mõttevoolule

Mõttevoolule, often translated as "stream of consciousness," is a literary technique that depicts the multitude of thoughts and feelings that pass through the mind of a narrator. It aims to represent the continuous flow of consciousness, including fragmented thoughts, sensory impressions, memories, and associations, as they occur in rapid succession. This technique bypasses traditional narrative structures, such as chronological order, and often uses unconventional punctuation and sentence construction to mirror the natural, sometimes chaotic, workings of the mind.

The primary goal of the stream of consciousness technique is to provide readers with an intimate and direct access to a character's inner world. It seeks to capture the subjective experience of reality, moving beyond external events to explore the internal landscape of perception, emotion, and subconscious thought. This can lead to a more immersive and realistic portrayal of human psychology, though it can also make the text challenging to follow due to its nonlinear and often disorienting nature.

Prominent examples of stream of consciousness can be found in the works of James Joyce, particularly in Ulysses, and Virginia Woolf, such as in Mrs. Dalloway. These authors utilized the technique to delve deeply into the characters' minds, revealing their complex inner lives and the subtle connections between their thoughts and the external world. The technique has been influential in modernist and postmodernist literature, offering a powerful tool for exploring the depths of human experience.