The rhematic dynamics of emotive verbs in A.P. Chekhov's short story (based on the material of A.P. Chekhov's short story “A Day in the Country”)

the article examines the thematic dynamics of emotive verbs in A.P. Chekhov’s short story “A Day in the Country”, focusing on their role in shaping the narrative’s emotional depth and psychological portrayal of characters. Using the structure, the study employs a linguo-stylistic analysis to explore the placement of emotive verbs within the rheme structure of sentences. Methodologically, it combines contextual analysis of micro-situations, syntactic modeling, and assessment of the pragmatic function of verbs within the narrative perspective. The results reveal that Chekhov strategically positions emotive verbs (e.g., “rejoiced,” “upset,” “agitated”) in rhematic positions to highlight pivotal emotional states, creating subtext and guiding reader attention. These verbs generate a wave-like rhythm of emotional tension, enhancing the story’s psychological complexity. The discussion emphasizes the interplay between rheme dynamics and Chekhov’s minimalist style, where lexical and syntactic precision compensates for descriptive brevity. A key finding is the ambivalence of emotions, conveyed through contrasts between external events and implicit inner turmoil. The study underscores how rheme dynamics contribute to the “twilight” emotionality typical of Chekhov’s prose, where feelings are revealed indirectly. This research enriches understanding of emotional expressiveness in short fiction and advances methodologies for analyzing narrative strategies in classical literature.

emotive verbs, rheme dynamics, A.P. Chekhov, linguo-stylistic analysis, psychologism