Kim Lichauer

Ms. Thomson (Period 8)

AP Lang. and Comp.
4 November 2016
The Magnitude of Memories
Virginia Woolfs use of language in her narrative provides readers with a glimpse into her

private life, all while animating the anecdote with vivid diction, syntax, and a thought-provoking

stream of consciousness. Each of these components force readers to recognize just how

important these moments spent sailing in Cornwall were to her.

Woolf employs imaginative and unique diction in her narrative so as to place her

audience in the moment with her. She paints a picture of a windy afternoon spent with her

brother, Thoby, and her father, enjoying the simpler pleasures of a day spent on the harbor. She

shares her experience of seeing pale jellyfish, and she uses phrases such as ..like lamps, with

streaming hair (Line 11) to bring the creatures to life for her audience. Woolf recalls fishing,

the excitement, the exhilarating thrill with which it provided her. In her opinion, it was quite a

memorable event, so much so that she wishes to convey it to her readers, to the best of her

descriptive ability. Readers are able to picture the white, twisting fish (Line 18) flailing around

on the luggers deck. She includes these extra pieces of information so she can prove to her

audience just how well she remembers this day. This allows readers to connect an experience that

Woolf remembers well to one that they can recall in much the same manner. In addition to this,

she includes diction referring to fishing that is rather unfamiliar to the average person, such as

baited by gobbets cut from fish; and the line thrilled in ones fingers (Lines 13-14) to express

her extensive knowledge of the activity, and to more deeply secure her reader in the moment.
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Woolf takes the narrative one step further as she reflects on what her father informs her.

She simply states that his words were the perfect lesson (Line 25), knowing it wasnt a

rebuke (Line 26), but rather, a momentous turning point in her young life. Previously, she took

the time to explain just how devoted she was to fishing. But in just a few sentences, she

demonstrates how much more she respects her father, and how she will prioritize him over

another thing she lovesthe most acute [passion] (Line 29) she then knew. Out of love, she

gave up and extinguished it (Line 30). This use of syntax adds a more profound element to the

story and forces the readers to ponder the relationship Woolf and her father shared, and why it

was so important.

Woolf uses a stream of consciousness in her final thoughts to place the readers on a new

plane of self-reflection and contemplation. She uses the term seeds (Line 34) to refer to her

passion for fishing, a metaphor for the moments that have had such a lasting influence on the rest

of her life. Even though that particular seed didnt bloom for Woolf, she recognizes that it did

contribute the growing of her metaphorical tree, which it stands as a key moment in her history

that made her who she is today. She further challenges her audience to ponder their own germs

of what might have been (Lines 37-38). This reflection of her conscious presents to readers the

pressing question of what instances in their own lives cling to them, forming the seeds of an

experiential tree of a human lifetime.

To conclude, Virginia Woolfs use of impressive and stimulating diction adds an element

of beauty to her story; her syntax provides depth; her exquisitely-flowing stream of

consciousness contributes to a reflective audience. All of these ultimately direct her audience in

an easy-to-follow way toward her main messagethat is, so they come to see the gravity of
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memories like her day in Cornwalls harbor, and how they relate to the bigger picture of what it

means to be human.