Interior monologue

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The name interior monologue consists of two words: "interior" and "monologue". The word interior suggests that something is going on inside someone's mind and is not meant for everyone to hear. And the word monologue tells us it is an unbroken series of words done by one person. (Baldwin)

Definition

Interior monologue is a narrative technique in a novel, poem, play or any other literary work in which the author shows what the protagonist is thinking at a given moment (Baldwin)

The author can choose whether they want to express every passing thought in their character's mind (can be also called a stream of consciousness) or if they select thoughts that are more coherent and important to the plot of the story. In the latter, the author may reveal more information to help the reader understand the character better. (Baldwin)

Types of interior monologue

We have two types of interior monologue: direct and indirect.

Direct (sometimes also called 1st person) interior monologue is devoid of the author's control and selection and is mostly written in the present tense. Therefore, the thoughts flow more freely, and the author does not comment on them. The phrase "she/he/they thought" is usually left out. (Britannica; Pattison)

Indirect (sometimes also called 3rd person) interior monologue usually contains the phrase "she/he/they thought" and is written in the past tense. The author selects thoughts important for the plot and thoughts they want to show to the reader. (Britannica; Pattison)

Examples

In Ulysess by James Joyce, the direct interior monologue was used with a variety of experimental literary techniques. (Baldwin)

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf is an example of indirect interior monologue as well as the stream of consciousness technique. (Baldwin)

Works cited:

Baldwin, Emma. "Interior Monologue". Poem Analysis, n.d. Web. 13 October 2023. <https://poemanalysis.com/definition/interior-monologue/>.

Pattison, Darcy. “Character Thoughts: Direct and Indirect Interior Monologues.” Fiction Notes, 20 June 2016. Web. 13 October 2023. <www.darcypattison.com/writing/characters/character-thoughts/>.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "interior monologue". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 June 2020. Web. 13 October 2023. <https://www.britannica.com/art/interior-monologue>.

Written by Aneta Sladká

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