An analysis of apology as a politeness strategy expressed by the

characters in the film entitled princess diaries 2 (a socio-

pragmatics approach)

Christina Maya Iriana Sari

C 0302021
SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

In order to solve the problem of the research, some theories are needed as

a basic requirement. Therefore, this chapter will discuss some theories related to

the topic of the research which covers Sociolinguistics, Ethnography of

Communication, Pragmatics, Speech Acts, Address, Kinesics, Apologies,

Politeness, Related study, and Synopsis of the film.

A. Sociolinguistics

Man is constantly using language whether in forms of spoken language,

written language, or printed language and man also constantly linked to others via

shared norms of behavior (Fishman, 1972:1). A number of social factors

influences the ways of people use the language. As Yule (1996a: 239) states that

speech is a form of social identity and is used, consciously and unconsciously, to

indicate membership of different social groups or different speech communities.

Furthermore, he explains that a speech community is a group of people who share

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a set of norms, rules, and expectations regarding to the use of language. Thus,

sociolinguistics investigates language from this perspective.

1. Definitions of Sociolinguistics

According to Holmes (1992:1) sociolinguistics is the study of the

relationship between language and society. It explains why people may speak

differently in different social context. It also concerns in identifying the social

functions of language and the ways it is used to convey social meanings. Thus,

studying sociolinguistics gives an understanding how language works in different

social context, as well as about social relationships in the society.

Spolsky (1998:3) states that sociolinguistics is the field that studies the

relation between language and society, between the uses of language and the

social structures in which the users of language live. This field of study assumes

that human society is made up of many related patterns and behaviors, some of

which are linguistics.

Hudson (1996:1) also defines sociolinguistics as the study of language in

relation to society.

From the definitions of sociolinguistics above, we can conclude that

sociolinguistics deals with the study of language as part of society. It concerns on

analyzing how people use language in the social interaction. Furthermore, when

investigating the subject in the sociolinguistics area, then we should consider to

the sociolinguistic rules of who speaks to whom, in what situation, when, and

where the conversation happens. This research applies sociolinguistics approach

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as it studies how the characters convey apology expression in the interaction with

the addressee.

2 Scope of Sociolinguistics

In analyzing a language, Hudson (In Wardhaugh, 1998: 13) introduces a

distinction between micro-sociolinguistics and macro-sociolinguistics. In

sociolinguistics the researcher studies language and society in order to find out

what kind of thing language is, and in sociology of language the researcher

reserves the direction of their interest. Thus, sociolinguistics refers to micro

sociolinguistics as it studies the language in relation to society. While, sociology

of language refers to macro-sociolinguistics as it studies the society in relation to

language.

Furthermore, Coulmas gives other views of micro-sociolinguistics and

macro-sociolinguistics:

Micro-sociolinguistics investigates how social structure influences the

way people talk and how language varieties and patterns of use correlate
with social attributes such as class, sex, and age. Macro-sociolinguistics,
on the other hand, studies what societies do with their languages, that is,
attitudes and attachments that account for the functional distribution of
speech forms in society, language shift, maintenance, and replacement, the
delimitation and interaction of speech communities (In Wardhaugh
1998:13)

In short, micro-sociolinguistics deals with the interaction between

individual in the speech community and macro-sociolinguistics deals with the

attitude of the society to language.

In this research, the researcher takes micro-sociolinguistics as the frame of

the study as it is focusing to the individual interaction, especially apologies

expression employed by the characters of the film entitled Princess Diaries 2.

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3. The Dimensions of Sociolinguistics

Holmes (1992:12) gives further explanation to observe sociolinguistics

area. She states that certain social factors have been relevant in accounting for the

particular variety of language use. There are social factors influencing the way

people talk. Certain social factors are relevant in investigating the language

variety used. Social factors consist of the participants (who is speaking and who

are they speaking to); the setting or social context of the interaction (where are

they speaking); the topic (what is being they talk about); and the function (why

are they speaking). Those social factors explain why we do not all speak the same

way and why we do not speak in the same way all the time.

Identifying ways of describing and explaining the relationship between

language and the social context in which it is used is somewhat interesting.

Holmes (1992:376-380) suggests that it is useful to take account of four different

dimensions for analysis related to the social factor above.

a. A social distance scale concerned with participant relationships

The solidarity social distance scale

Intimate Distant

High solidarity Low solidarity

The social distance scale deals with participant relationships. This scale is

useful in emphasizing that how well we know someone is relevant factor in

linguistic choice. It means that how well the speaker knows the hearer is one of

the most important factors affecting the way he talks to them. The dimension of
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social scale deals with the influence of closeness relationship between the

participants in the conversation. If the participants have intimate relationship, it

will probably emerge high solidarity between them. Otherwise, if the participants

are not so close, it will probably emerge low solidarity between them. Thus, this

research applies social distance scale in analyzing the way of the speakers express

an apology. High and low solidarity between the participants influence the

different ways of apology between participants. The example from Princess

Diaries 2 is as follows:

Princess Mia arrives late for the lesson given by Queen Renaldi. She is

rushing in entering the majesty office and conveying her apology with high tone.

Princess Mia : (Running, High tone ) Sorry, Im sorry. I am almost in time

though.
So .. what are we learning today?
Queen Renaldi : (usual tone, calm face) We are learning the art of the fan.

Arriving late can be a serious offence moreover if the offence is done to a

superior. Conveying an apology with a high tone shows a less polite way to

express apology although in this case high tone implies panicky. However, since

Princess Mia has a very close relationship to Queen Renaldi, who is also her

grandma. It means they have high solidarity. Therefore, Princess Mias apology is

well accepted. Furthermore, this example shows that closeness relationship

between participants, whether they are intimate or distant, will influence the way

in expressing as a politeness strategy in this research.

b. A status scale concerned with participant relationship

The status scale

Superior High status

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Subordinate Low status

The status scale concerned with participant relationship. This scale points

to the relevance of relative status in some linguistic choices. The status or power

dimension accounts for a variety of linguistic differences in the way people speak.

The speakers speak in such ways that signal their social status in a community.

The higher the speakers social group, the more standard forms they are likely to

use. The participants who have different social status, a superior and a

subordinate, will be different in their way of conversation from those participants

who have same status.

They way people talk to others also reflects their relationship on this status

and power dimension. Where people use non-reciprocal address forms, for

instance, the reason is always due to a status or power difference. In the film

Princess Diaries, a maid will call her master with Sir. Gretchen, a housemaid,

addresses Nicholas Deveraux, her master, with Sir. Here, it can be seen the clear

different power status between Gretchen as the subordinate and Nicholas

Deveraux as the superior. Another example taken from Princess Diaries 2

related to status dimension is as follows:

The waiter accidentally brushes Princess Mias head with his tray.

