1. Lily wants to wake up Mr. Carmichael and talk to him about all the questions she has of life, death, and even Mrs. Ramsay. Why does she decide against waking him?

2. What is Mr. Carmichael's opinion of Lily when she refuses to give Mr. Ramsay the sympathy he is looking for?

3. What does Mrs. Ramsay compare herself to when she begins dinner without asking Nancy, Andrew, Minta, and Paul why they are late?

4. As Mrs. Ramsay gives the maids instructions during dinner, what is Mr. Bankes thinking?

5. Explain the comparison Lily Biscoe makes between Mr. Ramsay and William Bankes.

6. What is the message in the note that Mrs. McNabb receives?

7. Lily Briscoe sees Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay watching Prue and Jasper playing with a ball. What does she think the Ramsays symbolize?

8. What does Mr. Ramsay ponder is his fate as he looks out at the bay beneath the edge of the lawn?

9. What is James' reaction when his father praises his sailing abilities?

10. What is Mr. Ramsay's reaction when Mr. Bankes and Lily Briscoe go through the opening in the hedge to find Ramsay loudly reciting poetry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Compare and contrast the characters of Mrs. Ramsay and Lily Briscoe.

2) Summarize the impact each character has on one another.

3) How is each character realistic in her view toward life, considering the time period in which the story takes place?

4) How do their roles as women differ? Cite examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

1) Interpret the feelings Paul and Minta have for each other in the first part of the novel when they are at the beach.

2) Are their emotions authentic?

3) Are they truthful with each other?

4) Compare these emotions with how they interact later in the novel, after they are married. What regrets do they have at the end of the novel with regard to their relationship?

5) How does their relationship differ from the first part of the novel?