THE ARCHITECTURE OF INTERIORITY: A NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN VIRGINIA WOOLF’S MRS. DALLOWAY

Abstract

This paper aims at examining the Epoch-making change from Victorian empirical reality to Modernist interiority or subjectivity, using Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Galloway (1925) as an archetypal study for the "Stream of Consciousness" technique. This study focuses on how Woolf bypasses linear storytelling to better capture the intricate layers of internal consciousness. The research highlights a shift in the literary treatment of time and selfhood, achieved through an analysis of specific stylistic devices: sensory triggers, linguistic breaks, and the hallmark 'tunneling process'.

This study examines how Woolf portrays life's 'luminous halo' through the contrast between literal time and subjective psychological time. This endeavor further explains how sensory impressions function, bridging the gulf between the present moment and a character's "submerged" past, resulting in a pentimento of the bygone. The research ultimately argues that Woolf's signature style is less about surface-level artistry and more about providing a necessary framework for understanding existence. These tools capture the shifting, messy flow of our thoughts, proving that our inner world is where the real story happens. Woolf chooses thoughts over action to prove that 'sane' and 'mad' people aren't that different after all. In doing so, she breaks the rules of traditional storytelling to show how we are all connected deep down.