To the Lighthouse: 3

     Lily is the predominant narrator in this section, allowing the reader to conceptualize and understand her point of view. In one of the passages, Lily's description of her interaction with Mr. Ramsay synecdochially represents her interaction with the world. Lily expresses her relationship with a metaphor: "His immense self-pity, his demand for sympathy poured and spread itself in pools at her feet, and all she did, miserable sinner that she was, was to draw her skirt a little closer round her ankles, lest she should get wet" (Woolf 152). Lily is a bright woman, and she realizes the distinction between her identity and the ideal woman portrayed by society. Women should be subservient and sympathetic towards men, but Lily feels like she is entitled to more respect. The expectations of society are like the puddles forming at her feet; Lily is aware of their presence, but she chooses to ignore the discomfort they bring her. In response to the puddles, Lily attempts to avoid them by subtly altering herself, such as when she complements Mr. Ramsay's boots. Lily cannot avoid the flood forever, and the metaphor insinuates that with the rise of the water levels, Lily may drown in the pressures and expectations of society.