Human Powerlessness Modality Analysis
The probability appears eight times in supporting the topic about dependency on supernatural beings. They are classified into low, mid and high
probability. The followings are the examples of them repectively in the order of low, mid, and high probability.
24
“Yes, don’t worry, she will return,” Empu Najo replied. A752 25 I ask then that you turn me to stone so that all will know that I did not
commit the sin of which I have been accused” A761
26..this curse can be broken A733
The topic about dependency on supernatural beings is supported by usuality type of modality. The usuality type appears twice. All of them are high usuality.
The followings are the examples among others.
27 Each morning, the cockerel would wake him up exactly half an hour
before dawn. A723
28 But the ikan layar remains sacred to the people of Mesa and none will
let its meat pass their lips. A7310 There are five clauses presenting modals showing requirements in this topic.
Four of them are high requirement and one is low. The followings are the examples of the requirements. The order is respectively from the high to the low.
29 You must promise that you and your people will never hunt and eat my
kin from this day forth.” A735 30 Empu Mburing waited for a week before meekly asking his wife if he
could
go fishing once again. A713 Three inclination clauses support the topic about dependency on
supernatural beings. The followings are the examples of the clauses. 31
“I shall bring us back some kakap merah for supper,” he told her.
A712 32
“Would you kill your own sister?” A754
Five clauses presents the modals to highlights the ability of the participants. Two clauses presents the potentiality. Ability and potentiality are slightly similar.
However, ability comes from inside the participants while potentiality comes from external factors. The followings are the examples of ability and potentiality.
Clauses 33 and 34 are for the ability. Clauses 35 and 36 exemplify potentiality.
34
“Oh djinn,” he cried, “I beg your indulgence for I cannot live in this
world of shadows any longer A734
35 Soon she could not feel her legs, or her torso, or her arms. A763 36 …but his petrified tears can be seen to this day in the Molo strait.
A714 37 The petrified ruins of Empu
Rencak’s palace can be seen at Batu Balok
A724
For this topic, all types of modality are significantly supportive. Similar to the discussion on the previous topic, the elaboration takes the examples mentioned
previously. The probability supports the topic by presenting that supernatural being works in a h
igh certainty while human being’s performance or prediction is low in its probability. Clause 24 shows the uncertainty prediction by a human character.
In the opposite side, the supernatural being is very sure in the performance in clause 26
The common type that presents the habits or routines of the participants supports the topic by highlighting human being’s routines as a result of supernatural
beings actions. In clause 27, shows high usuality since from the contexts the supernatural being in a form of cockerel performs the actions almost each day.
Clause 28 shows the habit of a society in accordance to the advice of the
supernatural being. The advice makes them possessing such habits of not eating ikan
layar. The requirement type always tends to be strong in depicting the ideology. It
is strong since the nature of requirement in practice is a power relation in practice also. For this topic, the requirements comes from the supernatural beings to the
human beings. The dependency is evident since what the supernatural beings command for influences human being’s life. In clause 29, the supernatural
character commands the human character to not eat a particular kind of fish or
otherwise, the supernatural being does not help the human character. In clause 30,
the fulfilment of desire to fish depends on the requirement set by the supernatural
beings. The difference in the strength lays on the impacts or the influences of the requirements to the life of the human characters.
Inclination supports the topic by showing the willingness of human characters to perform what is asked or ordered by the supernatural being. In clause
31, the human character is willing to provide a dinner for him and his supernatural wife. In clause 32, the supernatural being asks the human character about his
intention
to kill the dragon by asking a question. The examples of ability in clause 33 and 34 clearly show the inability of
human characters to perform some actions. The inability is shown by the negative
polarity not attached to the modals. However, not all the ability modals are negative in the polarity. Clause 37 presents that the human character might be able to
perform some actions. However, the contexts suggest that the action shows the dependency on supernatural being. In other words, the human character might be
able to depend on
supernatural beings.
37 Empu Rencak was not the only one who could call upon supernatural
help, though. A722 Potentiality reveals the potential to evidently recognize the power of
supernatural beings. In clause 35, the modal presents the potential to witness the petrified tears of the human characters. In clause 36, similarly, the modality is
employed to convince the readers that the product of supernatural works is potentially evident.