On Borrowed Time:An examination of the representation of time in To the Lighthouse

Abstract

This study elaborates on the relationship between the representation of time and how it is perceived in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse. Therefore, this paper will explore the link between time, modernism and the structure of To the Lighthouse by doing a close reading and using a narratological approach. In addition, to understand how time is perceived, I will relate this paper to research on Henri Bergson and his theories along with a more recent philosophical study by literary scholar Martin Hägglund. The main reason for this study is to gain a deeper understanding of Virginia Woolf's writing and creative process, as well as provide an insight to the modernist movement that emerged during the early twentieth century. My conclusion is that Woolf’s invention of a new narrative style allows her to depict real life as accurately as possible.