Feminist Individuality

The Feminist Individuality of Lily Briscoe from To the Lighthouse and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

Feminist Criticism is such an interesting one to follow due to the depths it is able to reach in regards to the analysis of women and their societal roles during different time periods. In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the timeline is the early 19th century which was a time when women belonged to their households and had to support their husbands. Likewise, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf took place during the early 1900s and emphasized traditional values for the women in the novel to solely support their family. Both novels, however profound, are set in time periods that simply diminish the true potential of women and both protagonists take a stand against this societal norm. At first glance, Lily Briscoe from To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen seem to be quite different but upon closer examination through a feminist lens, it is clear that there is a common thread shared between the two protagonists- their individuality which allows them to pave the way for women to make their own decisions.

As seen through most literary classics, novels are simply reflections of the evolution of society and the standards upheld within it. Pride and Prejudice was written by Jane Austen, a woman who values ideals that were simply before her time. Austen was born in a time where women were expected to raise the children and uphold the house duties; however, Austen suggested that women have more to offer and distributed her modern novels throughout her community (Hughey 2016). Due to her bold nature, Austen decided not to marry simply for protection and stick to her writing. One of her arguably best novels, Pride and Prejudice, portrays the female protagonist as a reflection of herself (“Pride” 2006). One of Elizabeth’s greatest strengths is that she has the strength to remain true to herself. She doesn’t conform to society simply because it is the safest option, rather, she is spontaneous and follows her heart. Elizabeth does not display a huge ego or lack the skills to be a fine “woman” in society, she just decided to resist social pressure for her own well-being. Elizabeth was born into a family of five daughters, so her mother’s sole purpose became to marry them off as soon as they became of age (Hughey 2016). Naturally, Elizabeth was opposed to this sentiment and wanted to marry someone that she truly loved and respected above all. “Elizabeth is looking for an equal partnership in her marriage. Even though she knows that she is dependent upon a man to provide for her, she believes that she should have some power in the relationship. This reflects Wollstonecraft’s view that men and women should have an equal partnership in marriage” (Hibbs 2010). It is quite interesting to analyze various portions of the novel to find the parallels between Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Austen and the individuality possessed by both.

Now to look more closely at Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse and the powerful femininity displayed within it. Woolf’s ideologies reflect feelings of nonconformity and she went out of her way to create a protagonist that would not only reject society’s standards for women but do so openly (“Virginia” 1993). Right from the beginning of the novel, the readers meet Lily Briscoe, the female protagonist who is woefully independent and is the template of a strong, independent woman. Woolf dedicated her livelihood to promoting feminism and defending women’s rights and suffrage movements. As both Woolf and Lily Briscoe describe, feminism is a weapon, a livelihood that can be used to challenge society (“Virginia” 1993). In To the Lighthouse, a majority of the male characters in the novel are shown as having exceptional educations and also show refined philosophies. This is to help further the gender divide in the novel to make it fit the standards of the time period. Although Mrs. Ramsay is the first character we meet in the novel, Lily Briscoe is the first woman shown to think for herself. Lily aspired to be an artist and as the book repeatedly announces, “women can neither paint nor write” (Woolf). Lily knew all too well that in order to live out her dreams, she would need to challenge patriarchy and find her own footing. As we follow the story of Lily throughout the novel, we see her ultimately finish her painting and successfully begin her journey as an artist. She satisfies her life goals and is able to resist society’s conforming nature and find her place as an artist.

To help us understand the scope of the characters will power towards the feminist cause, we need to perform a closer character analysis of them both. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet is known as the wittiest and intelligent of the Bennet sisters. She always detested the societal standard for dads to invite men to court their daughters. “How little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger than their virtue,” Elizabeth proclaimed (Austen). This quote truly emphasizes the discontent she regards the system with. Especially seen with her repertoire with Mr. Darcy, she has a sharp tongue and has a wide knowledge of classic texts and literature. Throughout Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s riveting love affair, they had many setbacks to get through. Elizabeth wanted to remain unmarried since she believed she could never find true love, but as the story progressed it was evident that she does have the capability to find love and stay true to her feminist nature. She demands respect and loyalty and Mr. Darcy views her as an equal- a notion that is uncommon during their time. The primary reason why it took so long for the two to proclaim their love is that Elizabeth held prejudice against Mr. Darcy from their first encounter as she believed he was too prideful and traditional to be the one for her. But as their story showed us, love truly comes from the strangest places and the truest love allows people to stay true to their own nature.

