Stream of Consciousness as a New Phenomenon in the Twentieth-Century Novel: James Joyce's Ulysses as a Case Study

Abstract

Abstract

This paper examines stream of consciousness as a narrative technique of the twentieth-century novel, tracing its philosophical roots in William James and Henri Bergson and its emergence as a literary method. It argues that James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) does not merely use stream of consciousness as a stylistic device but transforms it into a broader framework for knowledge and understanding, thereby changing the ontology of narrating fiction. Through close readings of 'Proteus,' 'Lestrygonians,' and 'Penelope,' the paper shows how the technique constructs subjectivity, time, and consciousness, and how it tests both readability and representation.