Stream of Consciousness Narrative Techniques
Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique used in fiction, in which events are described as though through the arising thoughts of one of the characters. The phrase is thought to have been first used by the 19th century psychologist William James, to describe the succession of thoughts and impressions characterizing the individual consciousness. The literary technique is particularly associated with modernist writers, such as Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner or James Joyce.
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Characteristics of Stream of Consciousness Writing
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Stream of consciousness narrative differs from conventional prose, as it seeks to mimic the often fragmentary and disjointed nature of a character's train of thought. Rather than a series of structured sentences, linked by logical progression, sentences may be more fluid, adhering less strictly to formal grammar, often beginning and ending abruptly. The sequence of sentences may be marked by apparently random jumps from subject to subject, as the protagonist is distracted by some external impression or one idea sparks off another. Stream of consciousness narrative thus often requires more work from the reader than conventional prose. In recompense, the reader gains a privileged insight into how the character experiences the world from within.
Interior Monologue
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Stream of consciousness technique is perhaps most frequently associated with the interior monologue. The interior monologue is written from a first-person perspective, as though it were a record of the character's thoughts. The illusion that we are privy to an unmediated rendering of the character's inner self is preserved through an absence of quotation marks or intrusive verbs such as "he thought" or "she wondered." The use of vocabulary and phrasing also often reflects the everyday language that would be used by the character, rather than the more formal language typical of written prose.
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Third-person Reported Discourse
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Stream of consciousness writing can also occur within the formal frame of the commentary of a third-person narrator, as the narrative seamlessly gives way, sometimes mid-sentence, to the inner processes of a character's mind, without actually switching to the first person, as in this excerpt from Ulysses, by James Joyce: "Stephen bent forward and peered at the mirror held out to him, cleft by a crooked crack. Hair on end. As he and others see me. Who chose this face for me?" The writer has shifted from describing Stephen looking in the glass to describing Stephen's inner responses to the sight of his own face in the glass without any intrusive indicators such as "he thought."
Sensory Impression
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Sensory impression can be combined with both interior monologue and third-person reported discourse. It can represent stream of consciousness technique at its most fluid and fragmentary, as it seeks to convey a character's sensory experience and impressions at the scarcely conscious, verbalized level. It is often presented simply as a list of succeeding impressions. A recurring motif is often employed as an anchoring device, to prevent the succession of impressions and the associations they give rise to from straying too far outside the boundaries of the narrative.
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