The Use of Modal Devices for Volition (Intention) and Prediction in “The Lord of the Rings” Looking inside the Mind of J. R. R. Tolkien through the Main Protagonist, “Frodo”
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This study attempts to analyze modal devices used by Tolkien through the main protagonist, Frodo Baggins, in the novel The Lord of the Rings to reveal how modal devices reflect Frodo’s psychological changes in the course of the story. It is believed that the character, “Frodo”, was created in the traumatically driven mind of the author himself, who suffered from his experiences in World Wars I and II (Manners, 2006). Modality is the semantic notion that covers a broad range of semantic senses expressed by the speaker, including the notion of volition (intention) and prediction. These modal senses can be expressed through the use of modal devices (Bybee & Fleischman, 1995; Frawley, 2005). The author’s use of modal devices allows him to express himself through the main protagonist’s speeches and thoughts. Thus, Frodo’s psychological changes as the story progresses can be observed through the author’s use of modal devices. The theoretical framework used in this study was adapted from Quirk’s grammatical framework of modal auxiliaries (1985) and Halliday and Matthiessen’s semi-modal systems (2014). The comparative results of modal usage from the beginning to the end of the story were created using the frequency of modal devices. It was found that the use of volition can reveal Frodo’s inner determination, while the use of prediction shows a part of Frodo’s anxiety.
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