NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES IN STREAM-OF-CONSCIOUSNESS WRITING

Abstract

Stream-of-consciousness writing is a narrative technique that attempts to capture the unfiltered, internal flow of thoughts, feelings, and sensory experiences of a character. This literary style, often associated with modernist authors, seeks to mimic the complexity of human consciousness, providing an immersive and intimate portrayal of the character's mind. By eschewing traditional narrative structures, it disrupts linear storytelling, embracing fragmented syntax, free association, and internal monologues. Authors such as James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner have pioneered this approach, using it to explore psychological depth, subjective reality, and the interplay between memory and perception. Key elements include the use of interior monologue, non-linear timeframes, shifting perspectives, and the blending of external and internal realities. Stream-of-consciousness writing allows authors to delve deeply into the psychological motivations and existential musings of their characters, providing a rich, layered narrative that challenges readers to interpret meaning from a torrent of thoughts and impressions. This narrative technique has profoundly influenced literature by breaking conventional norms and embracing a more experimental and personal approach to storytelling.