62 pages 2 hours read

Virginia Woolf

The Voyage Out

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1915

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Symbols & Motifs

The Ship

Willoughby’s ship, the Euphrosyne, is a symbolic setting of transformation and human connection. It is the vessel that takes people away from the comforts of England and embarks on a journey to the unknown. From the perspective aboard the ship, the land of England fades into the distance and the endless horizon of the ocean signifies the vastness of the world. The physicality of the ship is also important as its close confines lead to Human Connection Through Forced Proximity. With only a few people to speak to on board, the characters are forced into conversations they might otherwise have avoided. These conversations lead to Self-Discovery, especially in Rachel. Thus, the ship’s journey to Santa Marina is also a metaphorical journey from the known to the unknown, from certainty to uncertainty, and from stagnant personhood to character development. The ship is named after Euphrosyne, one of the three ancient Greek goddesses of good cheer. As complex as the journey to Santa Marina becomes, it is true that the voyage and subsequent character development spur new joys.

Related Titles

By Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

A Haunted House

Virginia Woolf

A Haunted House

Virginia Woolf

Plot Summary

logo

A Haunted House and Other Short Stories

Virginia Woolf

A Haunted House and Other Short Stories

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

A Room of One's Own

Virginia Woolf

A Room of One's Own

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

Between The Acts

Virginia Woolf

Between The Acts

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

Flush: A Biography

Virginia Woolf

Flush: A Biography

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

How Should One Read a Book?

Virginia Woolf

How Should One Read a Book?

Virginia Woolf

Plot Summary

logo

Jacob's Room

Virginia Woolf

Jacob's Room

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

Kew Gardens

Virginia Woolf

Kew Gardens

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

Modern Fiction

Virginia Woolf

Modern Fiction

Virginia Woolf

Plot Summary

logo

Moments of Being

Virginia Woolf

Moments of Being

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown

Virginia Woolf

Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

The Death of the Moth

Virginia Woolf

The Death of the Moth

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

The Duchess and the Jeweller

Virginia Woolf

The Duchess and the Jeweller

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

The Lady in the Looking Glass

Virginia Woolf

The Lady in the Looking Glass

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

The Mark on the Wall

Virginia Woolf

The Mark on the Wall

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

The New Dress

Virginia Woolf

The New Dress

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

The Waves

Virginia Woolf

The Waves

Virginia Woolf

Study Guide

logo

Three Guineas

Virginia Woolf

Three Guineas

Virginia Woolf