“The Mark on the Wall” is Virginia Woolf’s first short story and an example of her pioneering, modernist style with stream-of-consciousness and introspection. First published in 1917 by Leonard and Virginia Woolf’s Hogarth Press, the story appeared in pamphlet form. It was later printed in Woolf's 1921 short story collection Monday or Tuesday. While “The Mark on the Wall” first received mixed reviews, it is now widely discussed and considered a vital part of Woolf’s oeuvre, especially as a precursor to Jacob’s Room (1922).
The narration explores a person recalling a time when they noticed a mark on the wall of their house. “The Mark on the Wall” is more so about what thoughts the mark...
