ForthisfinalpaperIdecidedtofocusonaVirginiaWoolfnovelthatwehadnotread

inclassthissemesterandwiththatbeingsaidIchosetoreadTheMarkontheWall.Ihave
readthisbookawhilebackinhighschoolbutIwantedtorereaditinordertodigdeeperinto
thereading.IwantedtocomparehernovelwithJamesJoycesALittleCloudbecauseboth
authorsareveryfamousinEnglishliterature.Therearemanydistinctsimilarities,with
differencestoo,thatarisebetweenthetwotextsandthisiswhatmypaperisgoingtofocus
on.
JamesJoyceandVirginiaWoolfarethetwobestknownnovelistsofthestreamof
consciousnessintheeyesofEnglishliterature.Inthe20thcentury,undertheinfluenceof
Freudstheoryofpsychoanalysis,anumberofwritersadoptedanewtechniqueinwriting
characterizedbythestreamofconsciousnessmarkingtheappearanceofmodernfiction,
whichprevailedduringtheearly20thcenturyinEnglishliterature.Thestreamof
consciousnessisapsychologicaltermindicatingthefluxofconsciousandsubconscious
thoughtsandimpressionsmovinginthemindatanygiventimeindependentlyofthepersons
will.Joycewriteshisnovelsinharmonywithhistheoryofepiphanies.Ontheotherhand,
Woolfsworksareinsteadcharacterizedbythemomentofimportance.Whilethereare
somesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenbothwriters,theirwritingstylesandparticular
techniquesarecharacteristicsofthestreamofconsciousnessinmodernfiction.
Modernistfictionwasamovementofexperimentsinnewtechniquesinwriting
characterizedbythestreamofconsciousness.Thestrikingfeatureofthesenovelswritten
bythesetwoauthorsistheirgivingprecedencetothedepictionofthecharactersmentaland
emotionalreactionstoexternalevents,ratherthantheeventsthemselves.Inordertofulfill
thisaspect,theauthorsabandonedtheconventionalusagesofrealistsplotstructure,
characterizationanddescription.Invariouswaysbothnovelistselevatedtheirnovelsabove
middlebrowfictionbyignoring,denigrating,ordisplacingdomesticvaluesassociatedwith
Victorianfiction(Vogeler,2005).Modernfictiondoeshavesomestrikingfeatures.Firstof
all,itssubjecttendstobetragicorcomictragicinessencewhichcouldbeeasilyseenin
JamesJoycesshortstoryALittleCloud.LittleChandlerseffortsofchanginglifereality
endsinbitterresignationorfruitlessdiscontentintheparalyzedconditionDublinandhis
dreamofgettingawayisdestroyed.Modernistfictionisalsocharacterizedbynoveltyin
formandthemethodofstreamofconsciousnessisconsideredthemostconspicuousfeature
ofmodernistfiction.VirginiaWoolfsTheMarkontheWallissuchacaseinpoint.The
masterpieceofmodernfictionJamesJoycesnovelUlysseshasbeendevisedamodern
proseepicinEnglish(Spinks2009)whichtellsofthewanderingsoftheheroLeopold
Bloomduringthe24hoursofasingledaythroughrecordingthecharactersmentalactivities
bytheuseofthestreamofconsciousnessmethod.Asfarasthesubjectisconcerned,
modernistfictionssubjectistragicorcomictragicinessenceandtendstopresenta
fragmentedviewofhumansubjectivityandhistory,andpresentsthatfragmentationas
somethingtragic,somethingtobelamentedandmournedasaloss.Manymodernistworkstry
toupholdtheideasthatnovelscanprovidetheunity,coherence,andmeaningwhichhasbeen
lostinmostofmodernlifeartwilldowhatotherinstitutionsfailtodo.
InEnglishliterature,JamesJoyceandVirginiaWoolfarethetwobestknown
novelistsofthestreamofconsciousnesswhichoriginatedinFrancebutBritishwriters
developedittoaveryhighlevelofartisticperfection.Bothofthemhavetheiruniquewriting

