Point of View

For the most part, Styron employs a third person omniscient narrator in LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS. The only exception to this is a lengthy stream-of-consciousness passage narrated by Peyton in Chapter 7 (pps. 335-386). Stream-of-consciousness refers to the style of the narration. Using the monologue technique gives Peyton Loftis a chance to speak for herself, as it were. One thought does not necessarily follow another in a logical manner and the language can often be more imagistic than that of an ordinary monologue. For instance, Peyton's monologue often refers to different types of birds. This may seem random to the reader, but the birds themselves have a special significance in Peyton's mind. Basically, the reader is presented with what goes on in the character's mind without censorship. Interestingly, Peyton's motivations and neuroses are revealed in this portion of Chapter 7, and it becomes clearer to the reader why...