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In Oxford Concise Dictionary Literary Terms by Chris Baldick, characterization is defined as the representation of persons in narrative and melodramatic works which include direct and indirect methods in inviting the readers to infer qualities from characters actions, speech, or appearance. However, modal verbs in literature context serve as an eye destroyer to the personality and traits of the characters in short stories. It enables the readers to learn of the characters abilities, capabilities, prohibitions, obligations and so forth. The appearance of modals in literary texts serves its own specific purposes in accordance to the authors wish. In David Leavitts Territory which describes the relationship between a overprotect (Mrs. Campbell) and her son (Neil) who is a homosexual, gives me an interest to explore and find out more(prenominal) about the characters. Through the mathematical function of modals strand in the extract, it enables me to go in depth and examine the ch aracterization in the story.Firstly, in paragraph 2, bound 1 of the extract, the modal must is used by David Leavitt to show one of Neils traits indirectly The last item puzzles him Pedro. Pedro must be the gardener. Here, as Neil read through his mothers daily list found on the kitchen table, he came across the name Pedro which he was unfamiliar with. Eventually, he press outed an assumption which he believed was true. However, instead of using could to indicate possibility, the source chose to use the modal must to reveal Neils inner self-importance which was lacking in confidence and even probably having a sanitary need of self assurance despite the fact that the modal is meant to express certainty. Thus, the readers are able to know more of Neils character as the modal is used to create a reverse effect on the readers as an irony. Secondly, in this extract, Neil the protagonist is presented by the writer as a son who was torn between his own desire to follow his tenderhea rtedness or to live up to the society and his mothers expectations of him. He tried to vision himself as the son that his mother expects of him through the use of modal could He could make a list of his own selves the child, the adolescent, the on the loose(p) faggot son, and finally the good son, settled, relatively successful. (Paragraph 2, line 3)By using the modal could, it gives the readers a feeling that he is capable of doing what he was expected to and it solely depends on whether he is willing or not.