NarratologyAdvanced
Stream of Consciousness
Narration shaped to resemble the flow of thought.
Principle
Consciousness has logic, but not always orderly syntax.
Takeaways
- It privileges association, perception, memory, and interruption.
- It can dissolve the boundary between narration and thought.
- Unreadability is not depth; pressure still needs shape.
Overview
Stream of consciousness attempts to render mental life as it moves, often through association, fragments, sensory impressions, and unstable syntax. It is a hallmark of modernist experimentation but appears in many degrees.
Examples
- A character walking through a city moves from shop signs to childhood memory to dread.
- A chapter follows thought rather than external sequence.