Diction/Syntax
Diction and syntax in To the Lighthouse are consistent throughout the entire novel. Although the novel switches on who it concentrates on, it is told entirely as a narrative, third person point of view. What this does is creates one voice for the whole of the story, even though it seems to switch perspectives.
James, as a small boy in the novel seems older than his years; if they didn’t say he was a small boy one could think him to be a man. This is because Virginia Woolf continued to use the same style of writing whether she was talking through James or Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey. Both the diction and the syntax remain constant throughout the novel (because it is told in a stream of consciousness form: an indirect inner monologue).
Diction
The diction of a story or novel is what describes the choice of words that the author chose to use when he or she was writing, (the level of language); whether the author chose to use cat vs. feline, or teen vs. adolescent is an example of diction. It gives not only character, but also level of education to the story’s plot and meaning.
This story has an abstract quality: it focuses on the thoughts and emotions of the characters rather than their conversation and action. Its purpose is to show what is underneath the superficial actions that everyone performs and instead focuses on what the characters think and feel about themselves and the other characters. The story focuses on abstract qualities and beliefs - such as life, death, love, truth, hate, and religion are mentioned in this novel. Everything they do, they always have these things in the back of their mind and it is what they focus on. Because it is told in narration, there does not tend to be any slang; it is told in a very formal manner.
The formal diction is what is primarily seen in this novel because there is almost no emphasis on the conversation or dialogue that goes on between the characters. For instance, if there is one sentence of dialogue it will be repeated and analyzed throughout the novel; the dialogue shown is short and brief but has tremendous meaning.
Syntax
The syntax of a story is how the words that were chosen are arranged and/or modified to construct sentences.
The sentences in this novel tend to be long and euphonious: they are arranged very carefully. The syntax of the novel remains constant throughout, sounding very educated. By doing this stream of conscious writing it makes even the thoughts of a child seem complex; it shows the complexity and understanding that even a younger person may see. This is important because it allows the reader to focus on the meaning rather than the “level” at which it is spoken (that is always constant). For example, James, a six year old boy, contemplates the murdering of his father.
Quite often in the story a character will ask a question to themselves and then go on to try to find the answer. This can be seen a lot in the third part of the novel. Lily Briscoe questions the reasons for why she has returned to the summer home, and why Mrs. Ramsey died. Also, she wonders about her connection with Mr. Carmichael.
The sentences for this novel suit it very well because they are not simple but rather complex. While reading, the story seems to be very deep and intricate. But if one were to really think about what was being said they would actually find it quite simple: how each character is totally absorbed in their own thoughts and those around them. By using the complex diction and arranging them in a very stylistically correct way, the author was able to make a nonexistent plot, coupled with the thoughts of everyday people: a study of human character and emotion.
The diction and syntax of the story are very important. In this particular case, they are remain consistent thing in the novel and add to the story’s meaning and understanding. By being abstract, formal, and complex, they don’t take anything away from the story and the characters. Everything can be told without the focus being on how it is told. This is truly a story about the character of the characters.
Point of View
To the Lighthouse is told in the third person point of view. The narrator of the story is never identified (but may very well be the author herself). Telling the story in the third person has the advantage of seeing the characters from outside of themselves – we view their thoughts and actions without the narrator interacting with them. We can see different opinions and reactions that the characters have to a single event without them seeing each other.
Stream of Consciousness was used in this story. The subject of the story changed randomly from the view of one character to the next; sometimes even mid-paragraph without warning. Stream of consciousness is a form of writing used to follow the human thought pattern. This successfully shows the randomness of the human mind and the ability for us to think about many different (often unrelated) things all at once. This style, mixed with the third person point of view, can sometimes make following the action of the story very difficult, however, and it is often hard to keep up with whom the present subject of the narration is.
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Introduction Author Background Setting Plot Characters
Figurative Language Diction/ Syntax Tone Themes/ Motifs
Memorable Quotes Meet the Designers
