This paper examines colorful modes of narrative discourse representation , especially stream of consciousness versus interior monologue from a narratological point of view and through some references to Iranian and Western literary works . The problem is that these two modes are employed as though they were the same , but the fact is that they are not . This has made it difficult to make clear cut distinctions among these modes and also to determine the genres of these modern works . This paper puts the modes of narrative discourse on one continuum , ranging from the most obvious presence of the character and the least presence of the narrator ( in interior monologue and its kinds ) to the other way round . Having juxtaposed various scholars' opinions, this paper sheds light on the etymological and literary aspects of these modes and their very problems and issues .