A CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURE ANALYSIS ON THE VERBAL HUMOR OF THE SELECTED EDITIONS OF THE BORN LOSER COMIC STRIPS
A CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURE ANALYSIS
ON THE VERBAL HUMOR OF THE SELECTED EDITIONS
OF THE BORN LOSER COMIC STRIPS
THESIS
A Thesis presented to the English Department,
Faculty of Letters, Jember University
As one of the requirements to get
The Award of Sarjana Sastra Degree
In English Studies
WAHYUNINGSIH
NIM. 030110101062
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS
JEMBER UNIVERSITY
2008
ABSTRACT
A Conversational Implicature Analysis on the Verbal Humor of the Selected
Editions of The Born Loser Comic Strips, Wahyuningsih, 030110101062,
2008, 52 pages.
In our daily communication, people tend to convey their intentions implicitly
for some particular reasons. This phenomenon also happens in The Born Loser comic
strips in which the cartoonist presents the humor implicitly to create the funny effect.
This makes the humor of The Born Loser comic strips difficult to be interpreted.
Considering this, the writer use the implicature theory as the frame work of
this thesis to analyze the humor of the comic, with the following problems to discuss;
How implicature analysis gives contribution to the readers in understanding the
humor of the comics, and how comic strips should be interpreted. From those
problems this thesis is aimed to describe how implicature analysis gives contribution
to the readers in interpreting the humor of the comic as well as to describe how to
interpret comic strips. The writer also uses the theory of humor in order to form the
more comprehensive interpretation.
The data of this thesis are qualitative data. The data are in the form of
dialogues of The Born Loser comic strips obtained from the selected editions of The
Jakarta Post News Papers. This thesis employs descriptive analysis. In the
descriptive analysis, the writer does not merely describe the data but also make
interpretation on them. Thus, in this thesis the writer analyze the data by using
descriptive method with the theory of implicature and the theory of humor as the
frame works.
The result of analysis shows that all of the comic strips fail to observe the
cooperative principle and generate implicature. In this way, the cartoonist tries to
create the funny effect that can evoke the readers to produce laughter. This reveals
that the theory of implicature gives the significant help in interpreting the comic
strips. For the readers, the writer has some tips about how to interpret the humor of
comic strips; first, read the comic strips carefully. Next, identify when and where the
comic takes place (the context). Third, try to remember the important moment
happened on the publication date of the comic because the comic strips are usually
talking about the actual event happened on their publication dates. Lastly, identify the
implied message that the cartoonist wants to convey to the readers by correlating the
text with the context and the background knowledge.
Key words: implicature, humor, maxim, cooperative principle.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FRONTISPIECE...............................................................................................
i
DEDICATION PAGE.......................................................................................
ii
MOTTO ............................................................................................................. iii
DECLARATION............................................................................................... iv
APPROVAL SHEET ........................................................................................
v
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... vi
ACKNOWLEDMENT...................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................. viii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
1.1
The Background of the Study .................................................. 1
1.2
The Problems to Discuss.......................................................... 3
1.3
The Scope of the Study ............................................................ 3
1.4
The Goals of the Thesis............................................................ 4
1.5
The Significance of the Study .................................................. 4
1.6
The Organization of the Thesis ................................................ 4
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW
2.1
Pragmatics ................................................................................ 5
2.1.1 Context of Situation ............................................. 6
2.1.2 Background Knowledge....................................... 7
2.2
Implicature …………………………………………………... 8
2.2.1 Conventional Implicature..................................... 9
2.2.2 Conversational Implicature ..................................10
a) Flouting ......................................................12
b) Violating ....................................................13
viii
c) Infringing ..................................................13
d) Opting .......................................................13
e) Suspending ................................................14
2.3
The Theory of Humor ...............................................................14
2.3.1 The Definition of Humor .....................................14
2.3.2 The Theory of Humor ..........................................14
a) Incongruity Theory ....................................14
b) Superiority Theory.....................................15
c) Relief Theory ............................................16
2.3.3 Linguistics Theory of Humor...............................17
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY OF RESEACH
3.1
Data Resource ..........................................................................19
3.2
Type of Data.............................................................................19
3.3
Method of Data Collection.......................................................19
3.4
Type of Analysis ......................................................................20
3.5
Method of Analysis ..................................................................20
3.6
The Hypothesis ........................................................................21
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS AND RESULT
4.1
The Brief Story About The Born Loser ...................................22
4.2
Data Analysis ...........................................................................23
4.3
Discussion ................................................................................50
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION...........................................................................52
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ix
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
People use language to communicate with others. Language is very important
as a means of communication. By using language we can express our idea, feeling
and emotion to others. Finegan, Besnier, Blair, and Collins (1992:3) state that
“Traditionally, language has been viewed as a vehicle of thought, a system of
expression that mediates the transfer of thought from one person to another”.
