What is the basic definition of stream of consciousness as a narrative technique?

• A. A narrative mode presenting characters' inner thoughts in a continuous flow.
• B. A plot device used to reveal backstory through exposition.
• C. A tone that conveys the narrator's attitude toward the subject.
• D. A device that uses a recurring image or symbol.

Answer: (A)

Stream of consciousness is a narrative mode that aims to reproduce the flow of a character’s thoughts as they occur—sensations, memories, impressions, and random associations—often presented in a continuous, unfiltered way. It seeks to put the reader inside the character’s mind, showing thoughts as they naturally drift from one idea to the next, sometimes with fragmented syntax or rapid shifts in focus. This makes interior experience the primary vehicle of meaning, rather than external actions or straightforward exposition.

This differs from other devices: it isn’t primarily about revealing backstory through exposition, which is more about telling past events directly; nor about conveying the narrator’s attitude through tone; nor about recurring symbols or imagery used to suggest themes. In stream of consciousness, the emphasis is on inner experience and the subjective texture of thought, not on external narration, attitude, or symbolic motif.