Waiter : (Rising tone) Oh, Your Highness, pardon me, I

am so sorry. It was only an accident.
Princess Mia Thermopolis : It's fine, it's fine. No harm, no foul, no bruise.

The waiter has done the offensive action toward Princes Mia by

accidentally brushing Princess Mias head with his tray. Realizing her offensive

action toward Princess Mia, he employs double expression of apologies Pardon

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me, I am so sorry. Pardon me implies a more formal apology, while the

intensifier so in Im so sorry intends to maximize the degree of apology. Thus,

those double expressions of apology are used to express apology from subordinate

to superior. The address terms of Your Highness applied by the waiter toward

Princess Mia also shows the polite way to express apology from subordinate to a

superior.

c. A formality scale relating to the setting or type of interaction

The formality scale

Formal High formality

Informal Low formality

This scale is useful in assessing the influence of the social setting or type

of interaction on language choice (Holmes, 1992: 13). (79) The formality

dimension accounts for speech variation in different settings or context. Thus, the

formal or informal situation will influence the choice of the language used by the

speakers. Furthermore, the status and solidarity are usually very influential in

determining appropriate language choice. However, the formality of the setting or

speech event can sometimes over-ride them. In a formal meeting, the language

choices used by the speakers will be influenced by the formality of the setting.

In the film Princess Diaries a very formal setting leads to the formal way

of conversation. In a parliament meeting or a party which is attended by many

noblemen, for example, will influence language choice regardless of the personal

relationship between the speakers.

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d. Two functional scales relating to the purpose or topic of interaction

Referential

High Low
information information
content content

Affective

Low High
affective affective
content content

The function of an interaction can also be an important influence on its

linguistic form. Language serves many functions, but in all communities the basic

functions here covers referential and affective social meaning. Every language

provides means of expressing social as well as referential meaning, and the choice

of alternative ways of saying the same thing involves into consideration of these

dimensions. These two basic functions in interaction may be different depending

on the norm of interaction in certain community. Different cultural groups may

emphasize affective functions in context while others consider referential meaning

as the main focus.

A certain interaction with referential meaning is strongly influenced by the

kind of information the speakers need to convey and the constraints of time and

setting they are responding to. Some interaction such as news bulletins, sport

commentaries and legal document, are high in information content or referential

meaning. In other interaction, such as friendly gossip, the social or affective

message may be the most important reason for the communication.

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Language can convey objective information of a referential kind; and it

can also express how someone is feeling. Gossip, for example, may provide a

great deal of a new referential information, while also clearly conveying how the

speaker feels about those referred to. In general, the more referentially oriented an

interaction is, the less it tends to put the emphasis on information or the referential

information. The weather forecast tends to put the emphasis on information or the

referential function. By contrast, interactions, which are more concerned with

expressing feelings often, have little in the way of new information to

communicate. Talking between neighbors over the fence at the weekend about the

weather, for instance, is more likely to be mainly affective in function, and

intended to convey goodwill toward the neighbor rather than important new

information.

B. Ethnography of Communication

1. Speech Community

Sociolinguistics uses the term Speech Community to allude to a

community based on language. Early definition of speech community is proposed

by Bloomfield (in Hudson 1996: 25) as follows: A speech community is group of

people who interact by means of speech. In other words, a speech community is

a group of people who communicate with each other by means of language.

Another definition of speech community is proposed by Spolsky

(1998:24), that A speech community is all the people who speak a single

language and so share motions of what is same or different in phonology or

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grammar. In other words, speech community is the whole set of people who

speak the same language and share the same types of language.

Hymes (1986:47) states that a speech community postulates the unit of

description as a social, rather than linguistic, entity. One starts with a social group

and considers the entire organization of linguistic means within it. Hymes (Ibid, p.

51) defines speech community as a community sharing knowledge of rules for

the conduct and interpretation of speech. To make the definition clear, Hymes

gives an example of Czechs and Austrians whose villages just across the border.

Then, suppose the Czechs spoke only Czech and the Austrians spoke only

German, they would not be members of the same speech community. The

members of a speech community share rules for speaking of at least one linguistic

variety.

From all the definitions of speech community above, it can be summarized

that a speech community is a group of people who shares at least a single speech

variety and have the same rules in interacting each other that mutually accepted

way among themselves.

2. Speech situation

Hymes (1986:51) describes speech situation as situations associated with

(or marked by the absence of) speech. Hymes identifies that speech situations are

not generally communicative. Such context of situation will often be naturally

described as ceremonies, fights, hunts, meals, lovemaking, and the like.

Furthermore, such situation can be referred to by the rules as contexts into the
 20

statement of rules of speaking as aspects of setting (or of genre). It means, the

different situations will carry out the context differences.

From the explanation above, the speech situation refers to the context

within the speech occurs. However, it is not directly governed by the rules of

speaking. The situations deals with any constellation of statuses and settings,

which constrain the interaction that may occur, for example, between church and

priest, clinic and doctor, class and teacher, etc. Thus, church, clinic, and class are

the situations. The speech situation might affect the communicative behavior in

the speech community.

3. Speech Event

Yule defines that a speech event is an activity in which participants

interact via a language in some conventional way to arrive at some outcome

(1996b:57). In other words, speech event involves participants, who have a social

relationship of some kind, and it may have particular goals.

Hymes (1986:52) describes that speech event will be restricted to

activities or aspects of activities, that are directly governed by rules of norms for

the use of language. A speech event occurs within a speech situation. A speech

event may be built from single or several speech acts. Therefore, the same type of

speech act may recur in different types of speech event, and the same type of

speech event in different context of situation. For example, an apology might be a

speech act that is part of conversation (a speech event), which takes place at a

dinner (a speech situation).

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4. Speech Acts

Hymes (1986:52) states:

Speech act is the minimal term of the set. It represents a level distinct
from the sentence, and not identifiable with any single portion of other
levels of grammar, nor with segments of any particular size defined in
terms of other level of grammar.

The speech act or acts performed in the utterance of a sentence are in

general a function of the meaning of the sentence. Searle (1996:23) states one may

use it to describe warn, command, order, request, apologize, welcome, promise,

etc.

From the definition above, speech acts is the action performed by saying

something through the uttering the sentence.

Because this research is mostly concentrated on the study of speech act,

especially on the study of speech act apologizing, further explanation of speech

act that focused on pragmatics area will be provided in subchapter D.

5. Ethnography of Speaking

Hymes suggests that to looking at communication as composed of speech

situations, speech events, and speech acts, it needs to consider the component of

speech. An ethnography of a communicative event is a description of all the

factors that are relevant in understanding how that particular communicative event

achieve its objectives Hymes sets the component of speech into eight, abbreviated

as SPEAKING (Wardhaugh 1998: 243-254). They are:

a. Situation (S)
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Situation consists of two basic elements namely setting and scene. The

setting is about the physical circumstances in which speech takes place. It

refers to the time and place of a speech act. Scene refers to the abstract

psychological setting of an event or the cultural definition of an occasion.

