would have gashed a hole in his father's breast and killed him Later in the boat James rows well Mr Ramsay praises James He says Well done James had steered them like a born sailor Cam also feels love Family moves from conflict to healing Time and Change The second section Time Passes shows the power of time Mrs Ramsay dies one night Andrew was killed in the war Prue dies in childbirth The family breaks apart The summer house becomes empty Woolf writes of silence dust falls weeds grow spiders spin webs The house stands still but people vanish Mrs McNab the old housekeeper cleans it after ten years She and her helpers bring it back to life When the family returns they feel memories everywhere The Lighthouse still shines James sees it Time changes lives but the Lighthouse stands steady Art and Creativity Lily Briscoe represents art She paints in the garden of the summer house She wants to capture Mrs Ramsay and James in her picture Charles Tansley mocks her saying Women can't paint women can't write Lily feels doubt but she continues She does not marry William Bankes though Mrs Ramsay wanted it She chooses art instead In the end when Mr Ramsay James and Cam reach the Lighthouse Lily finishes her painting She says I have had my vision This shows art can fight time and death Through art Mrs Ramsay lives on in memory Creativity gives life meaning Love and Marriage Love appears in many ways Mrs Ramsay is full of love She cares for her children She comforts her husband She helps others find partners She unites Paul Rayley and Minta Doyle Paul proposes during a seaside walk Mrs Ramsay feels joy She hopes Lily will marry William Bankes But Lily says no She wants freedom Mr Ramsay also needs love He wants sympathy But Mrs Ramsay never says the words She shows love in action in care in silence This theme shows love is deep but not always spoken Loneliness and Human Need Many characters feel lonely Mr Ramsay feels empty after Mrs Ramsay s death He turns to Lily His sympathetic need is strong but no one fills it James feels hurt by his father s harshness Cam feels trapped between love and fear of her father Charles Tansley hides his weakness with arrogance He boasts of knowledge but feels excluded Augustus Carmichael asks for more soup and writes poetry He seems distant but seeks comfort William Bankes looks for friendship in Ramsay s house The Lighthouse stands far across the sea It is like human loneliness distant silent but always present To the Lighthouse is more than a family story It is about love time art and memory The Ramsays their children and their guests show different needs and hopes The summer house the dinner party the empty rooms the sea and the final journey all reveal these themes Life passes people die but the Lighthouse shines steady and bright