style.JoyceiswellknownforhisepiphanywhileWoolfforhermomentofimportance.
JamesJoycesfirstimportantworkDubliners,acollectionof15shortstories,isall
realisticandimpressionisticstudiesoflife,thoughts,dreams,aspirationsandfrustrationsof
diverseinhabitantsintheIrishcapital.ThesestoriesarewritteninaccordancewithJoyces
theoryofepiphanies,i.e.deepinsightsthatmightbegainedthroughincidentsand
circumstances,whichseemoutwardlysignificant.OneoftheshortstoriesALittleCloudis
suchacaseinpoint.IttellsaboutLittleChandlersexperienceofgoingtomeethisfriend
GallaherandhismentalactivitieswithhopetochangehisliferealityinDublinonlytofindit
uselessnessintheendhissuddenrealizationoftruthorepiphany.
th
VirginiaWoolfwasamongthemostimportantmodernistwritersintheearly20
centuryinEngland.Shewasknowninhertimechieflyfortheuseofthestreamof
consciousnessmethodinfiction.VirginiaWoolftriedouthertechnicalexperimentswith
fictionandtheextremerichnessoftheauthorsimaginationmaybeseeninherworks
characterizedbythemomentofimportanceaquitenewconceptoftimeand
consciousnessadoptedbymodernists,andturnsitintoindividuallife.AccordingtoWoolf,
themomentofimportanceistoExamineforamomentanordinarymindonordinaryday.
Themindreceivesmyriadimpressionstrivial,fantastic,evanescent,orengravedwiththe
sharpnessofsteel.Fromallsidestheycame,anincessantshowerofinnumerableatoms;and
astheyfall,astheyshapethemselvesintothelifeofMondayorTuesday,theaccentfalls
differentlyfromanold:themomentofimportancecamenotherebutthere;sothat,ifawriter
wereafreemanandnotaslave,ifhecouldwritewhathechose,notwhathemust,ifhecould
bashisworkuponhisownfeelingandnotuponconvention,therewouldbenoplot,no
comedy,notragedy,noloveinterestorcatastropheintheacceptedstyle...(Sim2010).
VirginiaWoolfsTheMarkontheWallisaperfectexampleofWoolfsbigidea.Thewhole
storyprobablylastsonlyhalfanhourorsostartingwiththenarratorssightofthemarkon
thewallandendingwithherrealizationofthemarkwhichturnsouttobeasnail,yetit
revealsthecomplicatedprocessofthecharactersthoughts,feelings,imaginations,memories
andexpectationsofthenarratorinitsoriginalshapewithoutanyartisticchange.
Hershortstory,TheMarkontheWallistakenasanexampleofthemodernist
concept,time,andconsciousness.Thestorydoesnotintroducetime(when),space(where)
andsettingofthestoryatthebeginningliketraditionalfictiondoes.Insteaditdirectlystarts
fromthethoughtsflowingthroughthenarratorsconsciousness.Perhapsitwasthemiddleof
JanuaryinthepresentyearthatIfirstlookedupandsawthemarkonthewall.Inordertofix
adateitisnecessarytorememberwhatonesaw.SonowIthinkofthefire;thesteadyfilmof
yellowlightuponthepageofmybook;thethreechrysanthemumsintheroundglassbowlon
themantelpiece....(Woolf3185).Inthisway,itreflectsthegenuineexperienceofthe
charactersintricateworkofmind.Also,thecombineduseofthepresentandpasttenseatthe
beginningofthestorymirrorstherealityofhumanmindtoformacontinuousflowofinner
world.Andthelastsentenceinthebeginningparagraphservesasthetopicofthewhole
story.Themarkwasasmallroundmark,Blackuponthewhitewall,aboutsixorseven
inchesabovethemantelpiece(Woolf3185).Thestorythenproceedswiththenarrators
flowofthoughts.Howreadyourthoughtsswarmuponanewobject,liftingitalittleway,as
antscarryabladeofstrawsofeverishly,andthenleaveit.Itcanbefoundthatthenarrators
thinkingisquitesimilartotheworkingofourmindpickinguponethinganddropitanother
moment.Andthestorygoesonwiththenarratorsfirstassumptionofthemark.Ifthatmark

wasmadebyanail,itcanthavebeenforapicture,itmusthavebeenforaminiaturethe
miniatureofaladywithwhitepowderedcurls,powderdustedcheeks,andlipslikered
carnations.However,thenarratornegatesherfirstassumptionthen.Butforthatmark,Im
notsureaboutit;Idontbelieveitwasmadebyanailafterall;itstoobig,tooround,forthat,
Imightgetup,butifIgotupandlookedatit...Thenthenarratornegateshernew
assumption.Andyetthatmarkonthewallisnotaholeatall.Itmayevenbecausedbysome
roundblacksubstance,suchasasmallroseleaf,leftoverfromthesummer,andI,notbeinga
veryvigilanthousekeeper...Imustjumpupandseeformyselfwhatthatmarkonthewall
reallyisanail,aroseleaf,acrackinthewood?Thusthestorygoesonwiththenarrators
newassumptionandnegationofthemarkonthewall,meanwhilethemarkonthewall
changesanditsjustlikeaglimpseoftheworld,buteachglimpseisanincomplete
fragmentaryandsignificantreflectionofhumanthoughts.Actuallythewriterjustusesthese
trivialobjectstorevealthecharactersinnerthoughts.
Eventuallythestoryendswithsomeonesconversationwiththenarrator,which
interruptsthenarratorsprofound,philosophicalthinkingandpullsthenarratorintoreality.
VirginiaWoolftriedouthertechnicalexperimentswithfictionandtheextremerichnessof
theauthorsimaginationmaybeseeninherworks.Thewriterfixessuchamoment,a
momentofimportance,aquitenewconceptoftimeandconsciousnessadoptedby
modernists,andturnsitintoindividuallife.

