To the Lighthouse

To the Lighthouse Summary | The Window Chapters 1 and 2 Summary

As the novel begins, Mrs. Ramsay promises her youngest son James that they can make the trip to a nearby lighthouse tomorrow, provided the weather is fair. James, whose hobby is cutting pictures from an army and navy store catalog, is thrilled because he has never made the trip to the lighthouse in all of his six years and the prospect of doing so as soon as the next day is exciting.

Mr. Ramsay dashes young James' hopes for the lighthouse expedition by telling his son that the weather will not be suitable for such a trip tomorrow. Mr. Charles Tansley, a friend of Mr. Ramsay who has come to the Ramsay household for dinner, joins in this negative proclamation. According to Tansley, the wind is coming in from the west, which will prohibit any safe landing at the lighthouse.

Mrs. Ramsay hides her irritation at the men dashing the small boy's hopes and secretly ruminates on her children's rude behavior toward the offensive Tansley. It is not so much Tansley's physical characteristics that the children do not like, but rather the man himself and his negative and sarcastic comments and attitudes.

Mrs. Ramsay feels responsible for protecting men like Tansley who, in spite of all their achievements in the world, do not engender themselves to people personally. In an attempt to make up for the social awkwardness in which Tansley always finds himself, Mrs. Ramsay asks Tansley to accompany her on a trip into town to complete some errands.

On the way to town, Mrs. Ramsay asks a neighbor, Mr. Carmichael, if she can bring him anything, but the man declines the offer. Mr. Carmichael has the potential to be a great philosopher according to Mrs. Ramsay, but unfortunate events in his life prevented his achieving any significant goal. Tansley is pleased that Mrs. Ramsay has included him in this shared confidence and opens up about his own life, including a troubled childhood of near poverty that did not allow the young Tansley to enjoy the pleasures afforded to most children.

Upon reaching the sand dunes and the bay where the lighthouse sits, Mrs. Ramsay and Mr. Tansley see an artist, one of many who flock to this area for its tremendous beauty. Upon reaching the town, Mr. Tansley waits patiently while Mrs. Ramsay visits an old woman shut in with illness. Mrs. Ramsay's compassion toward the woman allows Tansley to see Mrs. Ramsay in a completely different light and when she emerges from the old woman's room, Tansley is quite sure that Mrs. Ramsay is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. For the first time in his life, Tansley feels the pride of accompanying a beautiful woman as they walk through the town.