Chapter 17 sees all the members of the Ramsay family and their dinner guests. The interaction of these characters in this chapter allows for the exploration of themes such as the challenge of expectations and, more importantly, the theme of communication. These themes in particular relate to the novel as a whole, meaning that chapter 17 can be explored as a reflection of the novel as a whole. The nature of the event that occurs in the chapter also allows Woolf to exercise the stream-of-consciousness style, making each character extremely realistic as the reader follows a constant flow from one thought moving to the next. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay There is a distinct lack of communication in Chapter 17, made particularly evident through the internal thoughts of the individuals around the table. As the chapter opens, the lack of communication in the relationship between Mrs. Ramsay and the rest of the family immediately comes to the reader's mind. The dinner shows Ms. Ramsay making the most sincere effort to get people talking, to get them involved, and to create something out of the time they spend together. This shows that communication is important to her and this is also seen in other areas of the novel in her desire to bring people together for marriage. She believes that communicating with others is essential. However, there are specific moments in chapter 17 that show a lack of successful communication with others. Tansley in particular does not communicate with the other people at the dinner. He intentionally distances himself from the rest of the company because he feels incredibly out of place, meaning he does everything he can to avoid communicating with others. As a result, he is established as an outsider, with the effects of his belonging to a different social background becoming evident. The importance of class and social position is highlighted throughout the book, primarily through Tansley and Mrs. MacNab who appear in the second section of the novel, Time Passes. There is some telepathic communication between Mrs. Ramsay and other characters in the novel. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay seem at times to understand each other despite the lack of dialogue between them. Mr. Ramsay is irritated by Carmichael's second helping of soup and Mrs. Ramsay is able to observe this reaction without any exchange between them. There are many points throughout the novel where the couple are able to understand and mirror each other's emotions or thoughts, such as in chapter 12 of The Window where Mr. Ramsay "pretends to admire the flowers” ​​to try to please his wife. However, she “knew very well that he did not admire them, nor was he even aware of their presence. It was only to please him...' Their ability to communicate in this way, and particularly the ease with which they do it, captivates Lily. Although a study in contrasts, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay are seen by Lily Briscoe as "the symbols of marriage, of husband and wife." Their strength as a couple is due to this undeniable ability to understand each other so naturally. There is also a sense of telepathic understanding between Lily and Mrs. Ramsay, visible in Chapter 17 primarily through Mrs. Ramsay's silent appeal to Lily to initiate conversation with Charles Tansley. Not wanting to disappoint, Lily does as Mrs. Ramsay silently asks. Their communication is also seen in their references to the sea. It is first Mrs. Ramsay who, in her mind, compares William Bankes to the "ship" and its "sail". A few lines later, Lily repeats this imagery of “the ship… and its sailsagain.” This connection between Lily and Mrs. Ramsay in chapter 17 is extremely evident throughout To The Lighthouse as Lily progresses from being on the outside at the beginning of the novel, to standing at the center of a repeating "vision." thus the central role of Mrs. Ramsay. There is no doubt that there is a sense of expectations being met and also challenged in this chapter. Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe are seen doing both at dinner. Ms. Ramsay opens the chapter by putting aside her own emotions in order to succeed in creating a “fusional and fluid” atmosphere at the table. She does it as if “if she didn’t do it, no one would.” It was expected that a woman would be responsible for organizing an event such as a dinner party and Mrs. Ramsay can be seen conforming to this belief. Lily Briscoe also seems to follow expectations at one point in the chapter as she becomes increasingly repulsed by Charles Tansley's attitudes towards women's abilities and yet continues to engage him in conversation, "quickly, kindly”, simply as expected of her. The two women are then forced to leave the table conversation as the men "argued about politics", leaving Mrs. Ramsay and Lily to remain silent and watch the male figures around the table talk - "Lily was listening; Mrs. Ramsay was listening… but she was already bored. Tansley also seems to follow the exceptions of the time as he feels uncomfortable in the dinner setting, unhappy with the social conventions to which he must submit. We see him accusing women of forcing men to conform to social trivialities - "he wasn't going to be patronized by these stupid women". Social expectations are important in Woolf's novel because they contribute a lot to Mrs. Ramsay's character. She continually strives to meet the expectations that come with being a mother, wife, and hostess and tries to force others to do the same. This is particularly evident when she encourages Lily Briscoe to marry, believing that becoming a traditional woman of the time is true happiness. However, following Woolf's desire to depict realistic characters, there are specific points in chapter 17 where Lily and Mrs. Ramsay defy expectations. Ms. Ramsay takes “her place at the head of the table” opposite Mr. Ramsay seated “at the back.” The couple are presented as equals in this moment, with Mrs. Ramsay taking a seat at the table with dominant connotations as she rules the domestic hearth. Lily challenges the expected attitude of young women during this time as she interacts with Tansley for the first time. She remains irritated by his previous comments regarding women and their achievements and begins to "tease" and "annoy" him. It is clear that Lily has no expected desire to impress men, manifested throughout the novel in her struggles with not wanting to marry. She only speaks to him at dinner to satisfy Mrs. Ramsay who is trying to set the mood for the setting. Women at the table going against how they are supposed to behave is present throughout the novel, particularly in Mrs. Ramsay's ability to control "the opposite sex" and in the girls who begin to challenge their mother's wedding wishes. Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a Custom EssayDisagreeing with the static way in which characters were commonly written, Woolf creates a new type of character in To The Lighthouse. It is seen that each individual in the novel follows a person's true thought process, constantly changing their orientation and opinion about the people around them. This makes To The Lighthouse a.