93 and the coat is certainly not similar, but then he uses that metaphor to defend
himself against Tibeats. He knows well that Tibeats hates him after he impresses Master Ford with his idea in the river. Comparing the board he works at and a
yearling’s coat makes him flout maxim of quality by metaphor as the used strategy.
To recap, those are some further examples of the strategies for maxim flouting. In the movie, Northup applies these strategies many times to flout maxim
of Cooperative Principle. Tautology, overstatement, understatement, metaphor, rhetorical question, and irony are the alternatives that may be used. The others
data of the use of these strategies are presented in the appendixes of this research.
3. The Reasons for Maxim Flouting in 12 Years a Slave Movie
To identify the third objective of this research, the theory of Leech is used. It is the theory of Illocutionary function. This theory comprises four types of
reason that may lead Northup to do maxim flouting. Those possible reasons are a competitive, convivial, collaborative, or conflictive reason. The most dominant
reason for maxim flouting by Northup is the conflictive reason, while the least dominant reason is the convivial reason.
a. Conflictive Reason
The most dominant reason for Northup in maxim flouting is conflictive reason. It is a reason in which the illocutionary goal conflicts with the social goal.
Related to the fact that Northup is a free man who lives as a slave, certainly there are many conditions when his personal goal conflicts with the social goal. His
94 refusal leads this reason to arise in its occurrence. Up to the end, he still fights for
his freedom. It indicates his strong refusal to the society which demands him to keep acting as a slave. In the case of reason, this is conflictive.
The frequency of conflictive reason is 29 times 39.19, less than a half of maxim flouting occurrences. The data containing conflictive reasons in 12 Years a
Slave movie are presented as in the following. The first maxim flouting because of conflictive reason is in the conversation
between Brown and Northup. Northup is a freeman. Brown convinces him to join
a performance.
4: 28 Brown
: The opportunity is with the circus. A two man show poorly promoted, what were we to expect? But the
circus bills itself. Hamilton :
True. Brown
: I have told you of the circus with which we are connected. Creatures from the darkest of Africa.
Acrobats from the Orient who-- Northup :
You have described it, yes.
Datum QN07OSCF In this exchange, conflictive reason leads Northup to flout maxim of
quantity. The statement before a yes is unnecessary information for the purpose of the current exchange. Therefore, Northup becomes more informative than is
required. Here, the maxim flouting happens since Northup is actually getting bored of
Brown’s explanation. Then, his illocutionary goal is just to stop Brown from repeating his explanation. In this kind of situation, on the other hand, the social
goal is to respect others by hearing what they say without interrupting them. There is a conflict here between the illocutionary goal and the social goal. These
95 conflictive goals make Northup flouting maxim of quantity. To stop Brown but
also to show his respect, Northup expresses that kind of expression in this exchange. To gain his illocutionary goal which is different from the social goal in
a smooth way, he does a maxim flouting as above. Then, the maxim flouting makes Brown at a disadvantage.
The second example is a Northup’s conversation with Burch, the guard of prison in which he is imprisoned. It is a start when Northup is forced being a
slave. He is imprisoned in a lightless room, his hands are cuffed and his legs in irons.
4: 29 Burch
: Well, my boy, how yah feel now? Northup :
I am Solomon Northup. I am a free man; a resident of Saratoga, New York. The residence also of my
wife and children who are equally free. I have papers. You have no right whatsoever to detain
me—
Burch : Yah
not any—
Northup : And I promise you - I promise- upon my liberation I
will have satisfaction for this wrong. Datum RL03OSCF
In the dialog above, Northup flouts maxim of quantity since he knows the circumstances well. He gives too much information than is required in his
utterance. His aim is to defend himself against injustice. It becomes his illocutionary goal then.
To fight for his freedom, Northup reprimands Burch for treating him as a slave. This is his effort to gain the illocutionary goal. On the other hand, the social
goal is to accept his fate of being a slave. Here, Northup’s strong refusal leads him to flout maxim of quantity. It happens since Northup cannot accept what is being
the social goal at that time. His statement of maxim flouting in this exchange is
96 such a reprimanding and also threatening to Burch. After all, conflictive reason
causes the maxim flouting. The last conversation in which Northup does maxim flouting for conflictive
reason is between Northup and Eliza, another slave. Eliza is crying over her children continuously. She is apart from her children in the sale of slaves. Then,
Northup tries to stop her as follows. 4: 30
Northup : Eliza. Eliza, stop Stop it Stop
Eliza : It’s all I have to keeps my loss present.
Northup : You let yourself be overcome by sorrow. You will drown in it.
Eliza : Have you stopped crying for your children? You make
no sounds, but will you ever let them go in your heart? Datum QN17TLCF
Here, Northup’s illocutionary goal is to comfortably enjoy the day. Being forced as a slave is a bad luck, but then he tries to figure a way out and enjoy the
day. Quietness is what he aims. However, this goal conflicts with the social goal in which Northup has to understand the others’ feeling. Eliza is in a desperate
condition, she loses her children. There is no other way to express her desperation but to cry. Her continuous cry finally affects Northup in enjoying his day.
Quietness is far from the fact. In this exchange, Northup is being more informative because his goal
cannot be fulfilled. The reason for maxim flouting in his statement is accusing Eliza. Saying ‘stop’ one time shows he is caring. Saying it for several times, he is
accusing Eliza. This is the conflictive reason that leads Northup to flout maxim of quantity.
