RECONSTRUCTING INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL IDENTITY: A NEW LIBERAL READING OF AUTONOMY, PROGRESS, AND DOMESTIC SPACE IN VIRGINIA WOOLF’S TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

Abstract

This paper explores To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf through the critical framework of New Liberalism, a socio-political theory emerging in late 19th and early 20th century Britain that advocated for a balance between individual autonomy and collective welfare. Woolf’s novel, written during the interwar period, reflects a conscious break from Victorian ideals and aligns with New Liberal notions that emphasize self-realization, ethical individualism, and the transformation of social institutions, particularly the family and gendered domestic roles.Through a close reading of central characters—particularly Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay, and Lily Briscoe—the paper analyzes how Woolf presents a nuanced negotiation between personal freedom and social constraint within the domestic sphere. Mrs. Ramsay’s adherence to traditional femininity and her role as the emotional nucleus of the household contrast sharply with Lily’s rejection of domestic expectations in pursuing of artistic autonomy. The novel’s modernist narrative techniques, such as stream of consciousness and temporal fragmentation, further mirror the New Liberal ideal of subjective moral development over rigid societal conformity. Additionally, the paper examines how the physical and symbolic structure of the Ramsay home reflects broader debates around gender, identity, and social progress. By situating To the Lighthouse within the context of New Liberalism, this study reveals Woolf’s implicit advocacy for a society that fosters both personal growth and ethical responsibility—a reimagining of domestic and artistic space not as sites of repression, but of potential transformation. Ultimately, this intersection of modernist literature and political theory highlights Woolf’s contribution to a progressive literary redefinition of identity, community, and human development.