AN ANALYSIS OF DECLARATIVE

ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS IN "HOUSE OF GUCCI"

MOVIE: PRAGMATICS APPROACH

THESIS

By:

Febrina Sanjo Pulungan

171210008

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
PUTERA BATAM UNIVERSITY
2022
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Research

Language is a major part of communication and it becomes the core of

interactions in social life. Nowadays, more modifications of language are created

as the current development. Choosing the right words in a language can also

influence the intimacy and clarity of communication. In communicating, every

utterance that a speaker says obviously has meaning. The meaning is discovered

through context of the utterance. Therefore, people need to understand context in

conversation to have effective communication.

Understanding pragmatics helps speaker and interlocutor to communicate

effectively. As defined by Binner (2013), pragmatics is study about language use

in context. From the statement above, it concludes that pragmatics discusses

language which meaning is found from context. Context functions to reveal

meaning in the utterance (Virginia & Mubarak, 2021). In pragmatics, there is

speech acts as one of the topics related to get meaning in context. The speech acts

is one of some important points in people daily direct communication.

Communication also makes conversation easier to see the reaction of the

other person. Because it is one thing that must be considered while we are talking,

the interlocutor we must pay attention to how people say or the way the speaker

delivers it. Searle (2008) stated that speech acts often occur in speech or voice

deeds are also a sign. In speech acts, there is a classification called as declarative

acts. According to Searle (1979), the declarative acts purpose to change the status

or condition of a person and objects. The types of declarative acts are declare,
bless, fire, approve, sentence, and excommunicate. (Searle & Vanderveken,

1985).

The phenomena of declarative illocutionary acts can be found in social life

also in models competition broadcasted through television. In models

competition, there are some models and judges that involve to find the best model

among others. Conversation between judges and contestants shows the utterances

which are used to declare utterances to interlocutor. On the article conducted by

Putri, Sartini, and Fajri (2020), it was found that judges’ comments in America’s

and Asia’s next top model competitions showed the phenomena of declarative

illocutionary acts. One of the utterances is as follows.

Judge : “This is the first time I've given a 10 this

season.”
Contestant : [looking at the judge]

The utterance above involved one of the judge was speaker and a contestant

was the listener. They were in the competition’s entitled “America’s next top

model”. The speaker said to the listener that the speaker talked about his score to

the contestant. In the utterance above, the speaker told that it was the first time he

gave the perfect score to a contestant. The speaker gave ten as the score that

deserved to be gotten by the listener. According the explanation above, there is the

type of declare. As defined by Searle and Vanderveken (1985), declare is used to

declare something to the speaker.

Besides models competition broadcasted through television, declarative acts

also present in movie. One of the research that analyzed declarative acts in the

movie is from Sarair, Farsia, and Jannah (2021) The researchers analyzed
declarative acts in the main character movie entitled “Zootopia”. One of the

declarative acts phenomena found in the movie is as follows:

Judy Hopps : “Nicholas Wilde, you are under arrest.”

Nick : “Ha. For what? Hurting your feelings?”

The utterance above involved Judy Hopps, who play role as Officer Hopps

approached Nick on a city street pushing a stroller. Hopps grinned as he enlarged

his cart. Officer Hopps informed Nick that she did not pay taxes. Nick showed her

tax returns, which revealed that he had never paid taxes in his life. In the

utterance above, the speaker warned interlocutor about taxes because the speaker

has an authority due the speaker’s duty. According the explanation above, there is

type of sentence. As defined by Searle and Vanderveken (1985), sentence is used

to state that someone will receive a specific punishment.

Another movie which showed lots of declarative acts utterances is “House

of Gucci” movie. The movie is based on the true story about an Italian family’s

house mode which includes crime, fashion, betrayal, and murder. “House of

Gucci” movie was released on December 17th, 2021. One of the phenomena is as

follows:

Patrizia: "Your lunches are getting expensive."

Fernando: "Because I have expensive taste, huh?"
In the minutes 00:03:53-00:03:55, Patrizia was speaker whom a

stepdaughter of owner company truck transportation was talking with Fernando.

He was interlocutor, who was the owner company truck transportation. The

speaker and interlocutor were at the office in the morning. Speaker was writing a

signature and make it seems like interlocutor signature. Interlocutor gave the

compliment to interlocutor because the signature exactly same. In the utterance

above, it shows the speaker declared about interlocutor new lifestyle and the

interlocutor also say it. The speaker declared the utterance because the new

lifestyle of the interlocutor. Based on the explanation above, the utterance is

declarative acts of declare. As defined by Searle and Vanderveken (1985), declare

is used to declare something to the speaker.

