The Nonverbal Component of Communicative Behavior as a Detail of the Characterization in A.P. Chekhov’s Narrative “The Steppe”

A canonical form of communication – a dialogic structure, represents the communicative communication of the characters in the narrative “Steppe”. The formation of a dialogue in a prose work occurs with the help of a combination of replicas of characters representing their direct speech, as well as a component of a dialogical fragment of text commenting on various situational parameters of communication. The speech component may contain, in addition to the verb that introduces speech and the name of the subject of speaking, nonverbal components that accompany speech. The communication model is formed by analogy with live colloquial speech, in which the nonverbal component complements the speech behavior. In the narrative of A.P. Chekhov “The Steppe”, the communication of each of the characters is accompanied by a certain set of nonverbal components peculiar to this character, revealing the peculiarities of its character and attitude. In addition, the writer before the start of communication designates the main nonverbal components inherent in the characters as a constant; they are “set” to the reader and supported by the writer when presenting the characters’ communication throughout the narrative arc. However, in certain life situations, some of the characters are characterized not only with the help of nonverbal components that are permanently intrinsic
of them, but also with the help of the components that make it possible to designate a complex internal perception of the circumstances that are developing.
The verbs that introduce the dialogue replicas, their distributors, the author’s comments inserted into the dialogic fragment containing a description of nonverbal components allow the reader to form a full-fl edged idea of the dialogic situation.