EXPRESSIVE ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS IDENTIFIED IN THE NEWLYMARRIED COUPLE DRAMA SCRIPT
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EXPRESSIVE ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS IDENTIFIED IN THE NEWLY-
MARRIED COUPLE DRAMA SCRIPT
by
MILA YUNIATI
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS UDAYANA UNIVERSITY
Abstrak
Setiap ujaran memiliki fungsi tersendiri untuk menunjukkan jenis tertentu dari tindak tutur. Menurut Searle, tindak tutur ialah ujaran yang diucapkan oleh seseorang yang memiliki maksud untuk melakukan tindakan dengan mengujarkan pernyataan tersebut. Salah satu tindakan tersebut ialah ekspresif. Ekspesif dapat dikategorikan menjadi enam tipe antara lain ekspresi untuk berterimakasih, memberi selamat, meminta maaf, memberi salam, menginginkan sesuatu dan ekspresi untuk mengkritik atau menyatakan ketidak-setujuan terhadap sesuatu. Karya tulis ini bertujuan untuk membahas enam tipe dari tindak ekspresif yang ditemukan dalam naskah drama berjudul “The Newly-Married Couple” karangan Bjornstjerne Bjornson serta membahas bagaimana para pendengar dapat memahami makna atau arti dari setiap pernyataan yang ada dalam dialog dengan menggunakan teori “Ethnography of Speaking” rumusan dariHymes.
Kata kunci: tindaktutur, tindakekspresif, ethnography of speaking
Many people have a tendency to use different types of utterances like structured words and also perform various kinds of acts while the process of communication is going on which is called speech acts. Speech acts especially illocutionary acts have important roles in our daily life since they allows us to perform a wide range of functions.There are five types of illocutionary acts including assertive, declarative, commissive, directive and expressive. This study analyzes one of five types of illocutionary acts named expressive identified in the drama script and investigates how the meaning are interpreted by the hearers using theory of ethnography of speaking proposedby Dell Hymes (1974). It will give us a wider knowledge and further explanation about expressive illocutionary acts and also the
factors which are used to know the context of situation in understanding the appropriate meaning of an utterance.
Based on the explanation above, the problems which are raisedin this writing are formulated as follows:
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1) What are the expressive illocutionary acts identified in The Newly-Married Couple by Bjornstjerne Bjornson?
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2) How are the meanings of the utterances interpreted by the hearers?
Generally, this study aims to learn further about speech acts in order to improve our understanding about its theory and application in the social life.
Meanwhile, the specific aims of this study are listed as follows:
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1) To identify the expressive illocutionary acts found in The Newly-Married Couple by Bjornstjerne Bjornson and
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2) To explain how the meaning of the utterances are interpreted by the hearers.
The research method which is used in collecting data is library research since there are no respondents to be involved in this study. While descriptive qualitative method is used in analyzing data where the writer describes and analyzes the selected data of expressive illocutionary acts taken from the drama script entitled The Newly Married Couple by Bjornstjerne Bjornson made in 1865 in Norway, and then classifies them according to the types of expressive illocutionary acts. This method is used since the research is intended for achieving an understanding of phenomena, named social phenomena such as speech acts.
There aresix types of illocutionary acts found in The Newly Married Couple drama script and their definitions according to Searle (1996) and supported by Yule (1996) as follows:
Data 1
Mother : There must be something at the bottom of this. Is anything worrying you? Are you in debt?
Axel : No, thanks to the kindness of you two.You have freed me from that.
The utterance “thanks to the kindness of you two.” is identified as expressive illocutionary acts since there is a certain force that the speaker expressed by saying the utterance. That force is called expressive for thanking which can be defined as an expression of gratitude on the part of the speaker to the addressee. It is a kind of utterance that will be expressed by someone to show that he or she is grateful for something that someone has been done (Searle:1996). In this case, Axel as the speaker expressed his gratitude or thanks to Laura’s parents that they had paid all of his debts.
