THE CATEGORY OF THE AUTHOR’S PRESENCE IN DOCUMENTARY PROSE AND ITS LINGUISTIC INDICATORS

Abstract

The article examines the category of the author’s presence as a system-forming principle of documentary prose, determining its narrative organization and degree of authenticity. The relevance of this study stems from the contradiction between public demand for factual accuracy and the increasing subjective modality of narrative. The objective of the study is to theoretically substantiate the concept of the author’s presence, identify its typology (explicit and implicit forms), and describe the linguistic indicators through which the author’s position is realized. It is shown that the author acts not only as a witness or commentator but also as an organizer of factual discourse, providing an interpretation of events. Functions of the author’s voice are defined: certifying, interpreting, organizing, and modal-evaluative. Particular attention is paid to the lexical, grammatical, stylistic, and pragmatic means of expressing subjectivity, i.e. pronouns, modal constructions, metacommentary, addressing the reader, intertextual inclusions. A conclusion is drawn about the interrelationship between the author’s self-presentation and the documentary effect, which shape the holistic structure of the narrative.