Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that:

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Attempts to represent the continuous, unedited flow of a character's thoughts and perceptions. Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that attempts to depict the uninterrupted flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and associations as they occur in the mind. It often features incomplete sentences, sudden shifts in topic, sensory impressions, memories, and free association rather than logically ordered prose. William James first used the term "stream of consciousness" in psychology; literary practitioners include Virginia Woolf, James Joyce (especially in the "Penelope" episode of "Ulysses"), and William Faulkner.

Pure dialogue without narration characterizes certain minimalist fiction or dramatic scripts, not stream of consciousness. A series of flashbacks is an anachronistic narrative structure. Alternating narrators is a multi-perspective technique. While stream of consciousness may include memories (flashback-like elements) or shift between characters, its defining feature is the attempt to replicate the continuous, often chaotic movement of thought itself.

Stream of consciousness is an important narrative technique for the CLEP Literature exam because it represents one of the major innovations of Modernist fiction. Reading stream-of-consciousness passages requires different skills than reading conventional prose  -  you must follow associative leaps, distinguish between external events and internal thoughts, and piece together meaning from fragments. The technique creates deep psychological intimacy with characters but can also be challenging to follow. On the exam, you may be asked to identify the technique, analyze what it reveals about a character's mental state, or explain how it contributes to the work's themes.

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