Within a particular setting, participants are free to change scenes, from formal

to informal, serious to festive, or the like. Speech acts frequently are used to

define scenes, and also frequently judges as appropriate or inappropriate in

relation to scenes (Hymes 1986: 56). The dinning room might be a setting for

a family story. At times, the family would be festive and playful; at other

times, serious and commemorative.

b. Participant (P)

The participants refer to who are involved in the speech, including

various combinations of speaker-listener, addresser-addressee, or sender-

receiver. A two-person conversation involves a speaker and hearer whose

roles change. The conversation with no role change could be in political

speech in which involves an addressor and addressees (the audience). A

telephone message involves a sender and a receiver. In the film Princess

Diaries 2, the expression of apologizing involves the addresser and

addressee. For example, when Princess Mia conveys an apology to Queen

Renaldi, then, Princess Mia is the addresser of apologizing and Queen Renaldi

is the addressee. The social factors such as age, status, social distance, gender,

and role or profession of the participants have also to be considered.

c. Ends (E)
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The ends refer to the purposes of speech events. The ends are divided

into outcome and goals (Hymes 1986: 58-59). Outcomes can be described as

the purpose of the event based on a cultural point of view. Goal can be

described as the purpose of the individual participants to accomplish on

particular occasions. Expressions of apologies, for instance, may have the

outcome of simply apologizing or expressing sorry. However, certain apology

employed by the addresser might have their own goals such as to maintain

harmony between the interlocutors, to show good manner, to avoid

confrontation or to calm down the addressees anger.

d. Act sequence (A)

Act sequence refers to the message form and message content (Hymes

1986: 54-55). Message form is related to how something is said, the precise

words used and how they are used, by the participants. Message content is

related to what is said by the participants or the topic of conversation talked by

the participants. The speakers formulates the speech events and speech acts

regarding to their culture values and also considers to what is being talked

about, when the topic of conversation has changed, and how to manage the

topic. It may deal with direct and indirect quotations. If the speaker said He

apologized, saying It was entirely my fault, it means that he has reported

both form and the content of the message. However, if the speaker said, He

apologized that it was entirely his fault, it means that the speaker reported the

message content only.

e. Key (K)
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Key refers to the tone, manner or spirit of the speech acts in which a

speech act is performed. Keys also refer to the feeling, atmosphere, and

attitude. Manner, feeling and attitude are used in reference to participants,

whereas tone and atmosphere are used in reference to the situation. Tone

refers to general spirit of the scene, such as brave, fierce, fearful, etc. Manner

refers to the participants way of behavior toward other, such as mocking,

serious, polite, impolite, and so on. Feeling refers to the emotions, such as

happiness, shock, anger, irony, anxiety, desperation, frustration, etc.

Atmosphere refers to the feeling that affects the mind in a place or condition,

such as good, evil, solemn, etc. And, attitude refers to the participants way of

thinking and behaving toward situation, such as sympathetic, serious,

optimistic, bitter, etc.

The speakers may express apologies with different keys. An apology can

be expressed with rising tone that implies the addressers fearful of causing an

offence toward the addressee. An apology also usually conveyed with polite

and serious manner.

f. Instrumentalities (I)

Instrument refers to the form and style of the speech being given.

Instrument is divided into channels and forms of speech (Hymes 1986: 58).

Channels deal with the message delivered from one person to another or it can

be called transmission of a message. It involves the choice of oral, written,

telegraphic, semaphore, or other medium of transmission of speech. Then,

forms of speech deal with language and their subdivisions, dialects, codes,
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varieties and registers that are chosen. A speaker might employ different

instrumentalities of a single verbal exchange in some length: first, he reads

something, then tells a dialect joke, then quote Shakespeare, and soon, without

change the topic to do any of these.

This research will analyze apologies in the film Princess Diaries 2 that

is expressed orally by the addressers to the addressees. In other words, the

apologies that will be analyzed only kinds of apology that is expressed directly

by the addresser toward the addressees without using the written or other

medium of transmission of speech.

g. Norms (N)

Norms defines what is socially acceptable at the event. It involves both

norms of interaction and interpretation (Hymes 1986:60). Norms of interaction

refers to the rules of governing speaking that have a normative character. It

deals to the specific behaviors and properties that attach to speaking, e.g,

loudness, silence, gaze return, and so on. For example, a subordinate will

apologize to superior with serious and formal apology. The subordinate may

also bend his body to support his apology to show politeness. Then, norms of

interpretation refer to trying to understand what is being conveyed beyond

what is in the actual words used (in Fasold (1990:45). It implicates the belief

system of a community. Although, there is possibility making a mistake in

interpreting communicative acts between the participants of the same culture,

it is far more common across culture.

h. Genre (G)
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Genre refers to clearly demarcated types of utterance; such as things as

poem, myth, proverb, tale, riddle, prayer, oration, lecture, and editorial. Thus,

genre is the type of speech that is being given. The different genres may define

formal characteristics. A sermon is typically identical with a certain place in a

church, then as a genre, its properties may be invoked for serious or humorous

effect.

The ethnography of speaking is an approach to the study of language in

social context. The goal of work in the ethnography of speaking is to gain a global

understanding of the viewpoints and values of a community as a way of

explaining the attitudes and behavior of its member. Therefore, this research uses

theory of ethnography of communication to help reveal the reason of the

characters use the ways to express apologies in the film entitled Princess Diaries

2.

C. Pragmatics

Fraser (in Richards ans Schmidt, 1983:30-31) defines pragmatics as theory

of linguistic communication. Linguistic communication occurs when the speaker

intends to use the language to convey certain attitudes to the hearer (for example,

that the speaker wants his utterance to have the force of apology) and then the

hearer recognizes what these attitudes are. It also refers to the case in which the

speaker is attempting to communicate to the hearer by relying at least in part on

the semantic interpretation of the linguistic form uttered. For example, Oh, Did I

hurt you again? may linguistically communicate an apology. Once one is

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recognized as being the attitude intended by the speaker, the speaker has

successfully communicated to the hearer.

Pragmatics deals with how the interlocutors use the language. Thomas

(1995:22) defines pragmatics as meaning in interaction. He suggested that

meaning is not something which is inherent in the words alone, nor is it produced

by the speaker alone, nor by the hearer alone. It means that there is a dynamic

process, involving the negotiation of meaning between speaker and hearer, the

context of utterance (physical, social and linguistic) and the meaning potential of

an utterance.

According to Yule (1996:3-4), pragmatics is the study of contextual

meaning. This type of study necessarily involves the interpretation of what people

mean in the particular context and how the context influences what is said. It also

requires a consideration with: who they are talking to, where, when and under

what circumstances. Furthermore, studying language via pragmatics, one can talk

about peoples intended meanings, their assumptions, their purposes or goals, and

the kinds of action (for example, apology) that they are performing when they

speak. In short, pragmatics emphasizes on the relation between language or

utterance meaning and context.

