Related to the Ciptaningrum’s research which analyzes about directive speech ach, politeness strategy, and interpersonal relation among the
characters, the writer uses different ways in conducting the result through linguistics. However, Ciptaningrum only focuses on those matters without
analyzing the factors influencing the character to apply politeness strategy in directive speech act.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Pragmatics
Pragmatics refers to speaker’s meaning or utterance interpretation. The first definition of pragmatics is quoted from Steven C. Levinson,
followed by Jenny Thomas and the last is George Yule. Levinson 1983: 21 states that pragmatics is the study of the ability
of language users to pair sentences with the contexts in which they would be appropriate. It means that pragmatics cannot be separated from context and
principles of language usage. Then, Thomas 1995: 23 defines pragmatics as meaning in interaction.
Another definition of pragmatics is also proposed by Yule 1996: 3- 4. He says that pragmatics is the study of the relationship between
linguistic forms and the users of those forms. Yule divides the definition of pragmatics into four. First, Pragmatics is the study of speaker meaning. It
means that pragmatics analyzes the meaning behind what people say rather than what the words mean literally. Second, Pragmatics is the study of
contextual meaning. Context here includes to whom the speaker talking, where, when, and under what circumstances. Context has important role in
communication between the speaker and the hearer. Third, Pragmatics is the study of how more gets communicated than what is said. By understanding
pragmatics, people can explore what is unsaid be recognized as part of what is communicated. Fourth, Pragmatics is the study of the expression of
relative distance. Relative distances means how close between the speaker and the hearer are communicating each other including physical, social or
conceptual closeness. From the definitions above, it can be concluded that Pragmatics is a
significant field to study in communication that is about language, context, and the meaning of the utterances between the speaker and the hearer.
2. Speech Act
Pragmatics studies how people understand and produce a speech act in a social situation, usually in conversation. Speech act is a part of pragmatics
that studies about utterances. According to Searle in Levinson, 1983: 240, speech act can be classified into five categories, they are representative,
directive, commisive, expressive and declaration.
a. Representative
Representative is a kind of speech acts that commits the speaker to state hisher belief about something. Acts of asserting, describing,
explaining, concluding and making a statement are the examples of the PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
speakers’s intention in uttering hisher belief. Example: The earth is flat. Yule, 1996: 53
b. Directive
Directive is a kind of speech act that is intended to make someone do something. In this case, the speaker utters directive in order to get the
prospective action. Acts of requesting, commanding and persuading can be classified into directive.
Example: Could you lend me a pen, please? Yule, 1996: 54
c. Commisive
Commisive is kind of speech act that commits the speaker to some future action. Acts of promising, refusing, threatening and pledging can
be classified into commisive. Example: We will not do that. Yule, 1996: 54
d. Expressive
Expressive is a kind of speech act that is used by the speaker to express their feeling that are either pain or pleasure. Acts of apologizing,
congratulating and thanking can be classified into expressive. Example: Congratulations Yule, 1996: 53
e. Declarative
Declarative is kind of speech act that is used by the speaker to change the reality in accordance with proposition content of the
declaration. Act of naming and pronouncing are the example of declarative.
Example: I now pronounce you husband and wife. Yule, 1996: 53
3. Requesting speech act
Requesting speech act is commonly used in daily communication which focuses on asking someone the addressee hearer to do something
by giving him or her an option for complying and not complying the request. It is a part of directive speech act in pragmatics as stated by Searle
because request action has an illocutionary purpose to get the hearer to do something. Trosborg 1995: 192 has divided the requesting speech act
according to what the benefit to the speaker and the hearer when they are having conversation. This strategy classifies requesting speech act into four
catagories and involves them eight-sub strategies, namely indirect request, hearer-oriented condition, speaker-based condition and direct request.
a Indirect request
Indirect request is a request without explicit requestive illocutionary force. Consequently, the speaker omits to mention or
specify the desired act and avoids mentioning the hearer as the intended agent Trosborg, 1995:192. There is only one strategy of
indirect request called hinting strategy. Hinting strategy is used by the speaker by making a request which does not explicitly state that the
speaker’s request for the desired action. There are two kinds of hinting strategy. They are 1 mild hint, used by the speaker by leaving out the
desired action altogether, and 2 strong hint, used by the speaker by mentioning hisher wish.
For example: I have to be at the airport in half an hour. Trosborg, 1995: 205
The request above employs indirect request expression with mild hint strategy. The speaker does not explictly mention that the speaker
asks the taxi driver to speed up the taxi since he is in hurry. The speaker leaves out the request, he lets the hearer to figure out by
himself whether the speaker wants to speed up the taxi.
b Hearer-oriented condition
This request conveys that hearer is in a position of control to decide whether or not to perform the request. This request uses two
strategies, that strategies are ability willingness and suggestory formula. 1.
Ability willingness The condition of ability refers to hearer’s capacity to perform the
desired act. Two different conditions are relevant: 1 the inherent capacities of the hearer both physical and mental, 2 the external
circumstances relates to time and place of the action. For example : Could you lend me your car? Trosborg, 1995: 205
2. Suggestory formulae
By using suggestory formulae, the speaker makes hisher request more tentative and plays down hisher own interest as a beneficinary
of the action. For example : How about lending me your car? Trosborg, 1995: 205
c Speaker-based condition
By placing the speaker interest above the hearer’s, this request
becomes more direct in its demand. There are two strategies in speaker-based condition. They are by using whisesdesires and
needsdemands. 1.
Wishes or desires The speaker’s statement of hisher intention maybe expressed
politely as a wish. For example : I would like to borrow your car. Trosborg, 1995:
205 2.
Needs or demands Its a request strategy which expresses the speaker’s request
more blindly as demand. For example : I needs to borrow your car. Trosborg, 1995: 205
d Direct Request
The speaker who wants to make the request in the form of performative statement or an imperative, thereby isuing an order. This
request uses three strategies namely obligation, performative, and imperative.
1. Obligation
This strategy is used by employing a statement of obligation. When employing this strategy, the speaker exerts either hisher authority, or
heshe refers to some authority outside the speaker. For example : You have to lend me your car. Trosborg, 1995: 205
2. Performative
The inclusion of performative verb conveys requestive intent, e.g. asking, requesting, demanding, commanding, and explicitly marking
the utterence as an order. For example : I would like to ask you to borrow your car. Trosborg,
1995: 205 3.
Imperative Imperative is the grammatical form directly signaling that the
utterance is an order. An order issued by authority figures must be obeyed, such as the
older’s to the younger’s. For example : Lend me your car Trosborg, 1995: 205
4. Politeness
