Mrs Ramsay Spies Carmichael example essay topic

On this campus, a student has probably only communicated with approximately one-third of the population. The other two- thirds he or she learns about through here say picked up in conversation. This gossip creates a stereotypical view of these unfamiliar faces in the individual's mind since there is no previous interaction to rely on. A returning student may tell me of a visual art major that has an offending hair color and body piercings, and I can gullibly infer that the artist will develop into a convict. This is a completely subjective opinion without any justification, but with time, I may gain more perspective and learn that the student's personality is quite the opposite of what I presumed. The reader is led through the same circumstances in To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf.

The characters that describe Augustus Carmichael are contributors to the rumor mill, and it is easy for the reader to slip into the assumption that he is a pathetic, washed up, opium addict. Yet, through seemingly innocent, but pivotal scenes, Mr. Carmichael becomes paramount to the development of other characters and objects in the novel. During "The Window", the reader may easily slip into the thinking patterns of the other characters and "take their side". Mrs. Ramsay's subjective views are the only ones offered during her stream-of-consciousness, and the reader may swallow them wholly as the truth.

Conclusions can be drawn, since Carmichael takes opium and refuses to interact with Mrs. Ramsay, that he is a cold, callous, and even virulent house guest; one may even refer to him as the anti-Mrs. Ramsay! He makes no attempt to go out of his way to aid others, and he shrinks away from her, imposing a selfish, in differen feeling. Since other males slip into their books in order to escape, Mr. Carmichael is easily lumped with Mr. Ramsay and Banks, who distance themselves from the feminine and maternal qualities of Mrs. Ramsay. Carmichael appears to portray Victorian society's worse nightmare; asking for another bowl of soup is a definite faux pas. Also, Mrs. Ramsay circulates to Tansley, Carmichael's unstable past: "an affair... an unstable marriage; poverty"; (10) Carmichael is made to appear like a pariah. But does Mr. Carmichael really threaten the morals, stability, and prudence of the era Closer reading destroys the negative image that the reader perceives from a third-person view.

There are periodic, but profound events that prove Mr. Carmichael is very involved with the Ramsay; his expression, though, is very subtle. After the image-damaging "Boeuf en Daube" scene, he sings his praise of dinner to Mrs. Ramsay. He is completely understood and she appreciates that much more than any eloquent "thank you". Little is known about his wife, other than she was rather brutal and abusive.

It is very possible that the trauma caused his fear of intimacy and distrust with Mrs. Ramsay. Very surprising about this "inadequacy of human relationships" (40), as referred to by Mrs. Ramsay, was that he had a close bond with Andrew, one of the Ramsay children. Carmichael had "lost all interest in life" (194) when the young man was killed in the war, which is one of the few times we see his vulnerability to outside prevailing conditions. Not only is Mr. Carmichael's connection with other household members nurturing, he also holds a special significance in relation to the Lighthouse. They are both constant, unchanging presences in the novel, and they take in only what they desire. "Time Passes" is a very gloomy and somber portrait, the only thing that avoids the increasing darkness within this frame is the steady candlelight of Mr. Carmichael, reading Virgil.

The candlelight and Virgil, author of The Aenead, seem to go hand in hand. As The Aenead journeys into the depths of hell, the candlelight exposes the personality of Carmichael, as it did for most characters in the dinner scene. This brief passage puts us in limbo until coming to a resolution in "To the Lighthouse". But Carmichael is the reassuring protector, as is the Lighthouse, which pierces into the soul of many characters. This especially includes Mrs. Ramsay, who feels "relief and gratitude" (111) for the silent, but assumed harmony between them. Both Carmichael and the Lighthouse are detached, giving them both an unobstructed, objective view, and perhaps, a greater outlook than the other close-minded characters.

Carmichael lives not for the moment, not for others; perhaps that is the reason why that he and Lily survive the war, but Mrs. Ramsay doesn't. They both do not give into Mrs. Ramsay's serpentine charm, nor society's pressure to conform; therefore, Carmichael is able to keep "his candle burning longer than the rest" (125). The reader is not allowed to judge Carmichael for him or herself, since Mrs. Ramsay's opinions are forced upon the reader. He is perceived as useless and parasitic, yet Carmichael is one of the few practical characters: neither superfluous, fastidious, nor overbearing. His different perspective is refreshing; one may expect to find only eloquent and metaphorical descriptions in this novel, however, Mrs. Ramsay spies Carmichael looking at a bowl of fruit simply as sustenance. This simple man is misunderstood, like Tansley and Lily, but Carmichael is the only character that cannot defend himself because he has no thoughts to follow.

It is ironic that he is overlooked, yet he is always an observer. Carmichael could possibly be a guardian angel, indirectly affecting all characters. Perhaps, since the reader least expects a lazy oaf with a "capacious paunch (10) " to be the protagonist, his actions are more startling and highlighted than Mrs. Ramsay's. As time progresses, so do the reader's first dangerous impressions of this unlikely, but benevolent individual. 356.