As mentioned earlier, the character from To the Lighthouse that we will analyze is Lily Briscoe. Aside from her dreams of pursuing art, Lily displays attributes of homeliness that makes her undesirable compared to the other women in society. As many women with dreams are treated, Lily’s hope for painting was simply disregarded as a whim that would eventually go away. To show the progression of her struggles, we see Lily paint a portrait throughout the entire novel and it becomes more difficult for her when people doubt her and it eases up when she begins to find her place. After the death of Mrs. Ramsay, we see Lily’s painting come to a stop altogether and she is battling the existentialism of life and death in addition to trying to share her feminist ideals. One of the unique things about Lily is that she didn’t look down upon the other women that had traditional values, she simply wanted to change her own life. Lily said, “They’re happy like that; I’m happy like this. Life has changed completely. At that all her being, even her beauty, became for a moment, dusty and out of date” (Woolf). Another way the novel showed the difference between Lily’s views and the views of society is shown by Mrs. Ramsay. Mrs. Ramsay is a symbol of convention and continually goes against Lily’s wild dreams. And to tie together Lily’s resilient nature, not only does the novel end with her remaining a feminist but she also embeds Mrs. Ramsay’s lessons into her life to help her channel the world around her into her art. She truly is a symbol of dignity and grace and is an inspiration to all.

As a unique way for me to compare the two characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Lily Briscoe, I decided to determine their Myers-Briggs Personality Types and analyze them. Elizabeth Bennet is what Myers-Briggs defines as a Protagonist (ENFJ). Elizabeth is never afraid to make her values known to all those around her. She shared her disregard for society with all those around her and is a great conversationalist, making her an involved extrovert. Unlike many of the women around her, she reads many books and is very educationally apt making her intuitive. Although she tries to emit feelings of mind over matter, she is very emotional and follows her feelings and her heart. And finally, as we see through her prejudice against Mr. Darcy and the wealthier males in society, she trusts her gut and is quick to judge and make assumptions. Altogether, Elizabeth is a clear ENFJ, Type A individual who follows her heart and dreams without comprising herself. Let’s move onto the alternatively more reserved woman, Lily Briscoe. Lily is your textbook mediator. She is very open-minded and deals with her obstacles creatively to ultimately become a painter. Although mediators feel misunderstood, they lead very passionate lives and channel the passion into their daily life. This is evident through her book-long journey painting of Mrs. Ramsay. Although she has such vibrant ideals, she keeps them to herself to remain modest which reflects her introverted nature. She is also able to read those around her and understand their emotions which displays her intuition and feeling. And most importantly, she is unable to focus on one thing and is always out and about. These pieces of evidence show that Lily Briscoe is an INFP- Mediator. Reflecting on the personality types of the two female protagonists, it is very interesting to see that 50% of their personality scores are different. One would believe that given their similar natures and strives towards feminism and women's rights. I think this goes to prove that people who hold the same values don’t necessarily have the same leadership styles or conventions. Elizabeth is rather rash and confrontational while Lily takes a more relaxed position to share her views with grace and poise. Although their personalities couldn’t be more different, they are both able to follow their dreams/hopes and go against the constructs of society. It truly is a testament to those who think that they are too introverted or emotional to make a change. As long as the motivation and drive are there, anything is within reach.

Finally, as a tie back to the real world. I wanted to talk about the effect these two novels have had on my life. After reading To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I have formed emotional bonds with both Elizabeth and Lily. Personally, I think I resonate more with Lily. I too have very passionate beliefs about the changes I want to make in society and the dreams I wanted to accomplish one day. Lily and I both remain introverted to the public eye but also lead with intuition on the road to change and personal growth. As a final ode to these two powerful women, I want to overview the lessons I have learned. From Elizabeth, I know that I must always be confident and loyal even when others push me not to be. I cannot let society inform my actions or decide my worth. I must avoid letting in the expectations of others as they will only bring me down- my opinion is the most important. A marriage without love is simply not worth it. And finally, I must take pride in myself and avoid making initial prejudices against those that may be leading different lives than me- I may never know what they have gone through. And from my other guide, Lily has shown me to always follow my dreams even when everyone is telling me to go the other way. She has taught me that modesty is an overlooked trait that always helps make a difference. And most importantly, always thank and remember your loved ones and the impact they have made on your life. These two protagonists are pioneers of gender equality and never steer away from their desires. I could only hope to one day be as strong-willed and dedicated as Elizabeth and Lily and maybe even inspire others. Lily Briscoe from To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen are truly not as different as they seem and their personalities have truly sparked the beginning of women following their hearts and making decisions of their own volition. Thanks for reading this extended Storytime with Sejal and I hope you too can take something away from the lessons of Elizabeth Bennet and Lily Briscoe.