A study on Speech acts used by the main character of The Hurt Locker

ABSTRACT

Communication is very important in human being’s life. It is because they use it for communicating with other people. They can share their ideas, thoughts, and feelings by communication. Every person wants to get perfect communication. They do not want to get misunderstanding because it can lead to break down a relationship. Therefore, it is important to study speech acts. It can minimize misunderstanding which happens between speaker(s) and hearer(s) by understanding speaker’s utterances especially the illocutionary acts of speaker’s utterances. In certain communication such as military setting, there is a special conversation which is different from other conversations. Therefore, this study investigates speech acts in military setting which is found in The Hurt Locker.

The descriptive qualitative method was used to conduct this study. This study describes and explains the types of speech acts used by the main character of The Hurt Locker and how he performs it. The data were taken from the transcript of The Hurt Locker. To analyze the data the context of each utterances and felicity conditions are determined to know whether they are fulfilled or not. Then the data were presented and analyzed by using speech act theory proposed by John Austin namely: locutionary act, illocutionary act, and perlocutionary act.

Based on the findings of this study, the most types of speech acts used by the main character of The Hurt Locker is exercitives in the form of asking and ordering and most of them are performed directly and literally. It is because it relates with power right and influence. Other types of speech acts can be found in The Hurt Locker such as expositives, behabitives, and commissives. It is found that the forms of expositives which are used in The Hurt Locker are stating, refusing, clarifying, and reminding. Then, the forms of behabitives which are used in The Hurt Locker are greeting, thanking, and apologizing. Next, the forms of commissives which are used in The Hurt Locker are promising and committing. Meanwhile, verdictives is not found in The Hurt Locker. It is because military setting is not typified by giving a verdict. Moreover, it is usually used by a jury, arbitrator or umpire.

It is suggested to future researchers to continue in conducting the study about speech acts because there are areas which is possible to be investigated such as civil court. It will be interesting because civil court has different language which is different from daily conversation. By investigating speech acts in the civil court, it will enrich discourse studies.