How can an author paint a vivid picture of a character's thoughts? The answer is stream of consciousness. Both Faulkner and Salinger used this literary technique but adapted it to their individual tastes. The purpose of this article on comparing the use of stream of consciousness in the works of two American authors, William Faulkner and JD Salinger, is to define stream of consciousness, to explain its use in Faulkner's "Barn Burning" , "All the Dead Pilots" and Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, compare the stream of consciousness in the literary work of the two writers and examine the influence of their writings on others. Faulkner and Salinger are also responsible for the exponential growth of stream of consciousness. This effective method of looking inside a character's head adds great depth to a story. Stream of consciousness is a way to simultaneously understand a character's thought process and actions. As a character performs actions and absorbs the environment, thought flows through their mind, mimicking the mind of a real person. The term "self-talk" is sometimes used interchangeably with "stream of consciousness", although some people claim that the words do not. have the same meaning. They claim that “stream of consciousness” is some kind of fiction. (Barton and Hudson, 210) Self-talk is a narrative technique that displays the multifaceted movement of rational and irrational thoughts and ideas, unconstrained by syntax, grammar, and sensible transitions. There are two types: indirect and direct self-talk. In indirect inner monologue, the narrator sometimes injects a flow of ideas (Barton and Hudson, 209). The direct inner monologue, however, takes place in the first...... middle of paper ......pt. 2013Faulkner, William. Collected Stories of William Faulkner. 1st edition of Vintage Books. New York: Random House, Inc., 1977. Print. Kerr, Christine and Harold Bloom. Bloom's How to Write on JDSalinger. New York: Bloom Literary Review, 2008. Print. McCort, Dennis. "Hyakujo's Geese, Amban's Fritters, and Rilke's Carousel: East and West Sources for Salinger's Catcher." » Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web. September 30, 2013. Quinn, Edward. “Inner monologue”. Literary and thematic terms. New York: Facts on File. 2006. Priddy, Anna. “'Burning Barn.'” Bloom Literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web September 30, 2013. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Bantam, 1951. Print. Faulkner, William. “All pilots dead.” Random House, Inc. New York City: 1959. Linguistic and Literary Resource Guide. United States Academic Decathlon.