INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
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SUBJECTIVE MODALITY IN LITERARY TEXTS
Akhadova Khulkaroy Zarifkhon kizi
UzSWLU, EFL teacher, Department of Applied Sciences №2
Abstract:
The characteristics of modality in literary text is being observed in the following
article. The aim of the research is to determine specific peculiarities of modality as it shows the
attitude of writer to the situation and modal markers, types of modal meanings and its usage in
context. The types of modality are overviewed with the help of analytical and descriptive
methods by analysis of the novel “David Copperfield” by Ch. Dickens. The results of the
analysis indicate that modality can be expressed with different modal markers like: modal verbs,
adjectives while author describes the action or hero, stylistic devices, with hidden or direct
definitions. All in all, the usage of the types of modality: subjective and objective, explicit and
implicit, epistemic, dynamic and others are explored deeply in given context.
Keywords:
modality, modal verbs, epistemic, dynamic, fictional text, subjective, modal device,
literary text, author’s attitude
Introduction
The analysis of modality in language and texts continues to hold significance in contemporary
linguistics. Due to its complex and multifaceted nature, modality can be interpreted in
numerous ways, offering diverse viewpoints on the phenomenon. It appears that no other
linguistic category generates such a wide range of conflicting ideas.
From a formal standpoint, particularly within classical logic, modality provides either explicit
or implicit information about the logical status of statements, their connection to real-world
events, and aspects of evaluation and judgment. This framework serves as the foundation for a
broad understanding of the concept.
Methods and materials
The methodological basis is based on the principles of exploring theoretical background of the
research topic and investigate it into practice. After All, the analysis is done by looking into the
literary texts.
Results and Discussions
Initially, the novel “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens is analyzed and explored the
usage of modality. As it was stated above, fictional texts include subjective modality which is
defined by descriptive content. The analysis proved that the description of the heroes draws
their portrait precisely and indicates author’s attitude completely.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 600
David lived in several places, worked after mother’s death and searched for her aunt Betsy
Trotwood after all. When he came to her house, and the view is told by him as follows:
“We were soon walking on soft grass. Then I saw a pretty little house, with a garden in front
of it.”
The boy is describing aunt’s house with the phrass pretty, little, with a garden represents the
image of small and cozy home from the eyes of the boy. The author revealed his attitude with
subjective modality
to indicate how the boy feels to be there.
Moreover, the reader can feel the author and his image in this novel as the author speaks with
the boy’s words. This very fact, makes the author be in the center of the events.
David stayed in that little pleasant house with her aunt from father’s side. He didn’t sleep in
peace for the last few years and the first night at that house is described as follows :
“ I was feeling very sleepy now. Someone put me on a coach very gently and covered me with
a shawl. As I closed my eyes, I heard my aunt’s voice.
‘Poor boy, poor little boy’, she said.
Warm and happy, I was soon asleep “.
This text activates the inner position of the hero with the explicit definition. Poor little
Davy had to work after his mother’s death and never felt happy again. Author’s attitude can be
obviously seen from the words happy and warm and activates subjective modality in this
passage.
My aunt turned her head away. ‘I remember your father saying the same about your dear, silly
mother,’ she said quietly.
As it is mentioned above, the author represents Dora in comparison with David’s mom. Aunt
Betsy considered that she looks like his mother saying the words the same silly as your dear
mother. Furthermore
,
this
subjective modality
reveals the characteristics of Dora totally. Even
though the author is not telling it explicitly, the reader can understand from the aunt’s words
that she is weak, helpless and too young like David’s mother.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we found that literary works may include different types of the modality to
reveal author’s attitude. Modality in text can be expressed by modal verbs, lexical, phonetical
and grammatical units. It is important to determine the specific words, phrases and implicit
information which the writer represents by.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 601
The finding of the analysis shows the writer’s perception of the world and its reflection on his
literary works by several modal markers. Author’s modality in a literary text is considered main
categories of the text linguistics.
References:
1. Angelika Kratzer. 1991. “Modality”. In Semantics: An International Handbook of
Contemporary Research, edited by Arnim von Stechow & Dieter Wunderlich, pp. 639–650.
Berlin: de Gruyter.
2. Babaee, R. & Montashery, I. (2012). Stanley Fish with respect to the reader. International
Journal of English and Literature. Vol. 3(2), 18-24. DOI: 10.5897/IJEL11.114
3. Ch. Dickens, “David Coppirfield”, Published by Cambridge University Press, 2008.
4. Ferenc Kiefer. 1994. “Modality”. In The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, edited
by Ronald E. Asher, pp. 2515–2520. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
5. Fish, S. (1970). Literature in the reader: Stylistic analysis. New Literary History. Vol
2(Autumn), 123-162.
6. Georg Henrik von Wright. 1951. An Essay in Modal Logic. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
7. Graffi, G. (2001). 200 years of syntax: A critical survey. Philadelphia: J. Benjamins.
