To the Lighthouse is a modernist novel by Virginia Woolf that was first published in 1927. The passage of time in the novel is modulated by the consciousness of the characters rather than by the clock. The events of a single afternoon constitute over half the book, while the events of the following ten years are compressed into a few dozen pages. Almost all the events in To the Lighthouse take place in the characters’ minds.

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in To the Lighthouse and in-depth analyses of Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay, Lily Briscoe, and James Ramsay.

Literary Devices

Here's where you'll find analysis of the key themes, motifs, and symbols in To the Lighthouse.

Quotes

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Deeper Study

Go further in your study To the Lighthouse with background information about Virginia Woolf and the novel, as well as mini essays on important topics.