5 Questions
What is Stream of Consciousness?
A style of narration in which the thoughts of a character are relayed directly to the reader
How does Virginia Woolf use Stream of Consciousness in Mrs Dalloway?
Through a third-person omniscient narrator
What is the relationship between the reader and the character in Mrs Dalloway?
The reader can only reach a relationship with the character through the narrator
What is the difference between the narrator and the character in Mrs Dalloway?
The character is part of the narrator
How can the narrator and the reader interact in Mrs Dalloway?
Without the character
Study Notes
- Stream of Consciousness is a style of narration in which the thoughts of a character are relayed directly to the reader.
- Virginia Woolf uses Stream of Consciousness in Mrs Dalloway, more akin to that of a third-person omniscient narrator reporting a character’s inner monologue rather than the character doing it themselves.
- There is no real way of knowing what parts you are reading, nor does it matter, because the thoughts are put together to form a wholly informed picture of that character’s consciousness.
- The narrator, instead of the character, becomes the one to communicate the story to the reader.
- In Mrs Dalloway, the reader can only reach a relationship with the character through the narrator.
- This is because the character is not separate from the narra-tor but is wholly part of it.
- The narrator and the reader can interact without the charac-ter needing to be involved.
Test your understanding of the use of Stream of Consciousness in Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway. Explore how the narrator serves as the conduit for the character's inner thoughts, creating a unique relationship between the reader and the character.
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