DOI: 10.24843/JH.2018.v22.i03.p07                                             ISSN: 2302-920X

Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud

Vol 22.3 Agustus 2018: 612-617

Illocutionary Acts in the Movie “Capture the Flag”

I Gde Yudhi Argangga Khrisnantara

English Department, Faculty of Arts – Udayana University [khrisna.unud@gmail.com]

Abstract

This study entitled Illocutionary Acts in the Movie “Capture the Flag” is aimed to explain the type and function of illocutionary acts found in the movie and to analyze the context of situation which determines the illocutionary act of the utterance in the movie. The data were taken from the utterances in the movie entitled “Capture The Flag” and it was explained in descriptive qualitative method. The data were collected by watching the movie and reading the movie script, then by noting down the utterances which belong to illocutionary acts. Then, the data were classified into types of illocutionary acts and their function. Afterwards, the context of situation which determines the illocutionary act of the utterances were defined. There were two theories used in conducting this study. The first theory was proposed by Searle (1976) and supported by Yule about the types of illocutionary acts. The theory was used to analyze the types of illocutionary acts and its function. The other theory usedwas proposed by Holmes (2013) about the context of situation. This theory was applied to explain the intended meaning of the utterances. There were five types of illocutionary acts found in the movie, namely Representatives, Directives, Commisives, Expressives, and Declaratives. The functions of each type were boasting, concluding,claiming, affirming, informing, commanding, warning, suggesting, inviting, threatening, offering, apologizing, thanking, blaming and declaring.

Keywords: illocutionary acts, type and function, context of situation

Abstrak

Penelitian yang berjudul Tindak Tutur dalam sebuah film “Capture The Flag” bertujuan untuk menjelaskan tentang jenis dan fungsi dari tindak tutur pada film serta menganalisa tentang konteks situasi yang menentukan terjadinya tindak tutur sebuah ucapan dalam film. Data dari penelitian ini diambil dari ucapan dalam film “Capture The Flag” dan dijelaskan dalam bentuk metode kualitatif secara deskriptif. Data penelitian dikumpulkan dengan cara menonton film tersebut dan membaca naskah film, kemudian mencatat ucapan yang mengandung tindak tutur. Data kemudian diklasifikasikan kedalam jenis dari tindak tutur beserta fungsinya. Konteks Situasi yang menentukan terjadinya tindak tutur dalam ucapan kemudian diuraikan. Data hasil dalam penelitian ini dianalisis dengan teori jenis tindak tutur dari Searle (1976) dan Yule. Teori lainnya yakni teori konteks situasi yang dikemukakan oleh Holmes (2013) bertujuan untuk menjelaskan makna ujaran yang sebenarnya. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat lima jenis tindak tutur yang ada pada film, yaitu Representatif, Direktif, Komisif, Ekspresif, dan Deklaratif. Fungsi dari masing-masing jenis tindak tutur tersebut yakni bentuk tindak tutur membanggakan, menyimpulkan, menggugat, menegaskan, menginformasikan, memerintahkan, memperingatkan, menyarankan, mengundang, mengancam, menawarkan, meminta maaf, berterimakasih, menyalahkan, dan mendeklarasikan.

Kata kunci: tindak tutur,jenis dan fungsi,konteks situasi

  • 1 . Background of the Study

Many people believe that the significance of communication is like the importance of breathing. It is because communication accelerates the spread of knowledge and form relationship among people. Humans communicate with others not only by face-to-face, they also communicate in various ways such as by the internet, books or newspapers. People usually interpret the message which is delivered in conversation differently. Since, it depends on the context and situation. Kind of situation when communication contains the language and the context must belong to pragmatics; pragmatics studies meaning in relation to speech situation (Leech, 1983: 6).

Pragmatics can be defined as the study of the correlation between language and context. It is also one of the fields in linguistics that studies meaning. The meaning studied in pragmatics isinfluenced by its contexts. To express themselves, people do not only produce utterances containing grammatical structures but also perform actions through their utterances. Thus, actions which are performed via utterances are generally called speech acts.

This study focuses on analyzing the types and functions of illocutionary act and the context of situation determined in the movie entitled Capture The Flag (2016). The movie Capture The Flag is very attracting, because the movie is about the special mission of a grandfather and his grandson to the moon and to prove that NASA’s Astronaut is the first civilization who landed in the moon. There are many utterances that were delivered in the conversations that contain illocutionary acts.