As a medium to describe ideas, emotion, and feeling to others, language has
two forms, spoken and written. According to Halliday (1985b) cited in Nunan
(1993:8-9) the existence of written text is as the result of cultural changes that create
new communicative needs. Long time ago, people looked for food by gathering and
hunting, but the culture then evolved into agriculture. Thus, people needed permanent
record about farming that could be referred over and over again. This led to the
emergence of written form of language.
Furthermore, Halliday suggests that written language has three major
functions similar to the spoken language, they are: to get things done, to provide
information and to entertain.
Those functions support the appearance of mass media. Newspaper is one
example of mass media that has function to provide information and to entertain.
Readers will get a lot of information by reading newspaper’s articles as well as they
will be entertained by the comic strips of the newspaper.
Comic strips are not the primary material of newspapers. It is usually placed
in the entertainment section. However, the presence of comic strips as humorous text
is always expected by readers as the intermezzo after reading the more serious
articles.
Comic strips constitute a kind of interesting language and pictures. They
try to attract and entertain the readers. They usually talk about daily conversations,
1
ON THE VERBAL HUMOR OF THE SELECTED EDITIONS
OF THE BORN LOSER COMIC STRIPS
THESIS
A Thesis presented to the English Department,
Faculty of Letters, Jember University
As one of the requirements to get
The Award of Sarjana Sastra Degree
In English Studies
WAHYUNINGSIH
NIM. 030110101062
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS
JEMBER UNIVERSITY
2008
ABSTRACT
A Conversational Implicature Analysis on the Verbal Humor of the Selected
Editions of The Born Loser Comic Strips, Wahyuningsih, 030110101062,
2008, 52 pages.
In our daily communication, people tend to convey their intentions implicitly
for some particular reasons. This phenomenon also happens in The Born Loser comic
strips in which the cartoonist presents the humor implicitly to create the funny effect.
This makes the humor of The Born Loser comic strips difficult to be interpreted.
Considering this, the writer use the implicature theory as the frame work of
this thesis to analyze the humor of the comic, with the following problems to discuss;
How implicature analysis gives contribution to the readers in understanding the
humor of the comics, and how comic strips should be interpreted. From those
problems this thesis is aimed to describe how implicature analysis gives contribution
to the readers in interpreting the humor of the comic as well as to describe how to
interpret comic strips. The writer also uses the theory of humor in order to form the
more comprehensive interpretation.
The data of this thesis are qualitative data. The data are in the form of
dialogues of The Born Loser comic strips obtained from the selected editions of The
Jakarta Post News Papers. This thesis employs descriptive analysis. In the
descriptive analysis, the writer does not merely describe the data but also make
interpretation on them. Thus, in this thesis the writer analyze the data by using
descriptive method with the theory of implicature and the theory of humor as the
frame works.
