Stream of consciousness
A narrative technique that attempts to represent the unfiltered, continuous flow of a character's thoughts, often without conventional syntax, chronology, or logical structure. Stream of consciousness presents mental processes as they occur, creating immediacy and psychological depth.
Real World
In Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, Clarissa's thoughts flow seamlessly from buying flowers to memories of Peter Walsh decades earlier, with no chapter breaks or logical transitions separating present and past.
Exam Focus
Quote specific syntactic choices — fragmented punctuation, lack of connectives — to show how form enacts the character's mental state.
How well did you know this?