  • 2 .Problems of the Study

These are two following problems to be analysed through this study:

  • 1.    What types and functions of illocutionary acts are found in the movie Capture The Flag?

  • 2.    How does the context of situation determine the illocutionary acts of the utterance in the movie Capture The Flag?

  • 3.    Aims of the Study

Related to the problems above, the aims of the study are as follows:

  • 1.    To identify the types and their functions of illocutionary acts found in the movie Capture The Flag.

  • 2.    To analyze the context of situation which determines the illocutionary acts of the utterance in the movie Capture The Flag.

  • 4.    Research Method

Methodology is concerned the procedure adopted in order to understand the matter and the problem that becomes the object of the study (Koentjaraningrat, 1993: 7). A research method essentially contains the procedure of determining the sample and presenting the analysis of the finding and drawing the conclusion.

The method used is descriptive qualitative method. The methodology can be specified as follows:

  • 4.1    Data Source

The data were taken from a movie entitled Capture The Flag. The duration of this movie is 97 minutes. This movie was released on 28th August 2015 and directed by Enrique Gato Borregán. Capture the Flag movie is interesting, imaginative and visually appealing. It is also known as a family movie which tells about the family adventure named Mike Goldwing (main character), a 12-year-old surfer who goes to the moon to save the world with the help of his friends, exastronaut (Mike’s grandfather), and his lizard. This movie is very attracting, because it tells about the special mission in an adventure. This movie was chosen as an object of this study because it contains a lot of illocutionary acts.

  • 4.2    Method and Technique of

    Collecting Data

In conducting this study, the method used in collecting the data was the documentation method. The data were obtained from spoken source like movie. The data were taken from a well-known movie entitled Capture the Flag since it contains a lot of illocutionary acts. The techniques of collecting the data are as follows:

  • 1.    Watchingthe movie Capture The Flag several times and reading the movie script at the same time which was downloaded in order to match up the dialogues within the movie and the script.

  • 2.F rom the conversation in the movie, the utterances containing illocutionary acts were written down and they were classified, including Representative, Directives, Commisives, Expressives, and Declaratives.

  • 3.T he collected utterances were written down to show the function and determine the context of situation of those types which supported the emergence of the illocutionary acts. Classifying the data into different lists, obviously important, especially in part of analyzing the data.

  • 4.3    Method and Technique of

    Analyzing Data

The result of this research was analyzed using the descriptive qualitative method. The qualitative method is the way of analyzing data in which there are many theories applied in the study and there is no calculation on statistic data involved. Kaelan (2005) in his book entitled Metode Penelitian Kualitatif Bidang Filsafat stated that “This method produces the descriptive data in the form of words and notes which are related to meaning, value and definition”. He also claims that “In the qualitative research, the researcher usually collects the data according to natural situation observation, and then presents the data as what it was obtained without manipulation or influenced by any aspect” (Kaelan, 2005: 5). The techniques of analyzing the data are as follows:

  • 1.    Classifying the data already collected into the types of illocutionary act and analyzing its function using the theory proposed by Searle (1976) and supported by Yule (1996) 2. Defining the context of illocutionary data using the context of situation theory proposed by Holmes (2013). The analysis was presented by firstly showing the data in the form of conversation. The utterances later on were typed in bold and italic font; therefore, the readers can understand the illocutionary acts.

  • 4.4    Method and Technique of Presenting Data

In presenting the analysis, this study used the descriptive method. In order to answer the first problem, the data were classified into the types of illocutionary acts, by showing the data in the form of sentences. The utterances were in italic font; therefore, the readers are able to understand which utterances are the illocutionary acts with their function. Second, the analysis of those data based on context of situation was presented y classifying the data into context of situation components. For example:

(3-5) Carson: You let them enter with that machine? You're fired!(Carson talks to his worker, Gigs) (Declarative – Declaring)

The utterance “You let them enter with that machine? You're fired!” is identified as a declarative illocutionary act which effects immediate changes in the institutional state of affairs and which tends to elaborate extra linguistic institutions. It can be concluded that declaration is a kind of speech act that changes the world via utterance. That utterance performs action of declaring since the speaker declares that his state is aimed to change the situation; in this case, Carson fired his worker named Gigs and the speaker’s utterance is the form of direct speech act. Oxford Dictionaries states that the meaning of the word declare is to state or to announce something clearly, firmly, publicly, or officially in an official or public way.

