An Analysis of Textual Function in "The Fault in Our Stars" Novel

Elsa Audrey Nasution

Department of English and Literature
Faculty of Language and Art
State University of Medan
email: elsaaudrey08@gmail.com

ABSTRAK
This article reviews the analysis of textual functions in the novel the fault in our stars. This
article aims to find out the location of lexis and grammar found in novels. The type of
research used is the discriptive method in which to provide a description of the lexical and
grammar in the novel. The data source of this study is by identifying dialogues and actions
related to the main theme through characters and events, through plots and places related to
the main theme, through the setting in the novel. The results showed lexis and some
grammatical errors in the chapter. Writers should pay more attention to writing rules and
reduce the use of idioms that can confuse readers and mislead readers.

Keywords : Textual function, Analysis Lexis&Grammar, Novel The Fault in our Stars

I. Introduction
Halliday argues that the textual
function is distinct from both the
experiential and interpersonal because
its object is language itself. Through
the textual function, language "creates
a semiotic world of its own: a parallel
universe, or 'virtual reality' in modern
terms".
Lexical competence deals with
these components in relation to lexis,
which has been embedded within the
communicative Competence and
specifically in the linguistic one, where
grammar is listed first and lexis second
(Canale & Swain, 1980; Savignon,
1983; Council of Europe, 2001). It is
believed that the order mentioned
above has given prominence to
grammar over lexis in English
classrooms. In fact, some teachers
teach grammar first then lexis. Lee
(2004) stresses that “recently, several
linguists have proposed the importance
of putting lexis, not grammar, at the
center of the classroom in order to help
learners develop their ability to use
Englis for real communication”
(Prioritizing lexis over grammar,
paragraph 2). Contrary to this, Lewis
(1997, p. vi) points out that “language
consists of grammaticalized lexis, not
lexicalized grammar”; lexis is essential
in the creation of meaning and
grammar should be subjected to it and
not vice versa. This is also supported
by Widdowson (1990) when he
expresses it is necessary to move away
from this narrow view of language
teaching: Teaching which gives
primacy to form and uses words
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simply as a means of exemplification
actually denies the nature of grammar
as a construct for the mediation of
meaning. I would suggest that the more
natural and more effective approach
would be to reverse this traditional
pedagogic dependency, begin with
lexical items and show how they need
to be grammatically modified to be
communicatively effective Lexis
should then be restored its primacy in
language teaching and learning
because lexical competence is at the
core of communicative competence
development.
Grammatical meaning is the
meaning that exists due to grammatical
activities in the form of reduplication,
modification, affixation or
transformation of word forms such as
read changing to reading. The
grammatical meaning is obtained
because of derivational and inflectional
activities. In addition, this meaning
also depends on the structure of the
sentence, therefore this meaning is
often called structural meaning.
Broadly speaking the meaning of
grammatical meaning changes,
because in this meaning compounding,
repetition and affixing activities occur.
The differences between the
two sentences or meanings include:
The lexical meaning is the meaning
that does not change or the original
meaning, while the grammatical
meaning is the meaning that changes
based on the context. The grammatical
meaning is related to the word that
follows, while the lexical meaning is
independent or stands alone. The
lexical meaning has a consistent
nature, while the grammatical meaning
can change based on the grammatical
method.
The Fault in Our Stars written
by John Green contains an unusual
love story. This novel takes the love
story concerning teenage suffering
from cancer. Green tries to turn down
the stereotype that battling cancer is an
impressive, heroic and noble act. The
novel shows the facts and realities of
actual cancer patients. Instead of
beauty that will be shown, but the grief
and pain.The book shows a situation of
two teenagers who fall in love but their
relationship is a quite complicated by
their medical condition called cancer.
Hazel Graze, a sweet sixteen- year-old
girl, suffering from thyroid cancer. The
thyroid has spread to her lungs since
she was a kid. She eventually meets
the boy Augustus Waters in a support
group for patient with cancer.
Augustus Waters, a handsome boy
who is safe from cancer and lost his
leg has got Hazel‟s attention.
Based on this background,
research was conducted on lexis
analysis and grammar contained in
novels.
II. METHOD
This research used the
descriptive method to describe the
lexical and grammatical in the novel
The Fault in Our Stars. According to
Stanton (1965), the theme is the
meaning of the story which explains
most of its elements in a simple way.
Character is a basic element in a
literary work and deserves to be
studied. To describe characters in the
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novel, researchers refer to the theory the textual function such as the lexis
from Stanton (1965:17) which states and grammar which chapter 11 for
that figures point to the characters in lexis analysis and chapter 12 for
the story. The most important part in grammar analysis and we discussed
analyzing character is paying attention each words and sentences in those 2
to dialogue and character behavior. chapters. In addition, our finding as
