SHANE’S ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS ANALYSIS ON THE PACIFIER MOVIE SCRIPT

Abstract

Language is used by people as a means of communication. By using language people can perform something. In other words, people can do something with words such as promising, declaring, assuring, complaining, and so fort. In this case, speech act is the study which deals with how to do things with words. Austin (1962) is the first person who introduces speech act and the three levels of act of utterances. First, it is locutionary act (an act of saying something) which merely delivers the literal meaning of utterances. Second, it is illocutionary act (an act in saying something) which sets a function to perform the intended meaning in utterances. Third, it is perlocutionary act (a certain effect of utterances may have on the hearer) which is the effect of illocutionary act. Speech act can be found in the daily life conversation. As the example of conversation, movie script is a good example of conversation which can be taken as the object of the study. This study takes illocutionary act analysis of the main character (Shane) of The Pacifier movie script because of his strong character and utterances which can bring changes or influences to the addressee. Illocutionary act is interesting to analyse in order to understand the function of utterances and the intended meaning of utterances. It includes context of situation in analysing illocutionary act because context of situation can bring some information to understand the intended meaning of utterance. The analysis of this thesis is based on the application of Searle’s (1969) five classifications of speech act theory (representative, directive, commissive, expressive, and declaration), although there are several linguists’ theories of speech act which give additional information in the theoretical framework. In the discussion, the analysis is given in each scene which contains illocutionary act. The description of context of situation is also given in order to give understanding of what the utterances’ intended meaning. The Shane’s illocutionary acts analysis shows how Shane interacts and adjusts with the kids’ attitudes since he is a navy, yet on the other hand, he is also a supervisor of the kids. By using illocutionary acts, Shane tries to convey what is on his mind, what he wants, and what he expects from the kids. By producing directive utterances frequently, he tries to interact and also manage the kids’ bad attitude. In sum, Shane tries to say what he wants from the kids. Shane wants the kids follow what he says for the safety of the kids and also for teaching them how to be good kids.