Reasons why the characters choose particular strategy in expressing request

3. Reasons why the characters choose particular strategy in expressing request

This part presents the reasons of choosing certain politeness strategy in expressing requests. Based on the three politeness strategies found in this research, this discussion is divided into three parts. They are the reasons of employing bald on record strategy, positive politeness strategy, and negative politeness strategy.

a. Reasons of employing Bald on record strategy

There are several reasons of why the characters choose bald on record strategy to express requests. Table 4.3.1. shows the findings:

Table 4.3.1. Factors of choosing bald on record Data

No.

Types of Request

Requester- Requestee

Compl iance

Factors of choosing the strategy

8(a)

Request for action

Tyler-Sydney

No

Time limitation, close relationship, informal situation

8(b)

Request for permission

Tyler-Sydney

No

Time limitation, close relationship, informal situation

9 Request for action

Sydney-The students

Yes Channel limitation, equal occupation, informal situation

14 Request for action

Tyler-Sydney

Yes Time limitation, close relationship, informal situation

15(b)

Request for permission

Spankly-The girls

Yes Time limitation, equal status, informal situation.

From the table, it can be interpreted that the characters employ bald on record strategy because there is a time and a channel limitation that force them to

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record strategy are the informality of the situation where the conversation happens and the close relationship between the participants of the conversation. Below is the discussion in more detail:

1. The informality of Situation The characters tend to use bald on record strategy in uttering request when their conversation happens in informal situation. In this research, all of the requests that are employed by using bald on record strategy take place in informal situation. Datum number 8(a,b) takes place in front of the campus after the lecturing activity. It does not happen in formal situation like in class activity. Then datum number 9 happens in the yard where the students are having fun activity. Similarly, datum number 15(b) takes place in the street where Tyler and the girls meet for the first time.

2. Time Limitation Time limitation means that the speaker has limited time to do his act, to utter his request. Such limitation can be caused by some cases such as the ignorance of the hearer, speaking in telephone, etc. The characters decide to employ bald on record when facing such time limitation. Data number 8(a,b) show that Tyler employs bald on record because he has limited time to speak with Sydney White, Sydney tries to get rid of Tyler. Another similar factor dealing with the choice of bald on record strategy can be found in datum number 14. Tyler tries to speak as efficiently as he can because the debate session will be started soon.

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Channel limitation means that the speaker has limited way to deliver the request. The speaker chooses bald on record strategy when facing such limitation because the conversation demands the speaker to be efficiently speaking. The use of bald on record strategy is also caused by the channel limitation faced by the participants. Datum number 9 shows that Sydney has to speak efficiently by using imperative sentence in higher tone because she herself and the students are in different space.

4. Close relationship The participants who have known each other well tend to employ bald on record strategy when uttering request. It is proved that in the movie, bald on record strategy is used by the participants having close relationship. This can be seen from the datum number 8 and 14. The participants of both data are Tyler and Sydney White. They have close relationship since they are boy and girl who like each other.

5. Status of the participants Status is the occupation owned by the characters. The participants having the same social status, occupation, right, and duties tend to use bald on record strategy. In this research, it is proved from the conversation between Spankly and the girls. Although they have not had close relationship, Spankly decides to use bald on record strategy because he considers that the girls are students who have the same status and occupations like himself.

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b. Reasons of employing Positive Politeness strategy

From the analysis, it is found that good relationship between participants, social distance and rate of imposition are factors of choosing positive politeness strategy. This can be seen from table 4.3.2.

Table 4.3.2. Factors of choosing Positive Politeness Data

No

Types of Request

Requester- Requestee

Compl iance

Factors of choosing the strategy

1 Request for permission

Big Ron- Sydney

Yes

Good relationship between the participants

2 Proposal

Sydney- Father

Yes

Good relationship between the participants

3 Request of offer Dinky-

Sydney

Yes

Social Distance

4 Request for permission

Sydney- Tyler

Yes

Good relationship between the participants

5 Request for action

Dinky-The boy

Yes

Social distance

7 Request of offer Lenny-

Sydney

Yes

Rate of imposition

10 Request for action

Tyler- Sydney

Yes

Good relationship between the participants

11 Request for Permission

Tyler-Gurkin

Yes

Social distance

12 Invitation

Tyler- Sydney‟s

friends

Yes

Social distance

From the table, it can be seen that the choice of positive politeness strategy is mostly influenced by the good relationship between the participants and the rate of imposition. This strategy is also employed because the speaker has social distance with the hearer in which the speaker wants to maintain good relationship and to minimize the distance between he himself and the hearer. Below is the discussion in more detail.