Analysis of Meaning Using Ethnography of Speaking by Hymes (1974)
The setting of the utterances is in the living room of Laura’s house where Axel and Laura live together with Laura’s parents. The scene of the utterance is in the level of seriousness. The participants involve in the utterance are Axel as the addresser and Laura’s mother as the addressee. The goal of the utterance is that Axel wanted to express a feeling of grateful to the kindness of Laura’s parents since they have freed Axel from any debts he had and paid them for him. The act sequence of the utterance can be seen from the previous conversation where the debate begins. Axel decides to move to town and take Laura with him which makes Laura’s parents feel upset. They ask the reason behind Axel decision whether it is because of money. Axel’s voice and his gesture is expressed in serious way since the participants in the utterance is in the condition when the conflict is appear. The utterance in data 1 is performed in verbal ways. The norms in the utterance is Axel as the speaker utters the utterance politely to Laura’s mother as the hearer in this case, since Laura’s parents is one of the riechest families in the town and people in their neighbourhood really respect them. Therefore, it is a must as their son in law to respect them and use a
polite language. The genre of the utterance which is uttered by the speaker is illocutionary act especially expressive for thanking.
Data 2
Mother : I am very sorry to say, my child, that I must give up going to the ball with you tonight. It is such a long way to go in this cold spring weather.
Father : (without looking up from his paper). Your mother is not well. She is coughing in the night.
The second data isidentified as expressive for apologizing since it shows an expression of regret. The speaker in this case Laura’s mother shows her regret to her daughter for not going to the ball with Laura as the hearer (Searle: 1996).
Analysis of Meaning Using Ethnography of Speaking by Hymes (1974)
The setting of the utterances is in the living room of Laura’s house. The scene of the utterance is in the level of friendly condition not too formal. The participants involve in the utterance are Laura’s motherand Laura. Laura’s mother is the addresser and Laura is the addressee.The goal of the utterance is Laura’s mother wants to express her regret for not going to the ball with her beloved daughter because of her bad condition. The act sequence of the utterance can be seen from the precise words that Laura’s mother used to express her regret. It can be seen that it is not on purpose of Laura’s mother to cancel going to the ball, but is because of her unfit condition in such a raw weather. Laura’s mother’s voice and her gesture is expressed in regretful way since she feels responsible for her prior action. Norm of interaction in the conversation above has shown equal social status since the participants involve are mother and her daughter.
Data 3
Mathilde : It is not only this room, but the whole house is arranged like yours as far as possible.
Father : It is the most charming way of giving pleasure to a young wife that I ever heard of!
According to Searle (1996), expressive for congratulating shows the speaker’s sympathy toward what has been happening to the hearer including the feeling of pleasure toward the hearer’s luck, the feeling of honor toward the hearer’s ability, and the feeling of compassion toward the hearer’s sadness. The third data isidentified as expressive for congratulating since the utterance does not only have semantic meaning but also certain force to express the speaker’s pleasure for the hearer’s luck or fortune.
Analysis of Meaning Using Ethnography of Speaking by Hymes (1974)
The setting of the utterances is in the living room of Axel’s new house in town where the couple moves. The level of formality in this scene is not too serious but a little bit awkward since Axel and Laura’s parents are not in a good relationship.The participants involve in the utterance are Laura’s father and Axel even he speaks nothing in this case. Laura’s father is the addresser and Axel is the addressee. The goal of the utterance is that Laura’s father wants to express his honor towards Axel’s ability which can prove his love to his wife by doing everything that might be impossible and boring for others. The act sequence of the utterance can be seen from Laura’s mother and Laura’s father’s expression that cannot believe Axel can do something sweet and with a hard will to prove his love to his wife. They have prejudiced him for a year but now they applaud Axel for everything he does for his wife. Laura’s father’s voice and his gesture is expressed in astonished way since he is proud towards Axel’s ability in proving his care and love to his wife. The utterance in data 6 is performed in verbal ways. Norm of interaction in the conversation above has shown equal social status since the participants involve are father and his son in law.
Data 4
Axel : Now,a glass of wine to welcome you, sherry, your favorite wine, Sir.
Mother : He remembers that! (They each take a glass in their hands.)
The utterance expressesan expression of welcoming or greeting. According to Searle, greeting is an expression of welcoming and an act of greeting by the speaker to the hearer or for welcoming the visitors. In this case, Axel welcomes his parents in law in his house by serving them with their favorite wine.
