The Sisters

Stream of consciousness is a literary device in which a character’s disjointed flow of thought is presented as if the character is in the process of a realistic and organic thought process. Rather than adhering to linear or syntactical rules, stream of consciousness allows an author to present a relatable, in-depth view into a character’s mind. For instance, James Joyce uses stream of consciousness when the narrator is thinking about the paralyzed man before drifting off to sleep:

But the grey face still followed me. It murmured and I understood that it desired to confess something. I felt my soul receding into some pleasant and vicious region and there again I found it waiting for me. It began to confess to me in a murmuring voice and I wondered why it smiled continually and why the lips were so moist with spittle (76-81).

By using stream of consciousness, Joyce creates a relatable experience of a disturbing progression of thoughts, while inspiring empathy for the narrator.

Paradox is the pairing of two ideas or images that initially seem to be incompatible, but that may reveal truth or a new idea.