Editing Stream of consciousness (section)

==Definition==
{{See also|Internal monologue}}

[[File:UlyssesCover.jpg|thumb|right|Cover of [[James Joyce]]'s ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]'' (first edition, 1922), considered a prime example of stream of consciousness writing styles]]
Stream of consciousness is a literary method of representing the flow of a character's thoughts and sense impressions "usually in an unpunctuated or disjointed form of interior monologue." While many sources use the terms stream of consciousness and interior monologue as synonyms, the ''Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms'' suggests that "they can also be distinguished psychologically and literarily. In a psychological sense, stream of consciousness is the subject matter, while interior monologue is the technique for presenting it". And for literature, "while an interior monologue always presents a character's thoughts 'directly', without the apparent intervention of a summarizing and selecting narrator, it does not necessarily mingle them with impressions and perceptions, nor does it necessarily violate the norms of grammar, or logic – but the stream‐of‐consciousness technique also does one or both of these things."<ref name=":0">ed. Chris Baldick, Oxford: Oxford U.P., 2009, p. 212.</ref>

Similarly, the ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', while agreeing that these terms are "often used interchangeably", suggests that, "while an interior monologue may mirror all the half-thoughts, impressions, and associations that impinge upon the character's consciousness, it may also be restricted to an organized presentation of that character's rational thoughts".<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/290310/interior-monologue "interior monologue." ''Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online''. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 24 Sep. 2012.]</ref>

In the following example of stream of consciousness from James Joyce's ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]'', Molly seeks sleep:
<blockquote>
a quarter after what an unearthly hour I suppose theyre just getting up in China now combing out their pigtails for the day well soon have the nuns ringing the angelus theyve nobody coming in to spoil their sleep except an odd priest or two for his night office the alarmclock next door at cockshout clattering the brains out of itself let me see if I can doze off 1 2 3 4 5 what kind of flowers are those they invented like the stars the wallpaper in Lombard street was much nicer the apron he gave me was like that something only I only wore it twice better lower this lamp and try again so that I can get up early<ref>Joyce p. 642 (Bodley Head edition (1960), p. 930).</ref> 
</blockquote>