Analysis of Meaning Using Ethnography of Speaking by Hymes (1974)
The setting of the utterances is in the living room of Axel’s house in town. The scene of the utterance at first, the awkwardness condition appears since Axel and Laura’s parent are in a bad relation because of the problem a year ago. However, it seems that the situation became friendlier after Axel showing his sincere and warm welcome to his parents in law. The participants involve in the utterance are Axel as the addresser and Laura’s parents as the addressees but in this case only Laura’s mother who speak in return. The goal of the utterance isthat Axel wants to express his sincere to greet and welcomes his parents in law. The act sequence of the utterance can be seen from the precise words that Axel uses to greet and welcome his parents in law. Axel shows his sincerity to welcome them in his house without thinking about the problem in the past and with hope that all of them can be reconciled. That is why the utterance is a kind of expressive for greeting or welcoming. Axel’s voice and his gesture is expressed in warm way since he sincerely welcome his parents in law for their first coming in his new house. Norm of interaction in the conversation above has shown that the speaker really respects the hearer by saying “Sir” in the end of the utterance.
Data 5
Father : Dear me! What do you want, if you please?
Axel : I want to work for myself, to owe my position in life to my own efforts-to become something.
The utterance above indicates an expression of wishing. Searle stated that wising is an expression of the speaker’s desire or wants in order to expect it becomes
reality. The speaker wants to express what he hope to be come true as what he is expected. In this case, Axel hopes he can work and build his carrier by his own hand.
Analysis of Meaning Using Ethnography of Speaking by Hymes (1974)
The setting of the utterances is in the living room of Laura’s parents’ house where Axel and Laura lived after their marriage. If we look at the level of formality, the scene is in the level of seriousness. The participants involve in the utterance are Laura’s Father as the addresser and Axel as the addressee. The goal of the utterance is that Axel wants to tell his desire to live independently without the help of Laura’s parents. The act sequence of the utterance can be seen from the precise words that Axel used to express his desire. He wants to work and get the good position because of his own effort not because of Laura’s parents help. It isclear that the speaker expects his desire to become reality. Axel’s voice and his gesture is expressed in serious way since he is in debate. Axel convinces him by telling his desire to build his own carrier without Laura’s parents help.Norm of interaction in the conversation above has shown that the speaker has lower status than the hearer since the speaker is the hearer’s son in law and Axel as the speaker indebts many thing to Laura’s parents.
Data 6
Axel : Then I suppose you are their daughter in the first place and my wife only in the second?
Laura : (with a laugh). Well, that is only natural.
Expressive for attitude is an act that express the feeling of disagrees or dislike with the hearer’s attitude. (Yule:1996). The utterance above indicates expression for criticizing since Axel as the speaker criticizes Laura’s view that parentis always in the first place even if someone hasbeen married. For Axel’s view, a wife must follow his husband since she has promised it in church.
Analysis of Meaning Using Ethnography of Speaking by Hymes (1974)
The setting of the utterances is in the living room of Laura’s parents’ house. The scene of the utterance isserious way since Axel is upset to his wife. The
participants involve in the utterance are Axel as the addresser and Laura as the addressees. The goal of the utterance is that Axel wants to express his critic to Laura about her point of view which put her parents in the first place but her husband is in the second. He also expresses his disapproval to Laura’s behavior that lack of respect to him and did not care about what his opinion and feeling.The act sequence of the utterance can be seen from the precise words that Axel uses to express dislike and disapproval. He wants Laura to change her mindset since she hasbeen married and she has to act like a good wife. Axel’s voice and his gesture is expressed in pompous way since he criticize his wife’s point of view.
Based on the result of the analysis, it is found that there are six types of illocutionary acts that are identified including expressive for thanking, congratulating, apologizing, welcoming, wishing and attitude.
It is also found that the way of hearers interpret the meaning of the utterance depends on the interpreter’s knowledge to analyze the context of situation by using theory of ethnography of speaking which consisted of setting and scene, participants, ends, and act sequence.
Bjornson,B. 1865. The Newly-Married Couple. Norway: Kessinger.
Hymes, Dell. 1974. Foundation of Sociolinguistics: An Ethnographic Approach. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.
Searle, J.R. 1979.Expression and Meaning, Studies in the Theory of Speech Act. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Searle, J.R. 1996.Ch. 10. A Taxonomy of Illocutionary Acts. A. P Martinich (Ed). The Philosophy of Language (pp. 141-155). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Yule, George. 1996. Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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