The result of analysis shows that all of the comic strips fail to observe the
cooperative principle and generate implicature. In this way, the cartoonist tries to
create the funny effect that can evoke the readers to produce laughter. This reveals
that the theory of implicature gives the significant help in interpreting the comic
strips. For the readers, the writer has some tips about how to interpret the humor of
comic strips; first, read the comic strips carefully. Next, identify when and where the
comic takes place (the context). Third, try to remember the important moment
happened on the publication date of the comic because the comic strips are usually
talking about the actual event happened on their publication dates. Lastly, identify the
implied message that the cartoonist wants to convey to the readers by correlating the
text with the context and the background knowledge.
Key words: implicature, humor, maxim, cooperative principle.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FRONTISPIECE...............................................................................................
i
DEDICATION PAGE.......................................................................................
ii
MOTTO ............................................................................................................. iii
DECLARATION............................................................................................... iv
APPROVAL SHEET ........................................................................................
v
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... vi
ACKNOWLEDMENT...................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................. viii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
1.1
The Background of the Study .................................................. 1
1.2
The Problems to Discuss.......................................................... 3
1.3
The Scope of the Study ............................................................ 3
1.4
The Goals of the Thesis............................................................ 4
1.5
The Significance of the Study .................................................. 4
1.6
The Organization of the Thesis ................................................ 4
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW
2.1
Pragmatics ................................................................................ 5
2.1.1 Context of Situation ............................................. 6
2.1.2 Background Knowledge....................................... 7
2.2
Implicature …………………………………………………... 8
2.2.1 Conventional Implicature..................................... 9
2.2.2 Conversational Implicature ..................................10
a) Flouting ......................................................12
b) Violating ....................................................13
viii
c) Infringing ..................................................13
d) Opting .......................................................13
e) Suspending ................................................14
2.3
The Theory of Humor ...............................................................14
2.3.1 The Definition of Humor .....................................14
2.3.2 The Theory of Humor ..........................................14
a) Incongruity Theory ....................................14
b) Superiority Theory.....................................15
c) Relief Theory ............................................16
2.3.3 Linguistics Theory of Humor...............................17
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY OF RESEACH
3.1
Data Resource ..........................................................................19
3.2
Type of Data.............................................................................19
3.3
Method of Data Collection.......................................................19
3.4
Type of Analysis ......................................................................20
3.5
Method of Analysis ..................................................................20
3.6
The Hypothesis ........................................................................21
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS AND RESULT
4.1
The Brief Story About The Born Loser ...................................22
4.2
Data Analysis ...........................................................................23
4.3
Discussion ................................................................................50
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION...........................................................................52
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ix
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
People use language to communicate with others. Language is very important
as a means of communication. By using language we can express our idea, feeling
and emotion to others. Finegan, Besnier, Blair, and Collins (1992:3) state that
“Traditionally, language has been viewed as a vehicle of thought, a system of
expression that mediates the transfer of thought from one person to another”.
As a medium to describe ideas, emotion, and feeling to others, language has
two forms, spoken and written. According to Halliday (1985b) cited in Nunan
(1993:8-9) the existence of written text is as the result of cultural changes that create
new communicative needs. Long time ago, people looked for food by gathering and
hunting, but the culture then evolved into agriculture. Thus, people needed permanent
record about farming that could be referred over and over again. This led to the
emergence of written form of language.
Furthermore, Halliday suggests that written language has three major
functions similar to the spoken language, they are: to get things done, to provide
information and to entertain.
Those functions support the appearance of mass media. Newspaper is one
example of mass media that has function to provide information and to entertain.
Readers will get a lot of information by reading newspaper’s articles as well as they
will be entertained by the comic strips of the newspaper.
Comic strips are not the primary material of newspapers. It is usually placed
in the entertainment section. However, the presence of comic strips as humorous text
is always expected by readers as the intermezzo after reading the more serious
articles.
Comic strips constitute a kind of interesting language and pictures. They
try to attract and entertain the readers. They usually talk about daily conversations,
1