Based on the description of pragmatics above, this research conduct

pragmatics study to find out how the characters express act of apologizing in the

film entitled Princess Diaries 2.

D. Speech acts

1. Definition of Speech act

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Communication is successful not when hearers recognize the linguistic

meaning of the utterance, but when they infer the speaker's "meaning" from it.

Searle states that speaking a language is performing speech acts, acts such as

making statements, giving commands, asking questions, making promises and so

on. The unit of linguistic communication is not the symbol, word or sentence, or

the token of symbol, words, or sentence, but rather the production or issuance of

the symbol, word, or sentence in the performance of the speech act. Therefore,

speech act is the basic or minimal units of linguistic communication (1996:16).

People do not only produce utterance containing grammatical structures

and words when they attempt to express themselves, but they also perform actions

via those utterances. Actions performed via utterances are generally called speech

acts (Yule, 1996b:47). Therefore, speech act is the act performed by a speaker in

uttering a sentence.

Making an utterance involves a hierarchy of acts, act of utterance. The

action performed by producing an utterance consists of three related acts. Austin

(in Fasold, 1990:52) defines three basic senses in which saying something one is

doing something. Three kinds of acts that are simultaneously are as follows:

a. Locutionary act :The actual words uttered. It is the act of saying

something in the full of sense of say

b. Illocutionary act :The force or intention behind the act of saying

something. It is performed via the communicative

force of an utterance such as the making of

statement, confirmation, promise, request and so on.

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c. Perlocutionary act :The effect or result of the words uttered on the

hearer. The hearer recognized the effect the hearer

intended.

The example below taken from the dialogue from the film Princess

Diaries 2 will give clearer understanding of act of utterance.

Waiter :Oh, Your Highness, pardon me, I am so

sorry. It was only an accident.
Princess Mia Thermopolis : It's fine, it's fine. No harm, no foul, no
bruise.

The act of saying Oh, Your Highness, pardon me, I am so sorry. It was

only an accident. is the locutionary act. There is an act of apologizing as the

illocutionary act from the waiter to Princess Mia. Then, the acceptance of the

apology by Princess Mia is the perlocutionary act.

2. Direct and Indirect Speech act

A different approach to distinguishing types of speech acts can be made on

the basis of structure. Direct and indirect speech act are concerned with the way

the speaker uses various linguistic form with certain function. Yule (1996b, 54-

56) gives clearer explanation of direct and indirect speech acts as follows:

a. Direct Speech Act

The simple structural distinction between three general types of

speech acts is provided by the three basic sentence types. There is an

easily recognized relationship between three structure forms (declarative,

interrogative, imperative) and the three general communicative functions

(statement, question, command/request).

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Direct speech act occurs when there is a direct relationship

between a structure and a function. Thus, a declarative that is used to make

a statement, an interrogative that is used to make a question, and an

imperative that is used to make command is a direct speech act. Below is

the example:

(a) You sweep the floor. (Declarative)

(b) Do you sweep the floor? (Interrogative)

(c) Sweep the floor! (Imperative)

In (a) the speaker states that the hearer sweeps the floor. In (b) the

speakers asks a question to the hearer whether the hearer sweeps the floor

or not. In (c) the speaker requests the hearer to sweep the floor.

In this research, when there is the occurrence of expression sorry,

forgive, pardon or apologize in an utterance employed by the

speakers clearly shows intention of direct apology toward the hearer.

Therefore, those expression of direct apologies, in this research, are

regarded as direct speech act of apologizing.

b. Indirect Speech Act

Indirect speech act occurs when there is an indirect relationship

between a structure and a function. Thomas (1995:119) states that

indirectness occurs when there is a mismatch between the expressed

meaning by the words and the implied meaning. It means that the speaker

expresses his intention implicitly. Example:

(a) Do you have to stand in front of the TV? (Interrogative)

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(b) Youre standing in front of the TV. (Declarative)

Those two utterances above have different structure but accomplish the

same basic function that is a request. The interrogative in (a) is not being

used only as a question and the declarative structure in (b) is also not being

used only as a statement. The speakers of those utterances above want the

hearer to move out in front of the TV.

In related apologies in this research, Fasold (1990:153) says that an

apology is a good example of indirect speech act. When an apology is

called for, the speaker realizes his/her act that is detrimental to the hearer,

therefore the speaker apologize with focusing on the offence to the hearer.

For example, when you were to run into a woman shopping at a grocery

store and make her spill her groceries, she would not be much mollified if

you, said Oh dear, I made you spill your groceries. The use of this

utterance to apologize indirectly can be successful. Furthermore, Geis and

Zwicky (in Fasold, 1990:155) states that:

If the speakers and hearers are able to recognize the conditions

under which apologies and other speech acts are culturally
appropriate, they will infer that the speech act that is called for has
been performed, even though what the speech

It means that even though there is an absence of apology verb,

when the hearer could recognize the intention of apologizing by the

speaker, therefore, the indirect speech act of apology has been successful.

From all of the explanation of direct and indirect speech acts

above, are used to know how the speakers express apologies in the film

Princess Diaries 2.
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3. Speech Act Classification

The classification of the speech act deals with the speakers

communicative intention manifested in the illocutionary purpose of the act. Searle

(in Yule, 1996b:53-54) makes a classification of functions of language usage by

dividing illocutionary acts into five major categories, namely representatives,

directives, expressives, commisives, and declarations.

a. Representatives

Representatives are those kinds of speech acts that commit to what the

speakers belief of the propositional content of the utterance is true. The

speaker asserts a proposition to be true making words fit the world.

Statement of fact, affirmation, believes, conclusion, denial, report, and

description are all examples of the speaker representing the world as he or

she believes it is.

Examples :- The earth is flat

- It was a warm sunny day.

- Chomsky didnt write about peanuts

b. Directives

Directives are those kinds of speech act that the speakers use to make

the hearer to do something. Directives express what the speaker wants

toward the hearer to commit some future course of action (verbal or non-

verbal). Request, for example, is to involve the hearer in some future action,

and warning is intended to be in the sole interest of the hearer (Trosborg,

 33

1995:15). The other acts involves in directives are commands, orders,

advise, suggestions, invites, asks, challenge, etc.

Examples : - Could you open the window, please?

- Dont touch that.

- Gimme cup of coffee. Make it black.

c. Commissives

Commissives are those kinds of speech acts that the speakers use to

commit themselves to some future course of action. Commisives express

what the speaker intends. Offers, swears, promises, threats, refusals,

guarantee and pledges belong to commisives. Trosborg (1995:15) says that

in an offer the speaker communicates to the hearer for a future action but the

speaker is not sure whether the hearer wants this action carried out. Then, in

a promise the speaker has reason to believe that the hearer is favor of the

speaker carrying out the action in question.

