MODALITY ANALYSIS OF THE STORY “THE BEAR” BY ANTON CHEKOV

Abstract

Modality is the opinion or judgment, as required, at the state of affirmation by the speaker. The present study is conducted to note the elements of modality in the short story The Bear by Anton Chekov. The objectives of the study are to find out the type of modality in shape of expressions, intentions and semantics being loaded by the text utterances by the speaker. The study is qualitative in its nature and form which has adopted the model of Khomutova (2014) and Palmer (2003) to find the types of modalities and their expressions in the selected short story. The results of the study show that there is existence of modalities in the short story. In perspective of Khomutova (2014), “the reality” and “unreality” had been tried to find in the story. The character had followed the “reality” at the beginning of the story yet their modalities were “unreal” at the ending. Under the typed of modalities of Palmer (2003), the negativity modality had been found because the characters are intended to have “desired action” while at the ending scenario, it has found that the “positive modalities” are there by the protagonist (Popova) and negative modality remained still at end as the “desired actions” are counted to be done, intended by Smirnov.