10. Background of the Problems
6 purpose behind the discourse produced by the defense lawyer character in this
novel.
People may recognize that criminal defense lawyer uses language as a means to influence or persuade and to convince the judge and jury in the
courtroom. However, what they know is not systematic. Therefore, this study attempts to analyze the discourse systematically based on CDA approach
proposed by van Dijk. B.
Focus of the Study
In this novel, there are several cases faced by Haller as the criminal defense lawyer character. However, the researcher focuses his study only on
the center of the story during defending Louis Roulet ’s case. The reason is
that, the discourse in this part serves a complete and clear plot from beginning to the end of the trial. Therefore, it is suitable for the researcher to study the
complete criminal defense lawyer’s utterances because it contains discursive
strategies as an attempt to persuade the judge and jury and to challenge the authority of the powerful prosecutor. This attempt is done in order to shatter
and to reverse the claims from the adversaries. In analyzing the main character’s utterances, the researcher uses van
Dijk’s theory of CDA. The use of this version of CDA provides a more applicable and also provides more complete version of discourse. Van Dijk
proposes three structural levels of discourse: micro structure, macro structure,
and super structure.
In order to know deeply about the defense lawyer’s
7 discursive strategies in this study, the researcher focuses his investigation on
the utterances of defense lawyer presented in the direct and cross examination during the trial. Then, it is analyzed by applying macrostructure level in order
to reveal the topics or the most salient information being emphasized. Last, microstructure level is also applied. It aims to figure out how the defense
lawyer shatters the claims from the adversaries. It is also used to figure out how he legitimates his claims as well as his allegation to reverse the claim
from the adversaries. In this study, the researcher does not apply super structure level because
the analysis of superstructure is concerned with the sequence of the event which is served or presented. Thus, the analysis of the super structure level is
not giving a significant benefit because it will be more applicable in analyzing a news in newspaper dealing with the purpose of the writers in sequencing the
event in their story. This model of CDA is considered fit to this phenomenon of language.
The utterances of the criminal defense lawyer in The Lincoln Lawyer novel is certainly a political communication which purposes to persuade and to
influence other people judge and juries in order to agree to his claims. Eventually, this study attempts to answer the questions about what are the
topics of his utterance, what and how discursive strategies are employed, and what is the ideological purposes behind the discourse production of Michael
Haller as the criminal defense lawyer character in the novel.
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