78
motive or the reason for asking James to be quick because he wants to continue the class. James answers Melvin by saying the utterance, “I’m going, sir”. It
indicates that he successfully infers what Melvin actually means, and thus the conversational implicature can be achieved.
r. Overstate
Another way to invite conversational implicature in off-record strategy used by Melvin B. Tolson is to overstate the utterance. It is being more
informative as required. Thus, it is a kind of quantity maxim violation. Melvin performs this strategy once when he has a conversation with James Farmer Jr. on
the day of the debate team tryout. The overstatement performed can be seen in this following dialogue.
Melvin B. Tolson : Mr. Farmer?
James Farmer. Jr. : Yes, Sir.
Melvin B. Tolson : I have eyes in the back of my head and ears on
both sides. Stand up. Tell me the irony in the
name “Bethlehem Steel Corporation. James Farmer. Jr.
: Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus, Prince of Peace, and Bethlehem Steel makes weapons of
war. Datum number 18
James Farmer Jr. talks to Samantha Booke quietly in the back when Melvin B. Tolson gives a test to Henry Lowe in the front of the class. Melvin
hears him, so that is why he calls him up. He reprimands him by giving overst
atement in telling that he can hear James. He states, “I have eyes in the back of my head and ears on both side”, whereas it seems impossible for a human being
to have eyes in the back of the head. Melvin’s utterance can simply be meant “I can hear you”. This shows that Melvin tries to play safe in criticizing what James
79
has done. Therefore, he chooses to go off record or be truly indirect in his utterance.
s. Be Vague
The last realization of off-record strategy performed by Melvin B. Tolson is to be vague about who or what object of the FTA is. It includes being vague
about what offence is. As the output, this strategy violates maxim of manner in which ambiguity should be avoided. In this movie, Melvin applies this strategy to
address his wife, Ruth Tolson, as in the following dialogue. Ruth Tolson
: Go on and open it and read it. Melvin B. Tolson
: Looks like somebody opened it already.
Ruth Tolson : Not me.
Melvin B. Tolson : You are not a good liar.
Datum number 32 The dialogue takes place in the
front yard of Tolson’s house and happens when Melvin arrives at home after going to Prairie View to accompany his team
debating against Howard University. Unfortunately, Melvin brings bad news that his team lost. Ruth feels sorry for that, but then she gives a letter to him. It is a
letter from Harvard University in response to his and Henry’s letter. Melvin receives it. However, the envelope of the letter is already opened.
Melvin does not want to directly refer that the one who opened it is her wife. Th
us, he tries to be vague by saying utterance “Looks like somebody opened it already”. To represent his vagueness, he uses the word somebody as if whom he
addresses is someone out of them and not in that place. In addition, the utterance shows that Melvin’s offence in criticizing to what Ruth has done is vague. In
responding to his utterance, she defends herself by stating that it is not her.
80
Nevertheless, the off-record statement performed by Melvin succeeds to meet Ruth’s inference.
3. Sociological Factors Affecting the Preference of Politeness Strategies
Performed by the Main Character in The Great Debaters
All sociological factors introduced by Brown and Levinson in Goody, 1978 including rank of imposition, social distance, and relative power indeed
affect the politeness strategies performed by Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters. Most of the politeness strategies performed are affected by relative
power factor with 19 data in total. It is because of his role as an English professor in Wiley College, as a husband of Ruth Tolson, and as a communist who leads
sharecroppers to organize a union. Those roles make him more powerful than the hearers.
Social distance also affects his preference of politeness strategies with 14 data in total. The social distance between him and the hearers is mainly because
they have race similarity as Negroes who have same vision and mission. Therefore, somehow it makes them connected. The other aspect which is
influential in the social distance factor between Melvin and the hearers is their frequency of interaction. It more or less makes them feel familiar and close with
each other. Lastly, it is rank of imposition which affects the politeness strategies performed although it is minor as only 2 data found. Rank of imposition is in the
effect of goods or services expenditure between Melvin B. Tolson and the hearers. To be more specific, these three sociological factors found in this movie are
explained one by one below starting from the least to the most data found.
81
a. Rank of Imposition
This factor is closely related to the interferences of Melvin toward hearer’s positive or negative wants in certain situation. In this movie, this factor is
insignificant compared to other factors to be Melvin’s consideration in performing politeness strategies. It is because he rarely performs act which requires services
or goods both material and non material from the hearer. The two data found in this movie are addressed to the students. Both data show that Melvin imposes
negative face of the hearers, their wants of self. However, one of which is chosen to be uttered with redressive action, and the other is not. Thus, in the consequence,
the imposition from these two FTAs performed by Melvin is different in its rank or degree.
The first exa mple shows FTA of command imposing the hearer’s negative
wants which is uttered without redressive action namely bald on-record strategy. It is directed to Dunbar Reed when Melvin asks him to do a favour for him to
hand the materials over the other students. The dialogue occurs in the class on the first day of their meeting in the new academic year. It can be seen below.
Melvin B. Tolson : Mr. Reed, hand these out.
I’m going to introduce you to some new voices this semester.
There’s a revolution going on. In the North. In Harlem. They’re changing the way Negroes think.
I’m talking about poets like Hughes, Benner, Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen. “Some are
teethed on a silver spoon, with the stars strung up for a rattle. I cut my teeth as a black raccoon
…” Henry Lowe
: …for implements of battle
Datum number 3
82
In the utterance “Mr. Reed, hand this out”, Melvin requires Dunbar’s service to help him in handing the materials to other students in the class. However, Melvin
does not lessen the degree of im position itself, which then makes Dunbar’s
obligation to do the act is great. The next example shows the low degree of imposition that affects the use
of negative politeness strategy performed by Melvin directed to his debate team who is going to debate Harvard University. They are James Farmer Jr., Samantha
Booke, and Henry Lowe. It is when Melvin brings them to the station and says that he cannot accompany them to Harvard because of the condition of his bail
that he is prohibited to leave the state. James complains about it, but Melvin tries to clarify.
James Farmer Jr. :
You can’t let them stop you. Melvin B. Tolson
: They’re not stopping me.
I just don’t want to jeopardize your opportunity.
You can win without me.
Datum number 35 The words
“jeopardize your opportunity” used by Melvin in his utterance emphasize that there is imposition addressed to his students’ negative face if he
goes with them to Harvard, but Melvin tries to minimize it by saying “I just don’t
want to” with softening particle just in it, whether it means sincerely or merely. This indicates that Melvin avoids coercing them; therefore the rank of imposition
is very low. In addition, the relative power and social distance seems constant in this utterance.
83
b. Social Distance
