The Hostess

I, being a hostess myself, quite enjoyed Woolf's passage on the hostess. Every one of her books to this point, with the exception of Jacob's Room deals with the idea of a hostess that brings general harmony to a group of people. She sees the subtle hidden things in people. By recognizing these qualities she, like Mrs. Ramsay, make people feel all the more recognized and understood. It is an illusion, but all of life and literature are illusions that bring the core, the soul to harmony, through a variety of perceptions.
The hostess recognizes the reality that is appropriate for the individual and then she weaves her magic.