stream of consciousness — a literary technique that presents a character's continuous flow of thoughts and feelings without logical structure
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a literary technique that presents a character's continuous flow of thoughts and feelings without logical structure
Pronunciation (IPA): /striːm ʌv ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/
Example Sentences
- My diary became a stream of consciousness when I was too tired to organize my thoughts properly.
- Virginia Woolf mastered the stream of consciousness technique in her novels.
- His presentation turned into a stream of consciousness rambling about everything except the main topic.
stream of consciousness
NOUN[/striːm ʌv ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/]
a literary technique that presents a character's continuous flow of thoughts and feelings without logical structure
A stream of consciousness character's inner thoughts swirl outward in colorful chaos
The stream of consciousness flows freely with memories and emotions, a river of thoughts that dreams without reason or measure
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The term combines 'stream' (from Old English 'strēam', meaning a continuous flow of water) and 'consciousness' (from Latin 'conscientia', meaning awareness or knowledge). The phrase was popularized in early 20th-century psychology and literary criticism to describe the uninterrupted flow of thoughts.
Breakdown
stream (continuous flow) + of (preposition indicating composition) + consciousness (from Latin con- (together) + scientia (knowledge) = awareness/mind) = stream of consciousness (continuous flow of a character's thoughts and feelings)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My diary became a stream of consciousness when I was too tired to organize my thoughts properly.”
“Virginia Woolf mastered the stream of consciousness technique in her novels.”
“His presentation turned into a stream of consciousness rambling about everything except the main topic.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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