1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter discusses six sections. They are background of the study, problem formulations, problem limitations, objectives of the study, benefits of the study,
and definition of terms
.
A. Background of the Study
Human beings are known as social creatures. They cannot live without other people. To survive, one of the things to do is building a relationship with others.
We need to have good communication skills as a social process. It can be fulfilled by using a medium that we call language. As a means of communication,
language has several functions. Generally, people use language to communicate their intention to others. Specifically, language is used by people to convey
messages or to send information in order to make the conversation activities run smoothly. In addition, Chaika 1982 also states that people use language to reveal
or conceal personal identity, character, and background without realizing that they are actually doing so. Therefore, every person has their own way to choose the
language variation which ca n confirm someone‘s identity p. 2.
Moreover, some people have tendency to use language that has a strong impact when they are sad or angry like uttering swear words. In fact, many
2 society and culture associate swear words with something bad. Therefore, they do
not prefer using them in a conversation. Svensson says ―some people find
swearing rude and disrespectful, while others find it quite useful in their everyday vocabulary
‖ as cited in Beers-Fägersten, 2007, p. 4. Besides, swear words are not just a collection of words that sound impolite,
rude, and inappropriate to be said. Each word is more than their literal meaning —
they also carry an emotional connotation as a result of how they are used within the language Pinker, 2007, p. 12. Therefore, saying some words will give
different meanings for the listener. As an example, when people say sweet pussies, it will mean a little cat that is sweet. However, when
“pussies” is used in the different context, like
“fucking pussies”, it will be bad language that carries emotional function. It means each swear word has different types and meanings
based on the contexts when it is uttered. Karjalainen 2002 states that there are also some reasons influencing people to swear. Reasons of uttering swear words
depend on the purposes of the speakers, e.g. to express surprise or shock, to indicate friendship, to insult, and to amuse p. 12.
In addition, people cannot deny that swearing is a part of social life. We cannot avoid using swear words in our society, especially in a conversation. Jay
2000 states that ―swear words or bad language can be found in joke, humor,
social commentary, sex talk, and chatting in a group slang ‖ p. 93.It is supported
by American Demographics Mag azine‘s Survey which showed that ―among 60
people, 72 of them liked swearing in public ‖ as cited in Beers-Fägersten, 2007,
p. 4. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
3 It is clear that the use of swear words is quite common in speaking. We
often hear and use them both in private and in public settings. Besides, we find them in films, monologues, songs, on television and on radio. In other words, the
use of swear words does not only exist in our real daily conversation. The researcher chose a movie to be analyzed in accordance with the use of swear
words. It is because movie is a reflection of human‘s real life. The content of the
movie, such as the way the characters speak, get dressed, act, and communicate to each other, usually reflects the real life of the society in which a movie is based
on. One of the examples is an American movie entitled 12 Years a Slave that was released in 2013. It is an adapted movie based on Solomon Northup‘s true story in
his 12 years of being a slave. This movie represents a real life society which is about slavery in America.
The movie screenplay was written by John Ridley and it was directed by Steve McQueen. The story is about a free African-American man who is abducted
and sold as a slave. Solomon Northup has a happy life. He is a violinist living with his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, New York. Then till one day
two men abduct and sell him as a slave. He is later shipped to New Orleans along with other Black people who are going to be sold as slaves. A slave trader named
Freeman sells him to a plantation owner named William Ford. Due to the tension between he and another plantation worker, Ford sells him to another master
named Edwin Epps. He and other Black slaves get very brutal treatment from Mr. Epps, not only through physical violence but also slurs like swearing at them.
Luckily he meets with a Canadian laborer named Samuel Bass. Bass does not like PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
4 the brutal way Mr. Epps treats his slaves. Solomon confides his kidnapping to
Bass and he finally can go back to his family as a freeman after 12 years being a slave.
This thesis will analyze further the swear words that are uttered by the characters in 12 Years a Slave movie, especially White people and Black people.
Other studies, particularly in the area of sociolinguistics, have highlighted the more nuanced and varied meanings of swearing in an interpersonal context. Like
other forms of speech activity, the functions and effects of swearing are highly dependent on the context in which it occurs, hence taking account of a range of
social variables such as social norms, expectations, status differentials and relationships Chen 1999; Beers-Fägersten 2007; Jay and Janschewitz 2008.
Sociolinguistics is ―the branch of linguistics which studies the properties of
language which require reference to social contexts and circumstances, including contextual factors in their explanation
‖ Downes, 1984, p. 15. Therefore, the research will study the swear words in the movie based on the context of the
society as portrayed in the movie. It is about slavery and ethnicity in which the researcher wants to find out how the different ethnic characters speak to other
people, especially in uttering swear words as seen from both social and language aspects. The topic of swearing is focused on the verbal expressions uttered by
someone and it is associated with emotional feeling towards something. In the education aspect, the use of swear words is highly restricted and
taboo. It is supported by Fairman 2006 that ―public school students do not shed their constitutional right to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse
5 gate‖ p. 61. Jay 2000 adds ―taboo topics are not regarded as a legitimate topic
for scholarly examination due to the nature of the taboo itself, which perpetuated and strengthens the taboo with
in the culture‖ p. 91. By having knowledge and better understanding about swear words, the ELESP students who will be the
future English teachers should be able to teach ESL students well about swear words and their implementation. The EFL students are expected to be able to use
swear words appropriately based on the situation where they have to say them or not. For example, the University of Texas have a subject which discusses
―Maledicta‖ bad language, race, class and gender in American popular culture the syllabus can be seen in appendix B. By using the references from 12 Years a
Slave movie, this thesis tries to provide information and analysis about swear words which might help the teachers make the course design.
B. Problem Formulations
