An Ecocritical Exploration of Human-Nature Dynamics in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.

Virginia Woolf's novels focus on real-life pictures and portray to readers the truth of life, resonating a deep connection with humans and the society in which she resides. Her novels not only explore complex themes such as time, memory, feminism, madness, and creativity but also facilitate eco-critical readings that highlight the reciprocal relationships between human experience and the natural world. Her novel To the Lighthouse, 1927, is examined through the lens of eco-criticism, drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Lawrence Buell and Derek Wall. Buell defines eco-criticism as the study of the relationship between literature and environment, emphasizing the environmental concerns and the influence of nature on literary works. Wall, similarly, stresses the interdependence of human and non-human species within the web of life. Woolf’s portrayal of nature in To the Lighthouse, set in a summerhouse near the sea, shows the dependency of humans on their environment, emphasizing a bilateral relationship where both human and nature influence each other. A close reading of the novel's central characters. Ramsay, Mrs. Ramsay, and Lily Briscoe reveal Woolf's critical attitude toward anthropocentric views and her support for a more harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Through Woolf's narrative, the paper argues that the novel challenges dominant environmental attitudes, highlighting how time and perception influence human engagement with the natural world. Her unique writing style conveys to her readers the importance of achieving harmony between humans and nature. “In doing so, Woolf displays a biocentric worldview in which the human is immersed in the natural landscape” (Kim Sigouin, 2015).