The Mark on the Wall is the first published story by Virginia Woolf.[1] It was published in 1917 as part of the first collection of short stories written by Virginia Woolf and her husband, Leonard Woolf, called Two Stories.[2] It was later published in New York in 1921 as part of another collection entitled Monday or Tuesday.
The Mark on the Wall is written in the first person, as a "stream of consciousness" monologue.[3] The narrator notices a mark on the wall, and muses on the workings of the mind.[4] Themes of religion, self-reflection,[5] nature, and uncertainty are explored. The narrator reminisces about the development of thought patterns, beginning in childhood.[6]
Woolf's style in The Mark on the Wall has been frequently analyzed by literary writers; the story is used as an example of introspective writing.[3][4][6]
The story acted as the foundation for the music theatre "The Mark on the Wall“ by Stepha Schweiger, which was premiered in 2017 at Tête à Tête - The Opera Festival in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
American rock band Modest Mouse is named after a line from this story.
The Mark on the Wall has been included in a number of anthologies.