To The Lighthouse, written by Virginia Woolf in 1927, is an insightful novel that effectively delves into the depths of human consciousness. Told in the new (and at the time, revolutionary) stream of consciousness technique, Woolf's novel centers around the Ramsay Family, on vacation at their summer home. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay, as well as their eight children, and summer guests Lily Briscoe, Charles Tansley, William Bankes and Augustus Carmichael, comprise the heart of the novel.

Woolf's main focus in To The Lighthouse is exploring the differing visions of reality that are created by individual consciousnesses. The Lighthouse itself plays a central role in this exploration, serving as a concrete symbol of the creations of different perceptions and realities. In addition to exploring the nature of reality, Woolf also uses her novel to question the role of women and men in society. The unique feminist vision that exists in To The Lighthouse is centered in Woolf's belief in androgyny: that the ideal society allows women to adopt traditionally masculine traits and men to adopt those commonly deemed feminine. Although this feminist vision persists throughout the novel, it is cleverly masked by the revelations of each characters conscious stream of thought.

One of the greatest triumphs of Woolf's novel is that it exists on two separate, and distinctly different, planes. On one plane it presents the reality of the Ramsay's life in their other home, created through the unique thoughts of different characters. On the other, however, it questions the very nature of reality, whether it is a concrete actuality or simply a creation of mankind's need for security.

- KFox