Abstract：Virginia Woolf’s novel To the Lighthouse is about the anxiety of the young generation in the west over the chaotic world after the First World War and their desire for peaceful life. By means of symbolism, Virginia Woolf presents the physical journey to the lighthouse as a journey that can be interpreted into a spiritual one. The major concern of my graduating paper is the interpretation of the symbolic meanings of the journey to the lighthouse. Starting with a close reading of the Ramsays’ discussion about the making of the journey to the lighthouse, this paper analyzes the differences in their personalities and their attitudes towards the journey, discusses how the Ramsays diminish their misunderstandings, reconcile with each other and finally achieve their self-discoveries, thus revealing the symbolic meanings of the journey to the lighthouse.
Key words: Virginia Woolf symbolism self-discovery
中文摘要：弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫的小说《到灯塔去》体现了第一次世界大战后西方一代青年人内心的焦虑及其对平静生活的渴望。作者运用象征主义手法将一次物质意义上的旅行升华为一次心灵之旅。本文旨在挖掘小说中灯塔之旅的象征意义。笔者从拉姆齐一家十年前关于灯塔之行的对话入手，分析主要家庭成员间的性格差异及其对灯塔之行的不同看法，探讨了十年后拉姆齐一家在灯塔之行过程中如何消除思想隔阂，改善关系，认识自我的心路历程，进而揭示了灯塔之行的象征意义。
关键词：弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫 象征主义 自我认识
Undoubtedly, Virginia Woolf is one of the most prominent novelists in the 20th century. She abandoned the traditional narrative technique and, instead, created her own way of telling a story which concentrates all the more on the consciousness of the characters. In To the Lighthouse, the description of the conscious activities of characters reveals vividly their personalities. The story starts by the discussion about whether go to the lighthouse or not, through which the characteristics of the Ramsays can be easily detected. Actually, the discussion lasts for almost ten years, which reveals the reason why the Ramsays couldn’t make it. It is out of the difference that Mrs. Ramsay didn’t land on the lighthouse in her lifetime, and it is because of the change that her husband and children finally make it. It takes ten years for the Ramsays to make a change, which is why the journey is highly symbolic.