JoycesepiphanyandWoolfsmomentofimportancearebothcharacteristicwriting
techniquesofstreamofconsciousnessinmodernfiction.Therearesomesimilaritiesbetween
them.Firstofall,bothareartisticallydesignedbytheirwriterstorepresentthemomentof
mentalexperience.Forinstance,LittleChandlersepiphanyinJoycesshortstoryALittle
CloudandthesightofthemarkinWoolfsTheMarkontheWallaredeliberatelyarrangedto
revealcharacterscomplicatedinnerthoughts.Inaddition,bothofthemneedtheimpactof
theexternalworldorstimulusonthehumanmind.InJoycesALittleCloud,LittleChandler
realizedsuddenlyhishopelessnessoflifeinDublintriggeredbyhissocalledfriend
Gallahersinsultandhiswifesteasing;anditisthesnailinTheMarkontheWallthat
stimulatestheintricateworkingsoftheheroinesconsciousandsubconsciousmind.Thirdly,
bothwritingtechniquesintendtoshowratherthancomment.Thewritersjustpresentthe
charactersthoughtsandemotionalreactionsbutdonotmakecommentsonthem,characters
areintroducedbytheirownthoughts,wordsanddeedsbutnotoutrightbytheauthors,which
leavesalargespaceforreadersimaginationandthinking.?
Ontheotherhand,epiphanyandmomentofimportancehavesomedifferences.
Firstly,epiphanyiscloselyrelatedtotheplotofthestory,whilemomentofimportance
embodiesthecharacteristicsofpromptness,randomnessandfragmentation.Forexample,
withthestoryprogressing,LittleChandlerinALittleCloudrealizedsuddenlyintheendhis
inescapabilityofreality;inWoolfsTheMarkontheWall,thecharacterssightofthemark
onthewallisassumedandnegatedagainandagainwhichseemsratherprompt,randomand
fragment.Secondly,insenseoftime,epiphanyusuallymarkstheabrupt,suddenclimaxofthe
storyandwhenitoccurredatthecertainplaceandtime,thestoryendssuddenly,while
momentofimportanceoftenrepresentsalastingcontinuousflowofthecharactersinner
world.Morespecifically,theshortstoryALittleCloudreachesitsclimaxandendswhen

LittleChandlerfoundthetruthofhislifereality;whilethecharacterslastingthoughts
centereduponlifesprofound,philosophicalthinkingtriggeredbythemarkonthewallseem
tobeinterruptedorfrustratedintheendofthestorybysomeonesconversationandthe
narratorsrealizationofthesnail.Thirdly,epiphanyhasawidersocialimpactandmore
profoundmoralsignificancewhilemomentofimportancehasanarrowandintimatefocus
onpersonalcharacter.LittleChandlersepiphanyreflectstheparalyzedconditionofthecity
Dublinandtheyoungmaydreamofescapingfromthenarrowconfines,butsincetheir
dreamsofgettingawayareshapedintheexistingsurroundings,theireffortsoftenendin
bitterresignationorfruitlessdiscontent.Thegeneralimpressionofthereadersgetsfromthe
shortstoryisthefeelingofpervadinggloomoverallDublin,whichreflectstherealsocial
condition.MomentofimportanceinWoolfsshortstoryhelpstorevealthecharacters
richnessofimaginationormentalreactionsandreflectsthesignificanceofhumanthoughts
whicharevisibleintheflickeringsofthatinnermostflamethatflashesitsmessagesthrough
thebrain.

Works Cited
Joyce,James.Dubliners.NewYork:Modernlibrary,1926.Print.
Sim,Lorraine.VirginiaWoolf:thepatternsofordinaryexperience.Farnham,Surrey:
Ashgate,2010.Print.
Spinks,Lee.JamesJoyceacriticalguide.Edinburgh:EdinburghUniversityPress,2009.
Print.
Vogeler,M.S.ExpertModernists,Matricide,andModernCulture:Woolf,Forster,Joyce.
Choice42.9(2005):1586.ProQuest.Web.22Apr.2013.
Woolf,Virginia.VirginiaWoolf:TheCompleteWorks.NookforMAC.