Male and female relationships in To The LighthouseTo The Lighthouse illustrates the condition of women when Woolf was writing and, to some extent, still today. It offers a solution to remedy the condition of both men and women. To say that the novel is a call for a change in attitude towards women is not entirely accurate. It shows the plight of men and women and how patriarchy is detrimental to both sexes. Mrs. Ramsey. Both suffer from the unequal division of power between the sexes in Woolf's society. Lily is also a product of society, but she has new ideas about the role of women and provides an answer to gender power issues. In addition to providing these examples of patriarchy, To The Lighthouse examines the tenacity of human relationships in general, producing a novel with twists and turns, problems, and perhaps a solution. Mrs. Ramsey is the perfect, patriarchal woman. It has practically no identity of its own. His life is focused on men: if he trusts him implicitly, nothing should harm him; Even if he went deep or climbed high, he shouldn't be without her for a single second. Thus, boasting of her ability to surround and protect, she was left with almost no shell of herself to know herself. (Woolf, Lighthouse 38). Identity is a strong desire in all of humanity, but in a patriarchal society, it has been denied to women. Women who belong to men are mere possessions, having no control over themselves and no way to develop their own personality. Ms. Ramsey needs people at all times because she hasn't internalized anything. It must be created through other people. She always bounces off someone else, preferably a man who has power, but needs her to maintain that power. Middle of paper ... promise to improve these relationships through change. Even today, powerful vestiges of patriarchy dominate society. Men steadily advance into management positions and receive higher salaries for equal work. This novel shows both men and women suffering and struggling with their societal roles. The answer to the problem lies in both sexes. For, as Mill says, “women cannot be expected to devote themselves to their emancipation until men, in considerable numbers, are prepared to join them in this enterprise” (194). This is not a women's problem; it's a human problem. Works CitedMill, John Stuart. “the subjugation of women”. On Liberty and Other Writings. New York: Cambridge UP, 1989. 119-94. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1929.---. At the lighthouse. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1927.