A Linguistic Study of Point of View in the Short Story

This research aims at analyzing the narrator type and the modality governing his point of view in the short story "Frankness and Decisiveness" (1349) by Bahram Sadeghi". We have used Simpson's model (1993) in which narrative and point of view are studied utilizing a linguistic framework. The goal of this paper is to determine the type of narrator (first, second or third person) and modality of the story (positive, negative, neutral). We have assumed that the narrator is third person and modality is neutral. The data are analyzed according to categories and analytic instruments introduced by the theory; Therefore, the method of this research is descriptive-analytic. Modality in linguistics concerns the writer's view on the truth of a proposition stated in a sentence. Findings of this study show that the narrator is type B (third person) who willingly enters the character's mind and reports their intentions and thoughts to the reader. Analyzing the modal devices in every sentence shows that the narrator uses verbs and adverbs of request, sentences stating opinions, generic sentences, imperative verbs and evaluative adjectives and adverbs all of which denote positive modality. To show the procedure which ends in a misunderstanding and also for evaluating the situation, the writer makes use of negative modality devices through which the most important elements are cognitive verbs.