and for once, all he has to do is enjoy it and remember it. Yet, as she abandons herself to the ecstasy of the moment, deep down she also knows, bittersweetly, that it cannot and will not last. This is the essence, the fragile sweetness of happiness, and she accepts it. "With her foot in the doorway she waited a moment longer in a fading scene as she watched, and then... she had changed... she had become, she knew, taking one last look over her shoulder, already the past" ( 111). With the conclusion of the first section, The Window, the part in which the time of an afternoon is spent in one hundred and twenty-four pages, we arrive at the second part of the novel, Time Passes. In this section time literally passes; it is the main action of the plot. Pass with strength, forcefully, without delay and without emotion. It drags the events of human life into the insignificance of oblivion, reminding humanity that all life is but a transitory flame, burning intensely but for a short time. Ten years are covered in less than twenty pages and in this time Mrs Ramsay, Prue and Andrew all die. Each is killed off in parenthetical digressions no longer than two sentences. No death is explained more than this, because ultimately that is all that any life is bracketed off. The death of Mrs. Ramsay, the beloved protagonist of The Window, is given only one sentence, and only in retrospect. Woolf writes: "[Mr Ramsay, stumbling along a passage one dark morning, stretched out his arms, but Mrs Ramsay having died rather suddenly the night before, his arms, though stretched out, remained empty]" (128). Such is life and such is time. Over time, things have changed. Where once Mrs. Ramsay was the focus of the book, here her death merits only one sentence. It would appear that time has taken Mrs. Ramsay away and has already begun to erase her memory as well. Furthermore, she also carried with her the legacy of her beauty, Prue, and the legacy of greatness of her husband, Andrew. Time can pass slowly, laboriously, with each minute dragging lazily into the next, as evident in the first part; however, at other times, he runs coldly, precisely, disappearing into limbo and seemingly leaving humanity behind. This is how time passes begins, continues and ends. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay With the final part of the book, we return to the beginning. The name of the section, The Lighthouse, returns in the title of the novel and, in parallel with this return, the rhythm of time does the same. The scene similarly returns to the coast of Scotland where the whole family once went on holiday, and only now is the reader able to see clearly, clearly, how much things have changed. The family was decimated, the house fell into ruin. Everyone is unhappy and relationships are strained, weak and uncomfortable. Yet, in the face of such a complete and total change from the last scene in which we saw the family in the summer house, Mrs. Ramsay's dinner party, a spark of hope remains. Upon returning, the memories are strengthened. In fact, Lily can't stop thinking about Mrs. Ramsay. Time has not erased her memory, and that is the furthest thing from the truth. She lives on now, stronger than ever. Time has failed to erase her or his" (161).