Examples : - Ill be back.

- Im going to get it right next time.

- We will not do that.

d. Expressives

Expressive are those kinds of speech act that state what the speaker

feels. Expressives express psychological states and can be statement of

pleasure, pain, like, dislikes, joy or sorrow. Apologies, appreciates, thanks,

complaints, and congratulates belong to expressives. Trosborg (1995:15)

says that expressive vary with regard to propositional content. When

 34

thanking, the speaker expresses gratitude for the hearers participation in a

prior action which was beneficial to the speaker. Then , an apology serves to

express regret on the part of the speaker at having performed a prior action

which had negative consequences for the hearer.

Examples: - Congratulations!

- Im really sorry!

- Thank you!

e. Declaration

Declarations are those kinds of speech acts that change the world via

their utterances. Declarations require extra linguistic institutions for their

performance; it takes a priest to christen a baby, a dignitary to name a ship,

a judge to sentence a defendant, etc (in Trosborg, 1995:160). In short, in

declaration, the speaker alters the status/ condition of an object or

situation.

Examples : - Priest : I now pronounce you husband and wife.

- Referee: Youre out!

- Jury Foreman : We find the defendant guilty.

E. Address

Fasold states that address forms are the words speakers use to designate

the person they are talking to while they are talking to them. Address forms must

be distinguished from summonses. Address forms are used when a speaker

already has the listeners attention while summonses are used to get their

attention. In most languages, there are two main kinds of address forms: names
 35

and second-person pronouns. We can address anyone either by their first name or

by their title and last name (1990:1-3).

It is possible for someone to force deference by maintaining the formality

of addressing other with title (T) combined with last name (LN). This may imply

that a respect always takes the form of formality. Respect implies social distance,

and social distance defines formality. Thus, being casual implies social intimacy

or equality (Chaika, 1994:87). Wardhaugh also says that in addressing another, it

seems involving a variety of social factors that governs the choice of address

terms. Those social factors are such as the particular occasion, the social status or

rank of the other, sex age, family relationship, occupational hierarchy,

transactional status (i.e., a service encounter, or a doctor-patient relationship, or

one of priest-penitent), race or degree of intimacy (1998:267).

In certain situation, the speaker addresses the hearer by title (T), by first

name (FN), by last name (LN), by a nickname, by some combination of these, or

even by nothing at all. The asymmetric use of names and address terms is often a

clear indicator of a power differential. Brown and Ford (in Wardaugh, 1998:262)

states that the asymmetric use of title, last name, and first name (TLN/FN)

indicated inequality in power, that mutual TLN indicated inequality and

unfamiliarity, and that mutual FN indicated equality and familiarity. The more

powerful member of the relationship may initiate to switch from mutual TLN to

FN. Furthermore, address by title alone often shows the least intimate form of

address in that titles usually designate ranks or occupation, as in Mr, Mrs,

Colonel, Doctor, Professor, or Your Majesty. Addressing another with first name

is a sign of considerable intimacy or at least of desire for such intimacy. It means

 36

that when the speaker use the first name to address the hearer, the hearer may feel

on occasion that the speaker is presuming an intimacy the hearer do not recognize

or, alternatively, is trying to assert some power over you.

From the explanation above, it can be concluded that the relationship

between the speaker and the person he or she is talking to will influence the use of

address form. The setting of the conversation also influences the use of address

terms between the participants. Thus, being polite means getting the linguistic

expression of social distance or solidarity, and relative power or status right as far

as the addressee is concerned. Therefore, address forms is one of important aspect

to help analyzing the act of apologizing related to politeness in the film Princess

Diaries 2.

F. Kinesics

People communicate with others not only by means of verbal expression

but also by means of non-verbal expression. Non-verbal expression could

somewhat effective to strengthen the message conveyed by the speakers. Chaika

(1994:123) defines kinesics as the study of body motion. It deals with all

matters of interaction which are not carried out by actual words. It includes the

amount of talking, regardless of the content of that speech. Body motions, eye

contact, facial expressions, gazing, postures, touching, and proxemics are the

basic humans basic repertoire. They are important for regulating interactions and

for showing interest, politeness, submission, approval or disapproval. Each social

group may have different rules for using those repertoires. Therefore, it may cause

a misunderstanding for those who do not share the same repertoire.

 37

Chaika (1994:123-141) gives further explanations of some kinesics

repertoire as follows:

a. Body language

Communication is not achieved by voice alone. It comprises posture,

gesture, facial expression, gaze, even how we space ourselves relative to others.

People employ gesture, facial expression, and body motion when talking to others.

Certain gesture, facial expression and body motion may have the same meaning in

all cultures. However, other kinesics messages may have specific meanings to

particular cultures. Raised eyebrows, for instance, may means that the looker

disapproves of a particular behavior. It may as signals of recognition or invitation.

Furthermore, facial expressions signal specific emotions, such as happy, sad,

disgusted, surprised or fearful. When expressing apologies, the addressee may

have certain facial expressions such as fearful, regret, or panic. Then, apologizing

might be followed with body language such as bending his body to express deep

apology.

b. Smiles

Smile is one of basic human repertoire for facial expressions. People smile

in somewhat different ways for somewhat different purposes. There are many

kinds of smiles such as friendly smiles, sly smiles, skeptical smiles, derisive,

threatening, sick smiles and grins. The situations that call for smiles and call for

each type of smile seem to be culturally determined. There is an assumption that

people who do not smile enough are pegged as cold and unfeeling. Smiling may

be associated as a sign of respect. Some culture demands a wide, teeth showing,

 38

upon greeting. Keating et al. (in Chaika 1994:126) suggest that a dominant person

can manipulate another by smiling when giving commands and that smiling can

indicate social dominance. Thus, expressing an apology with smiling implies

theaddressers effort to lessen the degree of the offence so that the apology is well

accepted by the addressee.

c. Proxemics

In a conversation, people have to learn the correct patterns for their

society. This includes learning how near or far to stand from those with whom

they are conversing. Thus, proxemics deals with the study of humankinds

perception and use of the space. Each culture may have different perception of

normal distance between speakers. For examples, the students in a college stayed

far enough from each other when they were in the line so that their bodies did not

touch at all. Thus, when people stood in the line in certain distance, it is a part of

social structure and people unconsciously follow the rules for its formation as part

of their socialization. Furthermore, the amount of space between speakers also

shows dominance.

d. Eye contact

An interaction usually begins when eye contact is made. In certain

situations, once eye contact is made one compelled to respond. It indicates

willingness to interact. Eye contact is a non-verbal way to show disapproval,

approval, anger, flirting, etc. Culture determines both the frequency and length of

eye contact. Eye contact involves stare, gaze, looking away, and so on. Staring is
 39

steady gaze that in some culture it is rude and impolite. One deserves staring if

ones behavior is out of normal bounds or if one is some sort of freak to society.

