When writing a novel, writers are presented with an array of literary styles to further their story. Each style possesses its own unique attributes and vary in suitability depending on the story, characters and overall meaning that the author is trying to illustrate. Stream of consciousness is one such writing style.
The phrase ‘stream of consciousness’ refers to the continual passage of thoughts, ideas and experiences in the conscious mind. In literature, the phrase refers to the flow of these thoughts and ideas with note to a particular character’s thinking processes. The stream of consciousness technique is generally utilized as an alternative to dialogue and description in forging a narrative in the form of the character’s thoughts. The main criticism of this method is that the freedom given to the writer to describe the raw feelings and emotions of the characters could give way to incoherency and chaotic writing.
Sometimes "stream of consciousness" is used interchangeably with the term interior monologue. "Interior monologue" is reserved for that kind of stream of consciousness which depicts the ongoing conscious thoughts that occur in a character 's mind.
Interior monologue can further be split up into direct and indirect forms. In direct interior monologue the author does not intervene and does not correct the irregularities of the mental thoughts into grammatically accurate sentences or into a logical or coherent order.
The above extract from Joyce’s magnum opus