Mr. Ramsay

Many of the characters have similar interpretations of Mr. Ramsay which all characterize him as an unkind and callous individual. James does not respond well to Mr. Ramsay's blunt objection to their expedition by expressing hostility towards his father: "Had there been an axe handy, or a poker, any weapon that would have gashed a hole in his father's breast and killed him, there and then, James would have seized it. Such were the extremes of emotion that Mr. Ramsay excited in his children's breasts" (Woolf 4). James and his siblings all have similar interpretations of Mr. Ramsay's harsh, nature. However, William Bankes has a different perception of Mr. Ramsay which allows for a different approach to Mr. Ramsay's character. William Bankes recalls a specific time spent with Mr. Ramsay which showed Bankes the softer side of Mr. Ramsay: "A hen, straddling her wings out in protection of a covey of little chicks, upon which Ramsay, stopping, pointed his stick and said 'Pretty--pretty,' an odd illumination in to his heart, Bankes thought it, which showed his simplicity" (Woolf 21). Mr. Bankes' memory gives a new insight into the character of Mr. Ramsay. Perhaps Mr. Ramsay's children are overly sensitive to his reserved demeanor, therefore their reactions to him are hyperbolic and exaggerated because they are young children. Mr. Ramsay is not a completely heartless individual that his children see him as because William Bankes recalls this memory and shows a more human side of Mr. Ramsay