The study of literary works is always of particular interest to researchers, as it can give an understanding of the main trends in all spheres of the society of the past years. Hence, this academic paper aims to study and criticize the work “The Mark on the Wall’” by Virginia Woolf. This work has one very distinctive feature, called the “stream of consciousness.” Thus, this work allows us to consider the main distinguishing feature of consciousness. Moreover, in this critical essay, the moods and personal experiences of people and their impact on life were analyzed.
The main feature of this work is that it represents a stream of consciousness. This technique is defined in the sources as “the unbroken flow of thoughts, feelings and perceptions in the waking mind” (Soni 23). Thus, this storytelling tool is a characteristic feature of all of Wolfe’s work. The story begins with the first-person narrator noticing a mark on the wall. Thoughts about it gradually turn into other more abstract, complex, and quite extensive ones. Some of the topics that the narrator touched on are religion, self-reflection, nature, and uncertainty.
From the side of criticism, it is worth noting that the stream of consciousness as a way of constructing a whole literary work has some difficulties. This is mainly due to the complexity of perception for the reader, which causes a small number of fans of this genre. The reason for their occurrence is the basing of the text on long and complex sentences, which in turn perfectly convey the nature of human thought. Often, when people start thinking about something, they do not control the grammatical component of their thoughts and form quite comprehensive statements. The proximity to the real world is also given because Woolf began her work with the word “perhaps” (Woolf 1). With the help of this aspect, the author gave the narrative the inaccuracy and uncertainty that people experience when they talk about the past.
Moreover, the stream of consciousness is conditioned by a wide range of topics that a person can think about. At the same time, the transition from one theme to another occurs chaotically and quickly, which can also complicate the perception process to a certain extent. However, it is essential to keep in mind that a relatively weak but obvious connection causes all the topics that arise in the stream of consciousness. The narrator gradually adds information about each one at the same time, supplementing the story with new colors and emotions.
One of the most prominent themes in this literary work is the role of women in society. Further, the author touches on her through the view of the main character and her perception of prospects for women in a world where men dominate. The narrator is outraged and annoyed at the thought that society still follows the standards that were adopted many centuries ago. Through the protagonist, Wolf also reflects on the topic of freedom and the roles and rules imposed on individuals that they must observe in order to survive in an established social order. Along with these topics, the author’s critical thinking also touches on the effect of gender roles and the problems with self-identification that more and more people are facing.
Another feature that should be emphasized when analyzing and criticizing Wolfe’s work is the peculiarity of conveying the main themes of literary work. Henceforth, during the narration, the author raises the topic not through complex and elongated sentences but through symbolism. This gives uniqueness to this work and makes it stand out even more among others. Thus, there is a representation of the narrator’s words in the first person, as if the woman sees everything she is talking about.
In conclusion, this academic paper was engaged in a critical analysis of the work of Virginia Woolf called “The Mark on the Wall.” The main distinguishing feature of this first-person narrative is that it represents a stream of consciousness. Hence, critically, this is a unique way of conveying the main idea of the author, but it can make it difficult for the reader to perceive. Further, in his literary work, Wolfe raises such topics as self-representation, freedom, and the position of women in society.
It is important to emphasize that the author was one of the first writers who began to touch on the topic of feminism and the inequality of rights and responsibilities of men and women in society. Therefore, through his character, Wolfe conveys his point of view and views on this problem. It is also worth noting that the analyzed work does not differ in the complexity of the plot. However, careful reading and comprehension can cause a large number of emotions. It fully conveys the possibility of the creative mind to reflect and interpret past events while having realism and the naturalness of narration. Consequently, despite some problems related to perception, the work of Virginia Woolf is an excellent example of the masterful use of the stream of consciousness technique.
Works Cited
Soni, Anupam. “An Analysis of Stream of Consciousness Technique among the Female Protagonists in the Novels of Virginia Woolf.” An International, Peer Reviewed, Refereed, Multidisciplinary E-Journal, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 23-25.
Woolf, Virginia. The Mark on the Wall. Lindhardt og Ringhof, 2021.