She feels the need to hide her work, feeling almost ashamed that her artistic way of life is what's making her this "outcast " figure. The paranoia embodies her, especially while painting Mrs. Ramsay and James sitting in the transparent cottage window. She is said to have " kept a feeler on her surroundings lest someone should creep up, and suddenly she would find her picture looked at " (Woolf 13). The desire to be inconspicuous proves that Lily is fully aware of the judgmental society she lives in, as well as how far she's ventured away from its norms. I envision the cottage window to be the merciless barrier preventing Lily from gaining access to this unaccepting society. The window even places emphasis upon female idealism embodied by Mrs. Ramsay, while Lily is shunned to a life of spectatorship. There is a distinct contrast between Mrs. Ramsay, comfortably stationed behind her "secure" choice to conform, and Lily Briscoe. Mrs. Ramsay's inner emotions are never quite acknowledged, constantly feeling like "nothing but a sponge sopped full of human emotions"" (Woolf 32). Unlike Mrs. Ramsay's customary way of life, on the inside, Lily's yearning to be an artist forces her to watch from the exterior. To her acceptance, what lies through the cottage window is a blemished society, unwilling to accept her idiosyncratic lifestyle. .
Native to Lily's artistic approach to life is her overall genuineness. Her desire to form true relationships with others sets her apart from the rest of the characters. She tends to accept her emotions as opposed to projecting her frustration onto others. Accepting life's obscurities is one of Lily's unique characteristics. She is completely aware of others' close-mindedness, as well as their lack of empathy. Upon laying her head on Mrs.
