What do you mean by ‘Stream of Consciousness technique’?

Answer

What do you mean by ‘Stream of Consciousness technique’? How does Virginia Woolf use this technique in her novel “To the Lighthouse?” [NU: 2022] ★★★

Stream of consciousness is the free flow of thoughts inside the mind. It is not always logical or orderly. It may mix past and present. It may move from one character to another without warning. William James first used the term in 1890 in “The Principles of Psychology.” Virginia Woolf’s (1882–1941) “To the Lighthouse” (1927) is a masterpiece of the stream of consciousness technique. The story takes place in the Ramsays’ summer house in the Hebrides. Mr. Ramsay, Mrs. Ramsay, Lily Briscoe, James, Cam, and others reveal their hidden minds.

James’s Inner Thoughts: James Ramsay often thinks silently about his father. He feels his father is too harsh. When Mr. Ramsay crushes his dream of visiting the Lighthouse, James becomes angry. Woolf writes,

“Had there been an axe handy……would have gashed a hole in his father’s breast and killed him,”

 This shows his inner violence. It is never spoken aloud. 

Mrs. Ramsay’s Inner Thoughts: Mrs. Ramsay is the heart of the house. Through stream of consciousness, we see her mind. Mrs. Ramsay sits in a room. She thinks about her children, James, Cam, Prue, Andrew, Nancy, Roger, Jasper, and Rose. She feels their joy and worry. She thinks about the weather. She thinks about Paul Rayley and Minta Doyle. She helps arrange their marriage. She also cares for William Bankes and Lily Briscoe. At the dinner party, she connects everyone silently. She also feels her husband’s need. Her mind moves from one idea to another. She does not finish one thought before starting another. Woolf says about her,

“She had the whole of the other sex under her protection.”

Mr. Ramsay’s Inner Thoughts: Mr. Ramsay is a philosopher, but he feels insecure. His thoughts are shown again and again. He believes he cannot reach greatness. He thinks about fame and failure. He always needs sympathy. He asks