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Situational Irony
Definition of Stream of Consciousness
Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process, often by incorporating sensory impressions, incomplete ideas, unusual syntax... read full definition
Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process, often by incorporating... read full definition
Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's... read full definition
Chapter 28
Explanation and Analysis—Missing Catherine :
When Henry must return to the front, he is unable to think of anything or anyone but Catherine, particularly at night when his thoughts move in a stream of consciousness:
Maybe she wasn’t asleep. Maybe she was lying thinking about me. Blow, blow, ye western wind. Well, it blew and it wasn’t the small rain but the big rain down that rained. It rained all night. You knew it rained down that rained. Look at it. Christ, that my love were in my arms and I in my bed again. That my love Catherine. That my sweet love Catherine down might rain. Blow her again to me. Well, we were in it. Every one was caught in it and the small rain would not quiet it.
Catherine is the only thing that manages to serve as a distraction from the war, particularly in the midst of the chaotic Italian retreat. The novel uses stream-of-consciousness writing to delve into Henry’s mind and understand his deep-seated need for Catherine in such a time of turmoil. Henry's thoughts mimic a poem, as if he is composing one in his mind that he wants to recite for Catherine one day. The lines are not prose-like, their disjointedness allowing for artistic interpretations. There is also repetitive syntax in Henry's thoughts, mirroring people’s tendency to think in bits and pieces rather than coherent narratives. Overall, this example of stream-of-consciousness exhibits not only Henry's devotion to Catherine but also his diminishing loyalty to the war, as the reader can see how his time as a soldier has left him cognitively and emotionally fragmented.
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