Related to the utterance in the conversation above, the speaker Carson as a boss had an authority to declare something that was important for the hearer Gigs which would convey the message from the declaration of Carson’s statement. On the declaration, it was mentioned “You let them enter with that machine? You're fired!” It means that there was a disappointment that Carson expressed because of his worker. In addition, Carson wanted Gigs to do something to stop them.

Context of Situation

The participants in this scene were Carson, Frank, and Gigs. The setting was in Carson’s factory. The topic of conversation is disappointed to the worker and then fired him. The purpose of the utterance was to declare that Carson wanted to fire his worker named Gigs, because Carson thought he caused many troubles.

  • 5.    Illocutionary Acts In The Movie “Capture The Flag”

The data of this study were taken from the movie entitled “Capture The Flag” and it focuses on the analysis of the illocutionary acts. Before discussing the problems, the movie synopsis was explained. There are two main discussions in this study. The first section described the analysis of the types of illocutionary acts and their functions which occurred in this movie. The utterances in the movie were analyzed based on the theory proposed by Searle (1976) and supported by Yule (1996) including Representatives, Directives, Commisives, Expressives, and Declaratives through looking at the aspects of speech situation. In order to enhance the analysis, the form of Directness (Direct and Indirect speech act) emerged in the analysis in general. Afterwards, the second section explained the context of situation determines those illocutionary acts based on the context of situation theory proposed by Holmes (2013).

The data were presented in the form of sentences taken from the dialogue. In order to construct clear explanation, the utterances were presented in bold and italic font.

  • 5.1    Types and Functions of

    Illocutionary Acts

(3-1) Mr. Carson: Look at my work. My father would be proud of me! (Representative – Boasting)

That utterance indicates boasting because the speaker tells the hearer that he succeeds to create something which is very crucial for mankind. Based on Oxford dictionary, boast means something you are proud of and like to tell people about. Based on the utterance in the conversation above, at that time Mr. Carson caught Mike and asked

him to give the flag that had been planted in the moon and Mike was directly arrested. Therefore, Mr. Carson boasted him.

(3-2)Admiral of U.S: Madam President, you just give me the order and Carson is dust. (Directives – Requesting)

The utterance “Madam President, you just give me the order and Carson is dust” is identified as directive illocutionary acts which are the attempts made by the speaker to get the addressee to do something. That utterance performs action of requesting, since the speaker wants the hearer to do something for him.

According to Oxford Dictionary, the meaning of request is the act of politely or officially asking for something. Related to the utterance in the conversation, Mr. Admiral of U.S asked Madam President to stop Carson act, it was because Carson wanted to go to the moon and claimed that the moon was his own.

(3-3) Mr. Carson: Pay attention, Juvenile Delinquents. I’m offering you a deal. You give me a flag and I’ll give you back this grumpy old fart. (Commisive – Offering)

The utterance “I’m offering you a deal” is identified as commisive illocutionary acts which commits the speaker to some future course of action. That utterance performs action of offering since the speaker is committed something to the hearer that he would give Mike his grandfather back and the speaker’s utterance uses direct speech act.

Oxford Dictionaries stated that the meaning of offer is to ask to someone if they would like to have something or if they would like you to do something. Related to the utterance in the conversation above, the speaker was willing to do something that was useful and provided or supplied something to the hearer.

(3-4) Mike: Yeah, uh... I am really, really sorry about all this. (Expressive – Apologizing)

The utterance “I am really, really sorry about all this” is identified as expressive illocutionary acts. That utterance performs action of apologizing since Mike infiltrated to the rocket and wanted to go to the moon by himself. His family was shocked because the mission to go to the moon was dangerous and risky. Since, he was only a little boy who did not know how to survive in the moon.

Oxford Dictionaries state that the meaning of the word apologize is regretting for doing or saying something wrong. Related to the utterance in the conversation above, Mike expressed his regret because he was at the rocket which flew to the moon.