Then, gaze is an indication of inferiority or of willingness to have social

interaction. Looking away is following regular fluctuation of eye contact during

conversation. Frequently, the subordinate person in an interaction looks at the

superior more than the superior looks at the subordinate.

e. Touching.

The degree of touching between the participants during normal

conversation varies in some cultures. Handshaking is used to signal starting off on

status levels that manifest each others personhood. Hand-clapping indicates

strong bonding and solidarity. In many cultures, if not all, touching between adult

can indicate sexuality. Touching frequently interacts with eye contact. Both

touching and eye contact give strong messages about solidarity, intimacy, and

power. Touching the addressees cheek and shoulder when apologizing, shows

that the participants have close or intimate relationship. Furthermore, every

possible combination of touch, eye contact, and voice was also used.

Therefore, it can be seen that even the simplest of conversations requires a

good deal of learned behavior. The style used must be appropriate for the

occasion. The speaker must stand just the right distance away, making the right

amount of eye contact or holding it just the right length of time. In order to have

successful interaction, the speakers need to consider to the organization of their

body motion, facial expression, gestures, proxemics, and eye contact. Those

repertoires are employed by the speakers when expressing apologizes to

strengthen their intention to apologize. Therefore, the study of kinesics is useful to

 40

help in analyzing how the characters employ non-verbal expression of apologizing

in the Princess Diaries 2.

G. Apologies

1. The definitions of apologies

Apologies are triggered by specific behavior or situations that need to be

defined beyond one sociocultural context as well as within each such context. It

may be that a person would need to apologize when hurting another person, even

though it was unintentionally, no matter what the situation occurred. An apology

is the speech act through which the offender acknowledges guilt and seeks

forgiveness for the transgression. Olshtain and Cohen (in Nessa and Judd,

1983:20) states that the act of apologizing is called for when there is some

behavior which has violated social norms. When an action or utterance has

resulted in the fact that one or more persons perceive themselves as offended, then

the offender needs to apologize. It is assumed that in the act of apologizing

involves two participants: an apologizer and a recipient of the apology. The act of

apologizing requires an action or an utterance which is intended to set things

right.

Some definitions have been given to apologies by some linguists as found

in Marina Sbiss paper(http://www.univ.trieste.it/~dipfilo/sbisa/scuspap.html)

 41

Holmes (1990) considers apology as a speech act directed to the addressees face

needs and intended to remedy an offence for which the speaker takes

responsibility, and thus to restore equilibrium between speaker and addressee,

where the speaker is the apologizer and the hearer is the person offended.

According to Fraser (1981), an apology may be performed just in case two basic

conditions are met: first, the speaker acknowledges responsibility for having

performed some act; and second, the speaker conveys regret for the offence which

came about as a result of the commission of the act.

Shaver and Boster argues that apologies involve social emotions of the

addressee, specifically shame and guilt. Moreover, shame was significantly more

likely to be associated with embarrassment and socially inappropriate behavior or

physical appearance than guilt. Then, the guilt is produced when the focus is on

the misdeed itself, while shame is produced when the focus is the entirety of the

self (http://cognition.clas.uconn.edu/jboster/research/workingpapers/shaver.

pdf).

Apologies are verbalized social acts. Their purpose is to maintain or

reestablish rapport between participants. They are occasioned by actions that are

perceived to have negative effects on addressees and for which speaker takes

responsibility. Naturally, what counts as a deed or intent necessitating an apology

is entirely dependent on cultural models of offensive or regrettable behavior. An

act of apologizing is verbal recognition of some social breach either past, present,

or future. (Goffman in Bonvillain, 2003:105).

Based on the explanation above, apology is a remedial act that is uttered

after an offence has been committed. Apologies are offered to express regret for
 42

having offended someone. It has social goal to maintain or restore social harmony

between the interlocutor.

2. Kinds of offences

An offense is seen as a face-threatening act toward the offended and the

offended must address this with an appropriate remedy. Therefore, apologies are

uttered after an offence has been committed.

Holmes (in Bonvillain, 2003:107) apologies are motivated by offences.

Those offences are obviously contingent on behavioral norms specific to each

culture. The typical offences found by Holmes research were instances of

inconvenience, infringements on space, talk, time, or possessions, and social

gaffes. Further explanations about kinds of offences proposed by Holmes are

found in Wagners paper. 1) Instance of inconvenience is related to the offence

that leads to the inconvenient situation. The offending act, condition, or situation

might be perceived by the addresser causing discomfort to the addressees feeling,

for example giving someone wrong item. 2) Infringement on space/ space

offences is related to someones culture that in certain situation makes the

offended is being pushy or aggressive. For example, bumping into someone,

queue jumping. 3) Infringement on talk/ talk offence is related to the speakers

statements or speeches that may damage the addressees face, for example talking

too much, interrupting, incisive statement, etc. 4) Infringement on time/ time

offence is when the offender is doing something which is not at the agreed or

proper time, for example keeping people waiting. 5) Infringement on possession

or possession offence occurs when there is a damage of someones possession, for

 43

example damaging or losing someones personal property. And, 6) Social gaffes/

behavior occurs when there is a violation related to someones attitude or behavior

to the addressee , for example burping, coughing, etc.

(http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/pdf/384/3840903.pdf).

From their research, Shaver and Boster found out four basic groupings of

offences: physical injury, property damage, deception, and innocuous offence.

Physical injury offence are kind of offence that harms, hurts, damages the

offendeds body, e.g., rape and murder. Property damage is the offence toward

personal possession, e.g., steal, vandalize, and arson. Deception offence is related

to the action of deceiving and dishonesty, e.g., lying, fooling, or cheating on

partner. When the offender persuades someone to accept something untrue or

undesirable also belongs to deception. And, innocuous offenses is not harming the

addressees but it might causing trouble or difficulty for the offended, e.g.,

spreading rumors about someone or cutting someone off while driving.

(http://cognition.clas.ucon.edu/jboster/research/workingpapers/shaver.pdf).

3. The apology strategies

Apology strategies are the method used by individuals to perform the

speech act of apology. Fraser (1980) in Olshtain and Cohens paper describes

semantic formulas used in executing the act of apologizing. Each semantic

formula consists of a word, phrase, or sentence which meets a particular semantic

strategy. A combination of some of the formulas or all of them is also possible.

Apology then has a speech act which will consist of a number of semantic

formula. Olshtain and Cohen distinguish five strategies for apologizing: two
 44

applicable general strategies, that is the use of illocutionary force indicating

device (the formulaic routinized forms of apology) and expressing speakers

responsibility; and three situation specific strategies , that is explanation, offer

repair and promise of forbearance. The use of illocutionary force indicating

devices apologize, be sorry, forgive, and pardon are the apology verbs

that serve the common formula of apologizing.

