A STUDY OF POLITENESS STRATEGIES OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN ARTHUR MILLER’S THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN

ABSTRAK

Strategi kesopanan selalu dikaitkan dengan etika berbicara. Menurut Brown dan Levinson bahwa strategi kesopanan terbagi kepada 4 (empat), yaitu bald on record, positive politeness, negative politeness, dan off record.  Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memaparkan strategi kesopanan yang digunakan oleh para pelaku dalam drama Death of a Salesman karya Arhur Miller.  

Dalam penelitian ini ada 2 (dua) hal yang menjadi pokok permasalahan, yaitu: Pertama, apa saja tipe strategi kesopanan yang digunakan. Kedua, strategi kesopanan yang dominan digunakan.

Metode yang penulis gunakan dalam mengumpulkan data adalah metode obeservasi non-partisipan. Adapun teknik pengumpulan data adalah dengan membaca percakapan di antara tokoh-tokoh utama, menganalisis data, kemudian menentukan ujaran yang termasuk ke dalam strategi kesopanan. Sedangkan dalam analisis hasil data penulis menggunakan metode formal dan informal, yaitu dengan membuat tabel dan menjelaskannya dalam bentuk deskriptif.

Dari hasil analisis data, ditemukan 3 (tiga) strategi kesopanan, yaitu: (1) bald on record muncul 12 kali (54, 54 %), (2) positive politeness muncul 8 kali (36, 36 %), (3) negative politeness muncul 2 kali (9, 09 %). Sedangkan yang paling dominan muncul adalah bald on record.

Key word       : Politeness Strategy = Strategi Kesopanan

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the Study

Language is a means of communication for human being and it develops dynamically through various changes. Studying of language means concerns to linguistics as one of the scientific disciplines. By regarding to this case, the writer interested in analyzing certain politeness strategies which are applied in communication between speaker and hearer. Here, politeness strategies are suitable theory to observe behavior of participants in communication. This study is also strengthened by Yule’s statement that politeness is the idea of polite social behavior, etiquette within a culture. Being could be being tactful, generous, modest, and sympathetic toward others. In common, polite behavior can be said the attitude of someone appropriately within a culture in the society (Yule, 1990:60).

The application of politeness strategy occurs when speaker realizes that saving the hearer’s face is important. It would not be polite if a speaker directly gives an order, for example, to someone that has social distance relationship with him (to a stranger). It may threaten the face of the hearer. This explanation can be illustrated in the following example. This dialog happens on a bus:

A: what a hot day!

B: Yeah and I will open the window, it will be nice, isn’t it?

A: Thank you

Based on the example above, the situation in a bus is hot and the window beside B’s chair is closed, A tries to give an order to B to open the window. The fact, A and B are stranger, A decides to use Off Record (give a hint) to state his order by saying, “What a hot day” and expects B to recognize what he actually says (Brown and Levinson, 1987:213). As result, B noticed what he intended meaning behind A’s utterance and so that the communication moves smoothly.

By regarding to the above fact, this study concerns on how men and women shoe their politeness in conversation. The writer chooses the Arthur Miller’s drama The Death of a Salesman the source of data because there are interesting politeness strategies found used by the main characters in the drama and the writer classify them and find out what the dominant type that is used by them.

1.2  Identification of the Problem

Based on the background of the study presented in the previous part, the research question that writer would like to answer are:

1.      The types of politeness strategies used by the main characters.

2.      The dominant politeness strategies used by the main characters.

1.3  Objective of the Study

The first aim of this study is to find out what types of politeness strategies used by main characters in The Death of a Salesman. It is also to identify the dominant types of politeness strategies used by main character in The Death of a Salesman.

1.4  Scope of the Study

This study is intended to identify the types of politeness strategies that are used by the main character in The Death of a Salesman. Focus of this research is only types of politeness strategies which consist of bald-on records, positive politeness, negative politeness, and off record. The data are taken from the dialog in the drama. The writer selects the utterance that used politeness strategy, and organizes them based on the types of politeness strategy.

1.5  Method of the Research

In conducting the research, the writer applies Pragmatic Identity Method especially non-participant observational method and using descriptive qualitative. The data were taken by reading the conversations uttered by main characters in the drama. After obtaining the, the writer classify them into the types of politeness strategies that the main characters uses based on Brown and Levinson’s theory on politeness strategies. Then, the writer finds the types of politeness strategies used by main characters, and find out the dominant types which occur.

In presenting the result of analysis, the writer applies both informal and formal method. In informal method is applied by using simple and explanatory sentences and in formal method, the result of the analysis is presented by providing table.

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