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interior monologue

interior monologue

1 8.2
A way a writer shows a character's private thoughts as they happen
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈtɪr.i.ər ˈmɒn.ə.lɒɡ/
  • Literature
translation icon : monólogo interior
  • Further confirmation of this is found in another interior monologue in which the protagonist bemoans the loss of his "political ambition" (81).
  • consciousness and interior monologue
  • tense interior monologue
  • narrative of interior monologue

And here's where there's some interior monologue on the part of Tanar about what's what's been done.

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Examples

  • Even though children's fiction has not yet produced a counterpart to Molly Bloom's interior monologue, we can find examples as the following:

    Academic text (2001)
  • It is always an interior monologue, which means there was a narrator writing it or talking it and talking to you, the reader.

  • In one of the numerous interior monologues, we read the following:

    Academic text (1997)
  • Obviously, given the time of writing, there is no stream of consciousness or interior monologue either.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Interpolated among these are fragments of dialogue or reported interior monologue in the past:

    Academic text (1990)
  • From his conversations with other inmates and from the interior monologues, the reader gains some insights into the protagonist's inner thoughts.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Some examples are clearly recognizable as the character's interior monologue; however, as when Jane first sees Rochester upon her return to Thornfield and asks herself, "What does it mean?"

    Academic text (1992)
  • Both fictional accounts shift back and forth among a large cast of characters, employing a flexible, omniscient third-person narrative perspective and interior monologue to reveal their various inner lives.

    Academic text (2000)
  • In Shirley, for example, the present-tense description of Caroline's viewing of Shirley and Robert's conversing mixes Caroline's interior monologue with the narrator's direct address.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The novel uses an interior monologue to reveal the main character's deepest fears and desires.

Synonyms

stream of consciousness
vsinterior monologue
  • Literature
7 8.1

A way of writing that shows a character's thoughts as they happen

presents thoughts in a clear sequence, more ordered and like spoken inner speech

How Direct

stream of consciousness
  • Literature
7 8.1
interior monologue
  • Literature
1 8.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

interior + monologue

The phrase combines 'interior' (inner) and 'monologue' (a speech by one person) to yield the straightforward idea of an 'inner speech' or a character's spoken thoughts; a learner who knows both constituents can directly infer this literary meaning. This compositional pattern is common and mirrors equivalents in many languages (e.g., Spanish 'monólogo interior'), supporting immediate comprehension at B1.

Etymology

Interior monologue comes from the image of someone speaking inside their head: interior means inside and monologue means one person's speech. That's why it refers to showing a character's 'thoughts' as if they were 'spoken'.