Despite all the tensions and imperfections evident in
the Ramsay household, such as Mr. Ramsay’s sometimes ridiculous
vanity and Mrs. Ramsay’s determination to counter the flaws in her
own marriage by arranging marriages for her friends, the tone of
“The Window” remains primarily bright and optimistic. The pleasant
beach, the lively children, and the Ramsays’ generally loving marriage
suffuse the novel’s world with a feeling of possibility and potential,
and many of the characters have happy prospects. Paul and Minta
anticipate their marriage, and Mrs. Ramsay comforts herself with
her daughter Prue’s future marriage as well as her son Andrew’s
accomplished career as a mathematician. Perhaps most important,
Lily has a breakthrough that she thinks will allow her to finish
her painting. With this insight comes the determination to live
her life as a single woman, regardless of what Mrs. Ramsay thinks.
The hope of the novel lies in Lily’s resolve, for it reiterates
the common bond that allows Mrs. Ramsay to have one opinion and
Lily another. As the chapter closes, however, Mrs. Ramsay’s realization
that such harmony is always ephemeral tempers this hope. As Mrs.
Ramsay leaves the room and reflects, with a glance over her shoulder,
that the experience of the evening has already become part of the
past, the tone of the book darkens.
