How does James Joyce reveal characters’ thoughts in Ulysses?

In Ulysses, James Joyce reveals his characters' innermost thoughts primarily through the use of interior monologue, specifically a technique known as stream-of-consciousness.123

Rather than relying solely on structured, rational thought, Joyce’s innovation was to replicate the seemingly random and chaotic nature of human awareness. He captured the "myriad flow" of a character's mind, including:12

• Half-thoughts and impressions12
• Associations and sudden impulses2
• Lapses, hesitations, and incidental worries2

This technique allows the reader to experience the characters' minds as they navigate daily life, hour by hour. Joyce’s approach ranges from direct first-person expression—such as the famous, unpunctuated final chapter featuring Molly Bloom—to third-person treatments that frame a character's internal reflections. By doing so, Joyce demonstrated that human thought does not follow a clear, straight path, but is instead constantly influenced by chance encounters and the complex byroads of the mind.2341