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. 8

C. Formulation of the Problems

The following presents the problems explored in this study. 1. What are the topics which are emphasized in Haller’s utterances during trial in the courtroom? 2. How are the discursive strategies employed by Haller in shattering, reversing the claims from the adversaries, and legitimating his claims? 3. What is the ideological purpose which underlies the discourse production?

D. Objectives of the Study

In relation to the formulation of the problem, the objectives of this study are stated as follow. 1. To identify and to give descriptive knowledge of the topics which are emphasized in Haller’s utterances during each cross and direct examination of the courtroom trial; 2. To explain what and how discursive strategies are employed by Haller in shattering and reversing the claim from the adversaries, as well as legitimating his claims; and 3. To reveal the ideological purposes underlie the discourse production.

E. Significance of the Study

This study confers theoretical and practical contributions. Theoretically, this study is expected to give academic contributions, especially to make the theoretical foundations of the study of CDA. It deals with the role of 9 macrostructure and microstructure proposed by van Dijk as the discursive strategies used by the main character in political communication. Practically, this study gives valuable knowledge to the researcher himself. This study allows the researcher to have a deeper understanding in interpreting CDA. It is particularly deals with how to analyze and to interpret the topics, strategies, and the ideological purpose concerned with social context background. Furthermore, this research finding shows how linguistic elements are applied as the discursive strategy in convincing and legitimating the claim and allegation. These attempts are done in order to shatter the adversary’s claim and to achieve a certain ideological purpose. In addition, the result of this study can be one of sources of information or a reference for future researchers. They can conduct further study in CDA with more complex discussion in different objects such as in press media, political speech, advertisement, and television programs. 10

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

A. Discourse Analysis

Before describing the term of discourse analysis, it needs to define the term of discourse itself. According to Nunan 1993: 5 discourse is a stretch of language consisting of several sentences which are perceived as being related in some way. The sentences are related not only in terms of the ideas shared, but also in terms of their functions. Crystal in Nunan 1993: 25 says that discourse is a continuous stretch of language larger than a sentence, often constituting a coherent unit, such as a sermon, argument, joke or story. Discourse brings together language, the individuals producing the language, and the context within which the language is used. Widdowson 2007: 12 defines discourse as an area of the language study which is concerned with how people make meaning and make out of meaning in texts and as a social practice. All texts, whether simple or complex, are the use of language which produces with the interest to refer to something for some purposes. The analysis of discourse is the analysis of language in use. That is the reason why discourse in this study refers broadly to the language used in relation to a particular topic. Discourse analysis is committed to an investigation of what and how the language is used for Brown and Yule, 1983: 1. It means that discourse analysis concerns with the language used for communication and how the