Ramsay's actions and words towards James about this matter are "caustic," and "dashed" his son's aspirations for going to the lighthouse. However, Mrs. Ramsay takes care to inspire the hopes of her son and to protect them, by stating that the following day's weather could actually involve the sun's "shining" and birds "singing," both of which are characteristics of permissible weather. The dichotomy of the perspectives presented by these characters is distinctly in alignment with traditional nurturing roles of mothers and disciplinary roles or those which prepare children for the vicissitudes of life that father's usually have. By presenting such a sharp distinction between the pair, Woolf is subtly suggesting that a synthesis of these behaviors would allow for a true consummation of the totality of a person -- which is a concept explored within "A Room of One's Own."
Lastly, although the narration in "To the Lighthouse" is from...
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