The Mark on the Wall - Virginia Woolf (1917) - What is the significance of the "gaze" in this short story?

Extract

[...] The mark on the wall becomes a canvas upon which the narrator projects a myriad of interpretations and possibilities. We will analyze the meaning of the "gaze" in this short story by listing its possible senses and how they are emphasized through the narrative. We will start by focusing on how the gaze is a personal experience, and therefore it denotes the subjectivity of perception. Then we will move on to the reflections it brings, and the power of imagination illustrated through it in this text. [...]

[...] Perception is quite personal, and Virginia Woolf's stream of consciousness writing technique is quintessential to the understanding of the story: it isn't about a snail on a wall, is is about one's perception of their surroundings and how it is biased and different for everyone. The gaze is therefore personal and subjective, and the perception can be altered through thoughts. Indeed, in this reflection upon the mark, Woolf' carries reflections about the whole world, as was common for stories written during the first world war. Yes, as war rages on, the world changes and the reality that was once so certain is not anymore, this poses the question of reality as a whole. [...]

[...] quote illustrates the change happening within the gaze, from a biased perception of reality to a pure imagination of the mind" (page 1). The important distinction between the two being the control of the imagination, she decides what happens next in her imagination, as for perception does not work like that. As the narrator reflects on the mark, the story explores the power of imagination in shaping one's understanding of reality. The gaze, in this context, is not limited to physical sight but extends to the mental processes of interpretation and reflection. [...]

[...] The Mark on the Wall - Virginia Woolf (1917) - What is the significance of the "gaze" in this short story? "The Mark on the Wall" by Virginia Woolf is a modernist short story that delves into the complex nature of perception and the workings of the human mind. The story is characterized by its stream-of-consciousness narrative, which allows the reader to explore the inner thoughts and reflections of the narrator. " Through a seemingly mundane observation-a mark on the wall-Woolf takes readers on a journey of the mind, employing the stream-of-consciousness narrative technique to explore the narrator's inner thoughts and reflections. [...]

[...] The act of gazing is not just about seeing the physical world but also involves the imagination. The rosy spot becomes a point of interpretation, highlighting the subjective nature of the gaze. Imagination can take you anywhere, and this is what this story illustrates, it is a never-ending gaze into your own mind and ideas, it has no bounds, and you can jump from image to image without giving it much thoughts. In this text the narrator imagines Shakespeare, the meaning of life, the men lost at war, the reality around her, everything is questioned, and everything is rebuilt. [...]