The Stream-of-Consciousness in The Mark on the Wall

Abstract

The chaos and destruction brought about by World War I prompted people to seek new forms of expression. In the 20th century when Woolf lived, women were greatly constrained, and they had almost no time of their own. However, this was also the period when the first wave of feminism began to emerge. By studying Woolf's work, we can see that the pioneers of modernism and feminism had completely different views and perspectives from people who hold traditional techniques. Woolf is famous for her stream-of-consciousness technique; therefore, it is necessary to examine how she uses this technique to express her thoughts in The Mark on the Wall, her first venture into the realm of stream-of-consciousness. This paper examines Woolfs attenuation of narrative time and her use of a single character, I. In addition, I suggest that the images and personal pronouns used by Woolf also demonstrate her pursuit of freedom and her feminism. Studying Woolf's first stream-of-consciousness short story The Mark on the Wall is essential for understanding Woolfs early writing as well as tracing her evolution as a writer.