"she holding her parasol erect"

On page 25 of “To the Lighthouse” by Woolf, is (at least) the second mention of the erect parasol. Upon my first reading, I understood the word “erect” to have the denotative meaning of “upright,” to reflect the proud air with which Mrs. Ramsay carries self—self-confidence that all of her male guests seem to, in addition to her beauty, be so attracted to. The choice of the word erect is unusual for in literature, umbrellas or parasols are usually described as being held “upright.” Today’s strong sexual connotation of erect though, clouded this reader’s initial interpretation. By Woolf’s second usage of the word, we see that erect is very appropriate indeed in reflecting Charles Tansley’s invigorated romantic feelings for Mrs. Ramsay. Following the description of erect parasol, Tansley “for the first time in his life [he] felt an extraordinary pride” a phrase which is repeated twice in the paragraph. Erect also connotes the erect tail or tuft of feathers of animals. This secondary connotation compounds the peculiar sight of Mrs. Ramsay with her erect umbrella. Umbrellas are generally held against the shoulder so that they may rest there and protect the back of the head. So, instead of being seen as confident, perhaps Mrs. Ramsay appears arrogant and bizarre like a rooster strutting about with her male friend holding her bag. The animal connotation of erect adds a texture of irony for it is Tansley who feels proud walking beside this seemingly beautiful woman.