According to Bach and Harnish (1979) in apologizing to someone, either

one expresses regret for what one has done or one expresses the intention that

ones utterance satisfies the social expectation to express regret (without actually

expressing regret). Bach and Harnish consider that apologies fall into the category

of acknowledgments because in apologizing the addressee presumes he has done

something regrettable to the hearer.

http://www.immi.se/intercultural/nr8/palma.html). It means that in performing

an apology is not merely using the illocutionary force indicating devices of

apology apology verb. Acknowledgment of the offence could also be regarded

as an apology.

Trosborgs strategies of apologizing are developed from Olshtain and

Cohen semantic formula of apology. The restoration of a complinable may be

performed directly by means of explicit apology utilizing one of the verbs directly

signaling apology, or it can be done indirectly by taking on responsibility or

giving explanation. A potential apologizer may find reasons to minimize the

degree of the offence. An offer of repair is often required in cases in which a

verbal apology is felt to be insufficient to restore social harmony. A promise of

forbearance relates to future behavior, and the strategy of expressing concern for
 45

the hearer serves an additional attempt to placate the complainer. For further

understanding of apology strategies, the following are the apology strategies by

Trosborg (1995:379-383):

a. Evasive strategies

This strategy is a closely related to the strategies in which the complainee

fails to take on responsibility. The difference lies in the fact that the

complainee does not deny responsibility. The following three sub-

strategies apply:

1) Minimizing

e.g : It was only an accident

Oh what does that matter, thats nothing

2) Querying precondition

e.g : Well,every body does that

3) Blaming someone else: The offense committed by the complainee can

be partly excused by the offense committed by a third party or the

complainer his/ herself.

e.g. : Im late because my sister used the bathroom for an

hour.

b. Indirect Apologies

1). Acknowledge of responsibility.

The formula will be chosen by the speaker only when heshe recognizes

responsibility of the offence.

a). Implicit acknowledgment: e.g Oh, you foot. (after she stepped

someones foot)
 46

b). Explicit acknowledgment: e.g I stepped on you foot.

c). Expression of lack of intent: e.g I dont mean to

d). Expression of self-deficiency: e.g I thought I was alone.

e). Expression of embarrassment: e.g I feel so stupid right now.

f). Explicit acceptance of the blame: e.g The fault was entirely my

own.

2 ) Explanation or account

This strategy is resorted to by the apologizer to mitigate his/ her guilt.

Various kinds of mitigating circumstances serve as indirect apologies

and may be put forward on their own or in addition to a direct

expression of apology.

e.g. Please pardon me, I just had a momentary lapse of good

manners. You see, usually, when I ask a woman to dance, I always
show her my family tree.

c. Direct apologies

An apologizer may choose to express his/her apology explicitly. A small

number of verbs apply and the expression is a routine formula generally accepted

to express apology.

1). Expression of regret

e.g. I am sorry

Im sorry your suite isnt ready yet..

2). Offer of apology:

e.g I apologize

3).Request of Forgiveness
 47

e.g Excuse me; forgive me; pardon me

d. Remedial Support

In apology situation in particular if the gravity of the offense is a severe

one, a verbal expression of apology is hardly enough to placate the offended

person. Explanation and justification are needed. Furthermore, additional support

may be offered, either in the form of verbal expression of concern, or promises

with regard to future behavior and / or remedy of the offense.

1) Expressing concern for hearer

In order to pacify a complainer, the complainee may express concern

for his/ her well-being, her/ his condition, etc.

e.g Im sorry. Are Are you all right ?

2) Promise of forbearance

With the respect to future behavior, an apologizer can promise either

never to perform the offense in question again, or to improve his/ her

behavior in a number of ways. In this respect, apologies seem to relate

not only to past but also to future acts. Such responses are often

signaled by the performative verb promise.

e.g It wont happen again , I promise.

I would never sass you, Grandma.

3) Offer of repair.

An apologizer may offer to repair the damage, which has resulted from

his/ her infraction. Repair may be offered in its literal sense or an offer

to pay for the damage. In situation in which actual repair is not

 48

possible (not wanted, etc), the apologizer may offer some kind of

compensatory action or tribute to the complainer.

e.g. : I'm sorry your suite isn't ready yet. But you're welcome to
stay here in Her Majesty's suite.

In addition, Trosborg (1995: 385) asserts some markers that serve the

purpose of remediation, either by means of intensification of an apology or simply

as verbal devices to restore harmony. The downtoner just may has function to

minimize the degree of the offence. Meanwhile, the intensifiers terribly, really,

so may have function to intensify a lack of intention, an expression of regret and

embarrassment. Intensifiers shows that the apologizer attempts to maximize the

degree of apology.

As it has been mention above, Trosborgs apology strategies are

developed from Olshtain and Cohens. Thus, Trosborgs apology strategies are

more specific than Olstain and Cohens. Therefore, this research will apply

Trosborgs apology strategies to answer how the characters express apologies.

In expressing an apology, the speaker may employ one strategy of

apologies or combination of strategies. The choice of certain strategy to apologize

may vary within different apologizer depends on various social factors such as the

social distance and power status between participants, formality of the setting, and

the degree severity of the offence.

(http://www.immi.se/intercultural/nr8/palma.html.)

H. Politeness
 49

Politeness is a communication strategy that people use to maintain and

develop relationship (Leech in Trosborg, 1995:29). According to Yule, in an

interaction, politeness can be defined as the means employed to show awareness

of another persons face (1996b: 60). Furthermore, politeness is a system of

interpersonal relations designed to facilitate interaction by human interaction by

minimizing potential conflict and confrontation inherent in all human interchange

(ibid, 1996b:106). Mills states that politeness is the expression of the speakers

intention to mitigate face threats carried by certain face threatening acts toward

another (2003:6)

Politeness is one of the most important aspects of human communication.

Human beings can only exist in peace together if certain basic conventions of

politeness are observed. Politeness consists of attempting to save face for another,

by paying attention to their negative face wants or their positive face wants. As

Brown and Levinsons theory claim that politeness is concerned with face. Face

is defined as something that is emotionally invested, and that can be lost,

maintained or enhanced, and must be constantly attended to in an interaction

(1987:61). It is a public self-image of a person. It is related to everyones

emotional and social sense has that need to be recognized. Face consists of two

specific kinds of desires (wants) attributed by interactants to one another, positive

face and negative face. Positive face is the desire to be approved of, whereas

negative face is the desire to be unimpeded in ones action. Then, a threat to a

persons face is termed a Face Threatening Act (FTA). Such act has the potential

to damage the hearers positive face or hearers negative face; or it may

potentially damage the speakers own positive face or speakers negative face.
 50

Therefore, apology pays attention to the negative face of the addressee by

acknowledging a potential imposition. It threatens the speakers own positive face

by redress the impingement.

