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CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the findings and discussion in order to answer the research questions that have been formulated in the first chapter. The first research
question is the politeness strategies used by the four main characters in Begin Again
movie. The second research question is the factors that influence the four main characters in Begin Again in applying the politeness strategies.
A. Politeness Strategies Used by the Four Main Characters of Begin Again
This section describes the results of utterance analysis of the politeness strategies which are applied by the four main characters in Begin Again movie.
The four main characters are Dan Mulligan, Gretta James, Dave Kohl, and Steve. The analysis of the characters‟ utterances was done by employing the theory from
Brown and Levinson 1987 about politeness strategies. Bald on Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, and Off Record strategies were applied by three
of the main characters namely Dan Mulligan, Dave Kohl, and Gretta James. Meanwhile Steve only applied three types of the politeness strategies: Bald on
Record, Positive Politeness, and Negative Politeness. The politeness strategies found in Begin Again movie are illustrated in table 4.1.
Based on table 4.1, the writer found that Positive Politeness is the most frequent strategy applied by the four main characters. Bald on Record is on the
40 second place and it is followed by Negative Politeness and Off Record on the
third and fourth places. The writer will discuss the analysis of the politeness strategies application based on the result found in the following table.
From the findings listed in table 4.1, it shows that each character describes different characteristic in the way they talk. Since positive politeness is the most
frequent type of politeness strategies applied by Dan, it shows that Dan is an easy going person. The reason is because the purpose of choosing positive politeness
strategy for the communication is to build closer relationship with the hearer. However, in some conditions, positive politeness strategies can give disturbance
toward the hearer. Positive politeness sometimes can give disturbance for the hearer if the speaker cannot control his her behavior in building closer
relationship with the hearer. On the other hand, Gretta produces bald on record and negative politeness strategies in the same amount. It shows that Gretta can
control how she should behave in the social interaction. Gretta can be able to equalize the use of bald on record strategy and positive politeness strategy in
which bald on record tend to be an impolite strategy and negative politeness tend to be a polite strategy. The same amount of the utterances is also showed by Steve
in which he performs positive politeness strategy and bald on record strategy. Positive politeness strategy and bald on record strategy which are performed by
Steve shows that Steve is a person who does not want to be indirect in conveying his desire.
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Table 4.1: Politeness Strategies found in Begin Again Movie
Characters Politeness Strategies
Positive Politeness
Bald on Record
Negative Politeness
Off Record Dan Mulligan
33 26
5 12
Gretta James 14
22 22
6 Dave Kohl
12 5
3 2
Steve 8
8 4
- Total
67 61
34 20
.
1. Positive Politeness
Positive politeness is applied with the aim of getting closer relationship with the hearer. Positive politeness strategy deals with the act of respecting the
hearer‟s positive face. Positive face is the desire of being admired, accepted, or liked. Besides, this strategy also aims to make the hearer comfortable with the
speaker when they are doing the interaction. Positive politeness is applied by the four main characters in Begin Again movie. Therefore, most of the languages that
are used in this strategy will be more intimate and will sound closer to the hearer. The language that is used can be in a form of in-group identity markers, which
states that the speaker and the hearer are cooperator. Besides, praise or compliment, hedging, question, offer, and promise are also used to satisfy the
hearer‟s positive face. Furthermore, the element of exaggeration will also be included in applying this strategy by the means of fulfilling the hearer‟s desire.
The application of positive politeness can be seen in a scene in Begin Again
movie where Gretta and Steve meet for the first time after a long time. As Dave is busy with his project on his album, Gretta spends her time in New York
