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words by using exaggerative expression really in the utterance “That’s exactly
what they want you to believe”. He raises the intonation in it to emphasizes that he approves the sharecropper’s words. According to Melvin, the utterance
performed by the sharecropper is only what the local authorities want them to believe, whereas in realization, he should not to.
i. Intensify Interest to Hearer
To intensify interest to the conversation means to show interest to the hearer. It is one way of positive politeness strategy in which the speaker shares his
wants to the hearer in the communication. To be specific, heshe tries to pull the hearer into the event or the story being discussed. In this movie, Melvin uses a tag
question to perform this strategy as in the utterance below. Melvin B. Tolson
: to all debate students Denigrate. There’s a word
for you. From the Latin word “niger”, to defame, to blacken.
It’s always there, isn’t it? Even in the
dictionary. Even in the speech of a Negro professor. Somehow, “black” is always equated
with failure. Datum number 20
Melvin is about to announce the debate team squad. Before he announces the team, he explains the term ‘denigrate’ deriving from the word ‘niger’ to his
students which he thinks it is fit to be taught in such situation. Besides, he previously said that if they cannot make the team, they should not take it as
denigration of their intellect. Then, he includes a tag question isn’t it in his
utterance in stating that the word niger in the dictionary means to defame and to blacken. This tag question is used by Melvin as if he draws the students as
participants into the conversation. Thus, the positive face of the students can be
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preserved. Also, the terms that are being communicated are quite sensitive in their race, hence positive politeness strategy is the best choice made by Melvin to
intensify that he and the students share the same want.
j. Use In-group Identity Marker
In-group identity marker clearly represents positive politeness strategy since it corresponds to the positive face of the hearer that is the need to be treated
as a member of the same group. In this case, the speaker claims that heshe belongs to the same group membership with the hearer. In general cases, this
strategy is performed by conveying address forms. Melvin B. Tolson himself uses in-group identity marker twice in the
movie. They are directed to James Farmer Jr. and her wife, Ruth Tolson. Both of them are realized by using address forms whose function is to emphasize the
closeness or the solidarity between Melvin and the hearers. Melvin addresses his wife by the address form honey, while to James Farmer Jr., he uses the address
form son. In the case of James Farmer Jr., it is illustrated in datum number 26 below.
Melvin B. Tolson : What are you doing out here? Huh?
James Farmer. Jr. : I saw you. I was walking by your house, and I saw
you dressed funny. Melvin B. Tolson
:
I’m dressed like them, son. You think they’d listen to me if I was wearing a tuxedo? Huh?
Datum number 26 The setting of the conversation above is in the night when they succeed to
escape from a danger in the place where Melvin holds a meeting with the sharecroppers. Melvin asks James why he can be in that place. James answers that
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he follows Melvin secretly after seeing him wearing unusual clothes. Fortunately, Melvin sees James at the chaos happened due to the coming of sheriffs. Then,
they manage to run. After they run quite far and think that it is safe, they stop running. There, Melvin reprimands him for coming in that dangerous place.
However, Melvin tries to soften it by using address form son in “I’m dressed like
them, son” although James is not his real son. This is to state that Melvin redresses James positive face and claims his closeness to him.
k. Seek Agreement
