Gender Within Stream of Consciousness: To the Lighthouse and The Sound and the Fury

Thesis advisor: Mary J. HughesBased on the current sociological views of gender, this paper will examine the various constructs of femininities and masculinities as observed in stream of consciousness fiction. Using Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, one can view the interactions of pressures which establish characters' resistance or acceptance of gender roles. Because of their narrative styles, both Woolf and Faulkner provide perspectives which would normally be concealed. The characters will be organized and analyzed based upon their generations and genders, concluding with aspects of both novels which do not fit into this schema. These "complications" also bear heavily on the implications of gender in both novels, highlighting the authors' individual intentions in writing.Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2008.Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: College Honors Program