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Positive politeness is commonly done by the participants who have good relationship. From the datum number 1, the conversation is between Sydney and Big Ron. As we can see from the movie, Big Ron and Sydney have good relationship. This can be seen from the way they Big Ron show his care to Sydney White. Another similar case can be seen from the conversation between Sydney and her father in datum number 2. Sydney has very close and good relationship with her father , the only parent she has. Since the death of Sydney‟s mother, father is the one who tries to be the best for his only daughter, Sydney White.

2. Social distance Another reason that influences the speaker employs positive politeness in uttering request is the social distance between he himself and the hearer. As we can see form the table, positive politeness is not always applied by those who have had close relationship. This strategy is also used by those who have just known each other. The conversation between Dinky and Sydney in datum number 3 reveals that the speaker employs positive politeness because of the want to minimize the social distance as well as to maintain good relationship. According to the context, Dinky employs such strategy to minimize her social distance with a girl she has just met, Sydney White. Dinky hopes that she herself and Sydney White will be close friend since both of them stay in the same room. This means that positive politeness is used as the social accelerator. Another datum which is in line with this discussion can be found in datum number 11 and 12.

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Another reason of employing positive politeness is the want of minimizing the imposition. According to the table, positive politeness strategy is also applied by those who generally belong to a group of friends. The conversation in datum number 7 is between Lenny and Sydney. As we can see from the movie, Sydney is Lenny‟s new housemate so that Lenny takes recognitions to her want, self image, and possession. Tal king about Sydney‟s homelessness after being dumped from Kappa Phi Nu can create big imposition for Sidney White. Thus, Lenny decides to deliver his request in positive politeness in order to lessen the weight of imposition. By doing so, Lenny tries to get rid of threatening Sydney‟s face.

c. Reasons of employing Negative Politeness strategy

No close relationship and social distance between the participants are the factors of choosing negative politeness strategy. Table 4.3.3. shows the findings:

Table 4.3.3. Factors of choosing Negative Politeness Data

No

Types of Request

Requester- Requestee

Compl iance

Factors of Choosing the Strategy

Request for action

Lenny- Sydney

Yes The participants have no close relationship

13

Request for permission

Sydney-Tyler

Yes Some social distance between the participants

15(a)

Request for action

The girls- Spankly

Yes No close relationship between the participants

From the table above, it can be figured that the characters employ negative politeness because there is some social distance between the participants. The speaker will be more indirectly uttering his sentence when the relationship between participants is more distant. In this research, conventional indirectness

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hearer‟s face. Further, the social distance between the participants can be caused by the different social status between the participants. Such reason can be found in the conversation between Sydney and Tyler in datum number 13. The context shows that Sydney is an ordinary student while Tyler is the president of a prestigious group, Beta Omega, and occupies as the member of student council.

Moreover, negative politeness is also chosen because participants have no close relationship. It can be clearly seen in data number 6 and 15(a). Datum 6 shows that Lenny and Sydney have not had close relationship because they have just met for the first time. Similarly, datum 15(a) shows that Spankly and Sydney have no intimate relationship because they have just met for the first time, too.

From the discussion, it can be concluded that American teenagers have some reasons in choosing certain strategy to deliver request to the hearers. The reasons which cause the choice of bald on record strategy to utter requests are the informality of the situation, the time and channel limitation, close relationship and the status of the participants. Meanwhile, positive politeness strategy is chosen by the speakers to utter requests because of the good relationship, the aim to minimize the imposition and the social distance between the participants. Finally, the speaker applies negative politeness strategy in expressing request because of the social distance and no close relationship between the participants.

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