Holmes states that politeness involves taking account of the feelings of

others. A polite person makes others feel comfortable. Being linguistically polite

involves speaking to people appropriately regarding their relationship. Then,

making decisions about what is or is not considered polite in any community,

therefore involves assessing social relationships along the dimensions of social

distance or solidarity, and relative power or status (1992: 296-297). It means that

social distance or solidarity, status, formality, function are things to be considered

in applying politeness strategy. Besides, the social context and about who is

speaking and who are they speaking to are also considered. Brown and Levinson

(1987:78) also suggest that politeness strategy is employed by the weightiness.

The weightiness is calculated by speakers from the social variables such as power

difference between speaker and hearer (P), the perceived social distance between

speaker and hearer (D), and ranking of imposition (R). Thus, speakers select

linguistic mechanisms for accomplishing FTAs dependent on three types of social

factors having varying weight in any given encounter:

Power (P) :An asymmetric relation between speaker and hearer. It

refers to the power of the speaker with respect to the

hearer.

Social distance (D):A symmetric relation between speaker and hearer. It

refers to the degree of familiarity and solidarity between

the speaker and the hearer.

 51

Ranking (R) :An assessment of the degree of imposition entailed by

the FTA

The speaker may choose to employ strategies to minimize the face threat

referred to as redressive action. There are two broad groups of politeness as a

redressive action, which attempts to counteract the potential face damage after

doing the FTA. They are positive politeness and negative politeness. Positive

politeness is redress directed to the addressees positive face, which appeals to the

hearers desire to be liked and be approved of. It is demonstrating closeness and

minimizing status difference. Negative politeness is redress directed to the

hearers negative face which appeals to the hearers desire not to be impeded. It

pays people respect and avoids intruding them. Linguistically expressed negative

politeness generally takes the form of expressions or strategies which reduce the

effect of face threatening acts. In short, positive politeness increases solidarity,

and negative politeness decreases imposition

In relation between apology and politeness, apology can be a politeness

strategy that has the effect of paying attention to the addressees negative face (In

Coates and Cameron, 1988: 30). Apology is a communicative act in the

production of which an apologizer has to act politely, both vernacular sense and in

the more technical sense of paying attention to the addressees face wants (Brown

and Levinson 1987). Furthermore, apology is among the speech acts that are the

most self-face threatening. It means that it causes a loss of face to the speaker

herself. Such inappropriate apology can be embarrassing to both the speaker and

the hearer, causing miscommunication and misunderstanding. Furthermore,

apology serves to address the offendeds face wants and thus see them as hearer-
 52

supportive. It pays attention to the negative face of the addressee by

acknowledging a potential imposition. It threatens the speakers own positive face

by admitting a transgression. Therefore, an apology expresses negative politeness

as it signals the speakers awareness of having impinged on the hearers negative

face. As Brown and Levinson also states that apologizing can be a negative

politeness strategy by apologizing for doing a face-threatening act. The speaker

indicates his or her reluctance to impinge on the hearers negative face and

thereby partially redresses that impingement (1987:187). However, Sbisa claims

that apologizing can also be positive politeness when there is an expression of

showing concern for the addressees well being, needs, interests, feeling, and so

forth (http://www.univ.trieste.it/~dipfilo/sbisa/scuspap.html ).

Based on the explanation above, it can be stated that politeness takes

account of the feeling of others. The social factors such as social distance, power

status and formality setting of the conversation influence the politeness choice in

the conversation. People use politeness strategies to minimize the friction in the

interaction. As apology is directed to the addressees face needs and intended to

remedy an offence for which the speaker takes responsibility and to restore and

maintain harmony between the interlocutors, therefore, apology expression will be

analyzed in related to politeness theory.

I. Related Research

The study of the speech act apologizing has been conducted by Erni

Indrawati (2003) with the research entitled The Analysis of the Act of

Apologizing in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray. This research

 53

employs socio-pragmatic approach. The researcher tried to find out the forms and

the choice of strategies of apology. Furthermore, the researcher tried to reveal the

factors that influencing the choice of strategies and the relationship between the

participants relate to the act of apologizing function. In conclusion, it is found out

that there are two forms to apologize. They are direct and indirect apologies. The

strategies of apologizing found in the research are direct apology, taking on

responsibility, giving explanation, offering a repair and giving concern. Most

characters that have close relationship are more relax in using the strategy of

apology. Then, it is found out that both remedial and non-remedial function of

apologizing are intended to restore the broken social norms between participants.

This research has the same approach with Indrawatis. This research starts

by classifying the kinds of offence that motivating the characters to express

apologies. Then, this research also involves the way to express apologies that also

involves the form and strategies of apologizing. However, this research has

different media from the former research. The former research took novel as the

media of the research meanwhile this research took a film as the media of the

film. In the film, the way of the speakers in expressing apologies can be observed

through the tone and non-verbal expressions that support the act of apologizing.

Furthermore the research tries to look deeper the act of apologizing in the

politeness scope. The researcher tries to reveal how the characters expresses

apologies with considers to the social distance, power status, formality of the

setting, and the degree of the offence, then, relating those factors into politeness

strategies to express apologies.

 54

J. Synopsis of the Film

The film tells a story about a princess of Genovia who should be ready to

accept the responsibility to be the next queen of Genovia. Princess Mia (Anna

Hathaway) had just finished her college in America. Now, it is time for Princess

Mia to come back to Genovia to fulfill her destiny to take up her duties to be the

next queen of Genovia, replacing her grandmother position, Queen Renaldi (Julie

Andrews). However, her replacement to be the queen of Genovia meets many

obstacles. Viscount Mabrey who wishes that his nephew who is also in line to the

throne to be the new ruler, reminds the Genovian Parliament of a law that states

an unmarried woman can not be made queen. Thus, Queen Renaldi asks the

parliament that Princess Mia be allowed time to find a husband and she is given

30 days. It means Princess Mia is given 30 days to get married and if so, she will

not lose her crown. Princess Mia feels her life is turned upside down when she

knows that she is not only must to take the crown as queen earlier than expected,

but that she is also to be married before this event.

Viscount Mabrey tries to do what he can to stop Princess Mias succeed to

assume the crown. However, his nephew, Nicholas Deveraux (Chris Pine) has met

Princess Mia and they are both attracted to each other. When she knows that

Nicholas attempts to seize the throne, she hates Nicholas. However, as days goes

by she feels that she could not lie to herself that she likes Nicholas. Queen Renaldi

sets an arranged marriage for Princess Mia and the wedding will be held before

the limited time of 30 days. Princess finds dilemma between her duty to her

country and her own dream of true love. At last, Princess Mia can assure the
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parliament that she can rule Genovia without a husband. Nicholas states his felling

toward Princess Mia and she accepts it happily.