The Analysis of Verbal Humor Based on the Violation of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle in Sitcom How I Met Your Mother (Season 1-4).

THE ANALYSIS OF VERBAL HUMOR BASED ON THE
VIOLATION OF COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE AND
POLITENESS PRINCIPLE IN SITCOM HOW I MET YOUR
MOTHER (SEASON 1-4)

(A Pragmatics Approach)

THESIS
Submitted as a Partial Fulfilment of Requirements
for The Sarjana Sastra Degree in English Department
Faculty of Cultural Sciences
Sebelas Maret University

By:

IMANUEL MADIA SAKTI
C0311021
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF CULTURAL SCIENCES
SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY
SURAKARTA

2015

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PRONOUNCEMENT

The writer declares that this thesis entitled The Analysis of Verbal Humor
Based on the Violation of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle in Sitcom
How I Met Your Mother (Season 1-4) is originally made by the researcher. Primary

and secondary sources which are related to any other people’s works are written in
quotation and listed in the bibliography.

Surakarta, October 29, 2015

Imanuel Madia Sakti

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MOTTO

“When there is a will, there is a way.”
(Anonymous)

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DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate my thesis to:
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My parents,
My brothers,
My thesis consultant, my academic consultant and the lecturers,
My friends.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ for the blessing.
I also want to give my gratitude for those who have contributed on my thesis:
1. Prof. Drs. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed., Ph.D, as the Dean of Faculty of Cultural
Sciences, Sebelas Maret University.
2. Drs. Agus Hari Wibowo, M.A, PhD, as the Head of English Department.
3. Prof. DR. M. Samiati Tarjana, as my thesis consultant, for her suggestion and
guidance which help me develop my understanding about this subject.
4. Dra. Diah Kristina, M.A., Ph.D, as my academic consultant, who supports and
motivates me to immediately finish my thesis.
5. My parents and brothers who always support me during studying in English

Department and until finishing my thesis.
6. All my friends and classmates of English Department 2011, especially
Candra, Festa and Julio.
7. All the lecturers and everyone who can not be mentioned.
Last, I hope this thesis is useful for other researchers. I also expect any
suggestion from the readers so that can be developed in the future.

Surakarta, October 29, 2015

Imanuel Madia Sakti
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TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE ............................................................................................................. i
APPROVAL OF THESIS CONSULTANT ................................................ ii
APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS ................................... iii
PRONOUNCEMENT ................................................................................... iv
MOTTO ......................................................................................................... v
DEDICATION ............................................................................................... vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................ vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................. viii
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................ xi
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................... xii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... xiii
CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Research Background ..................................................................... 1
B. Research Questions ......................................................................... 8
C. Research Objectives ....................................................................... 8
D. Research Significance .................................................................... 9
E. Research Limitation ........................................................................ 9
F. Thesis Organization ........................................................................ 10
CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Pragmatics ...................................................................................... 11

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B. Context ............................................................................................ 12
C. Implicature ...................................................................................... 13
D. Cooperative Principle ..................................................................... 14
E. Politeness Principle ......................................................................... 16
F. Verbal Humor ................................................................................. 20
G. Synopsis .......................................................................................... 21
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Research Design ............................................................................. 23
B. Research Location .......................................................................... 24
C. Source of Data and Data ................................................................. 26
D. Sampling ......................................................................................... 27
E. Data Validity ................................................................................... 29
F. Technique of Collecting Data ......................................................... 30
G. Procedure of Data Analysis ............................................................ 30
H. Data Coding .................................................................................... 37
CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
A. Introduction .................................................................................... 38
B. Data Analysis .................................................................................. 40

C. Summary ......................................................................................... 88
D. Discussion ...................................................................................... 92
CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 105
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B. Suggestion ...................................................................................... 108
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 109
APPENDICES

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 Example of Domain Analysis (Maxims of CP) ................................ 29
Table 3.2 Example of Domain Analysis (Maxims of PP) ................................. 29
Table 3.3 Example of Domain Analysis (CP and PP in the Data) .................. 30

Table 3.4 Example of Domain Analysis (The Intentions) ................................ 30
Table 3.5 Example of Presence of Types of CP and PP .................................. 31
Table 3.6 Example of Presence of the Intentions of CP and PP ...................... 31
Table 3.7 Example of Componential Analysis ................................................. 32
Table 4.1 Table of Componential Analysis ...................................................... 84
Table 4.2 Table of the Relation of CP and PP in domains .............................. 89
Table 4.3 The Percentages of CP and PP ........................................................ 90
Table 4.4 The Relation of Maxims of CP and PP ............................................ 91
Table 4.5 Table of the Relation of the Intentions and Types of Maxims .......... 93

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1 Finding Cultural Value ................................................................... 33
Figure 4.1 The Relation of Maxims of CP and PP ........................................... 92

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ABSTRACT

Imanuel Madia Sakti. C0311009. The Analysis of Verbal Humor Based on the
Violation of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle in Sitcom How I Met
Your Mother (Season 1-4) (A Pragmatics Approach). Thesis: English Department,

Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Sebelas Maret University.
This thesis is about the violation of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle to
create verbal humor in sitcom How I Met Your Mother(Season 1-4). The aims of this
research are to find out the types of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle
which create humor in the conversation, to analyze how both maxims of Cooperative
Principle and Politeness Principle work on verbal humor analysis and to find out the
intentions behind the verbal humor executed by the characters.
This is a descriptive qualitative research. It applies purposive sampling and content
analysis. Purposive sampling means that the sampling taken from the data which only
suit the objectives of this research. Meanwhile, content analysis is used as the
technique of data analysis. It consists of four stages of analysis. There are domain
analysis, taxonomy analysis, componential analysis and finding cultural value.
The result shows that all maxims of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle
appear in the conversation which contains humor in sitcom How I Met Your Mother
(Season 1-4). Moreover, there is a relation between Cooperative Principle and

Politeness Principle. Both maxims of Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle
are able to create humor situation when they are violated and combined together in
the conversation. They are complementary for each other to work on the analysis of
verbal humor. Furthermore, six kinds of intentions are found in the research. They are
to amuse someone, to change topic, to flirt someone, to give idea, to lie and to mock
someone.
They are created by the different applications of maxims of Cooperative Principle and
Politeness Principle. To give idea, to lie and to mock someone are the three major
intentions. It is related to the context of the sitcom in which the characters are close
friends and they have a good sense of humor. Thus, their jokes mostly are created
from giving funny idea or statement, lying to others or hiding something and mocking
each other.
Keywords: Verbal humor, cooperative principle, politeness principle, intentions

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