In At the data collection stage follows:
the writer will identify dialogues and Lexis analysis for Chapter 11
actions related to the main theme NO Dialogue Analysis
through characters and events through
plots and places related to the main 1. I could In the text there is
theme through the setting in the novel. hear the a shift in
In this research classifies data sources cigarette translation,namely
into two types: Lexis Data Sources and in his 'I could hear the
Secondary Grammar Data Sources. mouth. cigarette in his
Lexis Data Source involves selecting mouth', which
content words, while Secondary means 'aku bisa
Grammar Data Source involves melihat rokok
changing based on context. The dimulutnya' is not
researcher used data collection a formal
techniques to read dialogues and correspondence
actions related to the main theme in from the sentence.
John Green's novel The Fault in Our However, if it is
Stars. translated by
formal
An investigation of data, data
arrangement, data formation, and data correspondence
information as a classification of (linguistic form)
discovery construction components of that is same then it
would be „aku bisa
data analysis (Creswell, 2014). The
data collected will be analyzed in the mendengar rokok
dimulutnya‟.
following procedures: Identify and
analyze Differentation about lexis and 2. He asked In the text there is
in a a shift in
Grammatical in this novel; Identify and
delicious translation which
analyze the Student to be more critical
accent. means „dia
and dare to argue based of the contents
bertanya dengan
of the book reagarding lexis and
aksen yang enak
grammatical novels.
didengar‟. But if
translated literally
III. FINDINGS & DISCUSSION
then it would be
The researchers read chapter 11
'Dia bertanya
and 12 of the book titled” The Fault in
dengan aksen yang
Our Stars‟ by John Green and
lezat'.
analyzed
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3. I‟ve gone The meaning of look the translation
back and this sentence is not literally then it
forth like “saya bolak-balik would be „kamu
a thousand ribuan kali” if we panas‟.
times see it literally or 7. “Thank In the text there is
about it all linguistically, but you for a shift in
it has meaning letting me translation which
“saya sudah bolak- hijack means
balik sering sekali your „Terimakasih
sampai tidak bisa wish” sudah
dihitung karena membiarkanku
saking seringnya”. mengubah
4. Eventually In the text there is permohonanmu”
his hand a shift in but if we look the
abandoned translation which translation literally
my means „Pada then it would be
shoulder akhirnya, tangan „terima kasih
nya menghiraukan sudah
bahuku‟. But if membiarkanku
translated literally membajak
then it would be permohonanmu.
„Pada akhirnya, 8. “Bullshit” In the text there is
tangannya a shift in
menelantarkan translation which
bahuku” means „omong
5. That‟s In the text there is kosong‟ but if we
why I‟m a shift in look the translation
being translation which literally then it
taken out means „itulah would be „kotoran
of the alasan saya banteng‟.
rotation. dipindahtugaskan”
but if we look the Grammar analysis of chapter 12
translation literally NO Dialogue Analysis
then it would be 1. “Cuz,” she Cuz is informal
„itulah alasan saya answered. I way of
dikeluarkan dari laughed “because” and
rotasi‟ grammatically
6. „You‟re In the text there is incorrect to use
mostly a shift in in a word.
just hot”, I translation which 2. “I spent your Wish should be
explained means „Kamu Wish on that written in
seksi” but if we doucheface,” lowercase
4
 I said into his instead of sentence can change the context of the
chest. uppercase. phrase. So, among other things, we can
see that there is a distinction between
3. Featured deli „Deli‟ should lexical meaning and grammatical
meat among have been meaning: The original meaning of a
many other written should word is called its lexical meaning, and
denials of be capitalized the meaning that best matches the
American because Deli in sentence's context is called its
breakfast the context of grammatical meaning. The lexical
constructions. the story is the meaning of a term is fixed, although its
brand name of grammatical meaning might vary
a store. depending on how it is used. The
lexical description of the word is fixed,
Based on the data above, we although its grammatical meaning
found that for chapter 11 itself we did might vary depending on how it is
a lot of lexis analysis, most of which used. Grammatical meaning is
came not from the dialogues written by dependent on other words, whereas the
the author but from the author's literal significance is freestanding.
narrative writing, and for the grammar
analysis itself where in chapter 12, we V. REFERENCES
did not find many grammatical errors. [1]. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Reseach
find, only 3 and most of the dialogue Design: Pendekatan, Kualitatif,
the author himself wrote. The grammar Kuantitatif, dan Mixed. Yogyakarta:
written by the author is very good and Pustaka pelajar.
only we found writing errors such as
whether to use capital letters or not, [2]. Canale, M. & Swaim, M. (1980).
and the use of slang which is not Theoretical Bases of Communicative
formal way. Approaches to Second Language
Teaching and Testing. Applied
IV. CONCLUSION Linguistics 1, 1-47.
Based on the analysis of the
novel “The fault in our stars” chapters [3]. Stanton, Robert. 1965. An
11&12, we found many lexis in the Introduction To Fiction. Amerika:
author's narrative writing in chapter 11. University Of Washington.
In chapter 12, we did not find many
grammatical errors, we only found
errors in the dialogues written by the
author such as the use of capital letters
and informal use of slang.
Grammatical activities like as
reduplication, modification of
affixation, or transformation in the