Stream Of Consciousness In As I Lay Dying

Writing is a diverse field full of different techniques and devices from which to choose. Authors use varying methods to portray how different characters within their stories feel or act. One form of dialogue that has been used in numerous narratives is stream of consciousness, also known as interior monologue. Stream of consciousness is a rhetorical device that illustrates what a character is thinking or feeling without interruption. The characters are not saying it aloud, and it also often lacks structure, flow, and punctuation. “The term was initially coined by a psychologist William James in his research ‘The Principles of Psychology’”(literarydevices.net) and became the most popular in the early 1900s amongst many authors and their stories.

Landa goes on to say “There are differences in the level of consciousness depicted by the monologue” (Landa). This means she feels that the attempted stream of consciousness does not reflect the character's own thoughts. For Landa, Hemingway’s use of stream of consciousness was a complete

The narrators often ramble on about whatever thoughts come to his or her mind. When stream of consciousness is used the character’s inner dialogue tends to consist of random thoughts, little to no structure, and little relation to the line before or after. A section narrated by Vardaman holds one example of Faulkner’s use of stream of consciousness; “Dewey Dell said we would get some bananas. The train is behind the glass, red on the track. When it runs the track shines on and off. Pa said flour and sugar costs so much. Because I am a country boy because boys in town. Bicycles” (Faulkner 65-66). There is no predictability or structure coming from within Vardaman’s inner monologue. His thoughts are not spoken aloud and they are uninterrupted from one to another. The definition of stream of consciousness clearly describes the thoughts that surge through Vardaman’s