Declarative acts has the functions. According to Yule (2015), the functions

are question, statement, and command. Following is the function of declarative

acts in the movie of “House of Gucci”.

Fernando : “Perfect! It’s just like mine. Good girl”

Patrizia : “Hey, Fernando”
The conversation in the minutes 03:43-03:51. Fernando was speaker whom

an owner company truck transportation was getting ready to go lunch. The

speaker was talking with Patrizia was the interlocutor. The interlocutor was

signing on back cheque by imitating the speaker's signature. Both speaker and

with interlocutor were in the same work place which an office room. Speaker said

that the signature was exactly same as the real and approve it. Utterance was

delivered above also included approve declarative illocutionary acts. As defined

by Searle and Vanderveken (1985), approve is used by the speaker to approve

something to the interlocutor. According the explanation above, there is the

function of statement. As defined Yule (2015), statement is sentence that is used

to give statement.

Declarative acts has been analyzed by lots of researchers. Firstly, Sartika,

Marzuqoh, and Majid (2019) discussed the types of declarative acts produced in “I

Hear Your Voice” Korean-English drama. The researchers took the drama as the
data source of the research. In analysing the types of declarative acts, the

researchers used the theory proposed by Searle and Vanderveken (1985).

According to the analysis, there are five types of declarative acts found in the data

source. These are resigning, demising, naming, appointing, and sentencing. The

researchers found that the dominant type was declarative acts of sentence.

Wicaksono (2018) also discussed the types of declarative acts in informative

media. The researchers used “My Lawyer, Mr. Jo” movie as the data source. The

researcher applied the movie as the data source to analyze the types of declarative

acts. The researcher took the theory of Searle and Vanderveken (1985) to analyze

the data. It was found that the declarative acts existed in this movie since there

were numerous utterances about law.

The present and the previous research applied the same theory discovered

by Searle and Vanderveken (1985). The theory was used to be analyzed the types

of assertive acts. The difference was in the data source because this present

research used “House of Gucci”. In addition, the phenomena in the background

made the researcher was interested in conducting the research entitled “An

Analysis of Declarative Illocutionary Acts in "House of Gucci" Movie:

Pragmatics Approach”.

1.2 Identification of the Problem

According to the background of the problem described above can be

identified several problems as follows.

1. The importance of understanding context in conversation.

2. The phenomena of declarative illocutionary act in informative media.

3. Declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci" movie.

4. The types of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci" movie.

5. The functions of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci" movie.

1.3 Limitation of the Problem

According to the identification of the above problems, the subject matter

will be limited as follows:

1. The types of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci" movie.

2. The functions of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci" movie.

1.4 Formulation of the Problem

Based on the identification and limitation of the above problem, it can be

formulated the problems to be examined are:

1. What are the types of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci"

movie?

2. What are the functions of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci"

movie?

1.5 Objectives of the Research

According to the formulation of the problem to be examined, this research

has objectives as follows:

1. To find out the types of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of Gucci"

movie.

2. To find out the functions of declarative illocutionary acts in "House of

Gucci" movie.
1.6 Significance of the Research

1. Theoretical Significance

This research aims to provide more knowledge to the reader about the types

and functions of declarative illocutionary acts. It is also designed to develop

knowledge and experience through the application of materials in science

research. And it is intended to develop knowledge and experience as well as apply

the basics of science research.

2. Practical Significance

Practically, the research hopes this research is useful for linguistic studies,

especially those who analyze about declarative illocutionary act. Researcher hopes

that this research can give a new knowledge especially about assertive acts as one

of the illocutionary acts classifications. The significance of knowing declarative

acts is speaker and interlocutor can easily understand the communication purpose.

1.7 Definition of Key Terms

Pragmatics: The study of pragmatics involves understanding

what is meant without actually being able to say

or write it (Yule, 2015).

Speech acts: Speech acts often occur in speech or voice

deeds are also a sign ( Searle, 2008).

Declarative illocutionary acts: Declarative illocutionary acts purpose to change

the status or condition of a person and objects

( Searle & Vanderveken, 1985).