(3-5) Carson: You let them enter with that machine? You're fired!(Carson talks to his worker, Gigs) (Declarative – Declaring)

The utterance “You let them enter with that machine? You're fired!” is identified as a declarative illocutionary act which effects immediate changes in the institutional state of affairs and which tends to rely on elaborate extra linguistic institutions. It can be concluded that declaration is a kind of speech act that changes the world via utterance. That utterance performs action of declaring since the speaker declares that his state aimed to change the situation, in this case, Carson fired his worker named Gigs and the speaker’s utterance is the form of direct speech act. Oxford Dictionaries states that the meaning of the word declare is to state or to announce something clearly, firmly, publicly, or officially in an official or public way.

Related to the utterance in the conversation above, the speaker Carson was a boss who had an authority to declare something that was important for the hearer Gigs which would convey the message from the declaration of Carson’s statement. On the declaration, it was mentioned “You let them enter with that machine? You're fired!” it means that there was a disappointment that Carson expressed because of his worker. In addition, Carson wanted Gigs to do something to stop them.

  • 5.2    Context of Situation of

    Illocutionary Acts

(3-1) Mr. Carson: Look at my work. My father would be proud of me! (Representative – Boasting)

The participants in this scene were Mr. Carson and Mike. The setting was in the moon. Carson and Mike talked about Carson's bad attitude which deluded everyone and falsified the fact. The aim of the conversation was to provoke someone (Mike) and also to make the addressee felt pressure.

(3-2) Admiral of U.S: Madam President, you just give me the order and Carson is dust. (Directive – Requesting)

The participants in this scene were President and Admiral of U.S. The setting was in the presidential palace. They discussed the next step to do to stop Carson. The purpose of the utterance was asking the order from someone to stop the crime.

(3-3) Mr. Carson: Pay attention, Juvenile Delinquents. I’m offering you a deal. You give me a flag and I’ll give you back this grumpy old fart. (Commisive – Offering)

The participants in this scene were Carson and Frank. The setting was in the moon (specifically in Carson’s factory). The topic of their conversation was dealing with something. The purpose of the utterance was to offer the hearer a deal.

(3-4) Mike: Yeah, uh... I am really, really sorry about all this. (Expressive – Apologizing)

The participants in this scene were Mike and his mother. The setting was in NASA’s office. They talked about Mike’s feeling toward his mother. The purpose of the utterance was to apologize when the speaker did a mistake.

(3-5) Carson: You let them enter with that machine? You're fired!(Carson talks to his worker, Gigs) (Declarative – Declaring)

The participants in this scene were Carson, Frank, and Gigs. The setting was in Carson’s factory. The topic of conversation is disappointed to the worker and then fired him. The purpose of the utterance was to declare that Carson wanted to fire his worker named Gigs, because Carson thought that he caused many troubles.

  • 6.    Conclusion

Based on the analysis, there were two points that can be concluded related to the problems of the study. First, according to the theory of illocutionary acts, there were five types of illocutionary acts found in the movie Capture The Flag. Those illocutionary acts are Representatives, Directives, Commisives, Expressives, and Declaratives. Each type has function that can be classified as follows: Representative has five functions they are boasting, concluding, claiming, affirming, and informing. Directive has five functions including requesting, commanding, warning, suggesting, and inviting. Commisive has two functions among others threatening and offering. Then, Expressive has three functions; they are apologizing, thanking, and blaming. Lastly, Declarative has one function that is declaring.

The context of situation theory was applied in this study consists of participant, setting, topic, and function. The context of situation found in Capture The Flag movie are various, depending on participants, settings, topic, and functions. The participants refer to who are speaking and whom they are speaking to. The other context found is the setting or location where the conversation took place, the topic which was discussed between participants and the purpose about why the participants talked.

  • 7.    Bibliography

Dictionaries, Oxford. 2017. Oxford University Press

Holmes, J. 2013. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Harlow: Longman.

Kaelan. 2005. Metode Penelitian Kualitatif Bidang Filsafat. Yogyakarta: Paradigma.

Koentjaraningrat. 1993. Metode-metode Penelitian Masyarakat. Jakarta, Indonesia: PT. Gramedia.

Leech, N. 1983. Principles of Pragmatics. Longman Group Limited: United States of America

Searle, J.R. 1976. The Classification of Illocutionary Acts. Language in Society, 5, 1-24. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Yule, George. 1996. Pragmatics. New York: Oxford University Press

Yule, George. 2000. Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press

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