Woolf and Joyce, Term Paper Example

Narrative Techniques and the Stream of Consciousness

The emphasis of stream of consciousness narratives on the flow of notions and convictions internalized by the narrator or narrators, instead of a plot-centered narrative, complicates the passage of time in the works of Woolf and Joyce. Stream of consciousness flows in a rather linear fashion, jumping from idea to idea, rather than relying on physical events and the passage of time to drive the narrative. Therefore, the inner sentiments of the narrators become immutably entangled with the real events of the stories (Tay 7-24). While Tay asserts that Woolf’s and Joyce’s use of stream of consciousness narratives confuses the passage of time in their works, I would argue that this type of narrative only adds more layers and ambiguity to the progressions. The style itself may complicate time, but it does not render the passage of time irrelevant in these stories. Woolf’s narrators are fixated with the progression of time, emphasizing the transition from morning to night and youth to old age. The inclusion of multiple narrators also stresses different individuals’ experiences with time, while maintaining the linear quality of a stream of consciousness narrative. The narrators also focus on the concepts of age, death and decay, which are the external factors of time in the novel. Bernard contemplates the qualities of time saying,

“And, what is this moment of time, this particular day in which I have found myself caught? …Time has whizzed back an inch or two on its reel; our short progress has been cancelled. I think also that our bodies are in truth naked. We are only lightly covered with buttoned cloth; and beneath these pavements are shells, bones and silence” (Woolf).

To Bernard, time passes exceedingly swiftly, and human advancements and worldly imprints are washed away by time and soon rendered irrelevant. The child is also fixated with the morbidity of human existence; he notes that all people are merely skeletons cloaked in the illusion of life, which is, in its essence, ephemeral. While the internal clocks of the narrators are essential for comprehending the symbolism of their accounts, their internalized perceptions of the passage of time differ from the actual, external passage of time. This complicates the narratives immensely; as the correlation between the two measures of time is so vague (Miko 63-70). Where Woolf includes multiple narrators, and therefore numerous conflicting time frames, both internal and external, Joyce’s Lotus Eaters features a single narrator. The Waves focuses on the destructive capabilities of time, such as the loss of youth and the inevitability of death, Lotus Eaters, on the other hand, deals with time quite differently. While Woolf’s narratives are nearly disturbed by and obsessed with time, Bloom is preoccupied with time in a different way. Instead of obsessing over conserving time, he strives to waste it by letting his mind wander seemingly aimlessly in that cleanly progressing stream of consciousness. His internalized stream of consciousness narrative features his free-flowing thoughts that overrun his placid mind. While the Woolf’s narrators are preoccupied with their own lonely states, Bloom is aware of the world around him, “”fancy being his wife. Wonder how he had the gumption to propose to any girl” (Joyce). The people he encounters play a part in his perceptions of the movement of the world. The passage of time in his own brain is slow; he rambles internally and is waiting for time to pass, and therefore, to him, the world seems to be moving sluggishly. This muddles with the real passing of time, which is extremely different from his internal perception. Both Woolf and Joyce fashion narrators whose perceptions of time conflict with reality; adding a layer of ambiguity to the progressions of these pieces.

Due to the overwhelmingly internal nature of both of these pieces, the boundary between the facts of the narratives and the misconceptions prompted by the narrators’ potentially false or bias perceptions is extremely vague. Both authors create narrators who are exceedingly preoccupied with their own thoughts and emotions. Their streams of consciousness jump cleanly from thought to thought; expressing how they are affected by the events they encounter, while possibly leaving out the concrete details of the happenings, whether deliberately or inadvertently. Joyce Carol Oates argues that Bloom’s distinct narrative voice sets up the individuality of his character; adding to the ambiguous nature of the story, as the narrative is so deeply affected by Bloom’s concrete character (Oates 678). On the other hand, I would argue that there is no truth without perception. To attempt to sever Bloom’s inner sentiments from the physical events of Joyce’s account would warp the story irrevocably; to the point where it would change the overall essence of the story. Bloom’s inner dialogue mixes with the outer world he perceives, and therefore gives an accurate account of his station in the story. “Mr. Bloom looked back towards the choir. Not going to be any music. Pity. Who has the organ here I wonder?” (Joyce). His awareness of the world of reality and facts is intermingled with his inner thoughts and fantasies, which adds nuance to the question of what is real in his world and what is the product of his own active mind. Woolf also utilizes ambiguity in order to sneakily highlight her intended, usually controversial themes (Pearce 93-96). The blurred line separating reality and fantasy allows for interpretation and deeper thought on the threads the authors wish the readers to grab hold of. The distinct characteristics of the narrators stress the ambiguity of reality in these two novels, which leaves room for elucidation.

Works Cited

Miko, Stephen J. “Reflections on “The Waves”: Virginia Woolf at the Limits of Her Art.” Criticism 30.1 (1988): 63-90. JSTOR. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/23113334?ref=no-x-route:60d6aa0056d617b3e67b4d9c51bcc9bb>.

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Jocoserious Joyce.” Critical Inquiry 2.4 (1976): 677-88. JSTOR. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1342815?ref=no-x-route:edf28ab41271338a8097511904fa9e3f>.

Pearce, Richard. “Review: Virginia Woolf’s Reality.” NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction 21.1 (1987): 93-96. JSTOR. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1345993?ref=no-x-route:8ffb232897463b1991af6138a97b024e>.

Tay, William. “Wang Meng, Stream-of-Consciousness, and the Controversy over Modernism.” Modern Chinese Literature1.1 (1984): 7-24. JSTOR. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/41490563?ref=no-x-route:abd23325f785301724d989515e672764>.