ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the meaning and impact of To the Lighthouse hinge on the identity of art and the potential yield of relationships and dialogue. In its structure, this novel points toward a triangular relation among the three main characters-Lilly and Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay. In the case of Lilly, the intimate link between life and art commands attention. In her painting, Lilly’s goal is to present what she has learned from the Ramsays. Lilly knows that in their relationship, there is a clue to a more complete understanding; that Mrs. Ramsay and her relationships are genuine, and in those relationships, there is contained a kind of truth-because of them the world, becomes more understandable. Lilly is seeking truth, and her primary means of doing so is through artistic creation: through painting she transforms her perceptions, making them both more understandable and more accessible. This power of art to transform and clarify perceptions lies at the center of this study.
