VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS USED BY
THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN TATE TAYLOR’S MOVIE
“THE HELP”
THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Arts and Humanities
State Islamic University of Sunan Ampel Surabaya
By: Dias Romadina Reg. Number A83212154
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SUNAN AMPEL
SURABAYA
Faculty of Arts and Humanities, State Islamic University of Sunan Ampel Surabaya.
The Advisor: Prof. Dr. Hj. Zuliati Rohmah, M. Pd.
Key Words: Cooperative Principle, Violation of Maxims, Characters, Movie.
The writer conducts a study on the violation of conversational maxims which is used by the main character in Tate Taylor’s movie The Help. Maxim is a principle that must be obeyed by all speakers textually and interpersonally in order to have a smooth communication process. Conversational maxim is divided into four, namely, maxims of quantity, quality, relevance, and manner. Violation of the maxim may occur in a conversation in which the information of a speaker is not delivered well to the hearer. The example of violation of maxim is giving information that is redundant, untrue, irrelevant, or unclear. This research tries to answer two research problems. First, what kinds of conversational maxims are violated by the main characters in Tate Taylor’s movie The Help? Second, what is the relationship between violation of maxims and the characters’ characterization in Tate Taylor’s movie The Help?
The theory used in this study is proposed by Grice (1975). The aims of this study is to discover the violation of maxims in the conversations of black and white people in Jackson, Mississippi. This research used descriptive qualitative method. The data of this research are the utterances from the three main characters, they are; Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter which contain violation of maxims.
INTISARI
Romadina, Dias. 2016. Violation of Conversational Maxims Used by The Main Characters in Tate Taylor’s Movie “The Help”. Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Adab dan Humaniora, Universitas Islam Negri Sunan Ampel Surabaya. Pembimbing: Prof. Dr. Hj. Zuliati Rohmah, M. Pd.
Kata Kunci: Prinsip Kerjasama, Pelanggaran Maksim, Karakter, Film.
Penulis melakukan kajian tentang pelanggaran maksim percakapan yang digunakan oleh karakter utama dalam film The Help oleh Tate Taylor. Maksim adalah aturan yang harus dipatuhi oleh semua pembicara secara tekstual dan interpersonal agar memiliki proses komunikasi yang lancar. Maksim percakapan dibagai menjadi empat, yaitu; maksim kuantitas, maksim kualitas, relevan, dan cara. Pelanggaran maksim dapat terjadi dalam suatu percakapan dimana informasi dari pembicara tidak disampaikan dengan baik kepada pendengar. Contoh pelanggaran maksim adalah memberikan informasi yang berlebihan, tidak benar, tidak relevan, atau tidak jelas. Penelitian ini mencoba menjawab dua rumusan masalah. Pertama, jenis maksim apa saja yang dilanggar oleh karakter utama dalam film The Help oleh Tate Taylor? Kedua, apa hubungan antara pelanggaran maksim dan watak karakter di film The Help oleh Tate Taylor?
Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini dikemukakan oleh Grice (1975). Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengemukakan pelanggaran maksim dalam percakapan orang kulit hitam dan kulit putih di Jackson, Mississippi. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Data dari penelitian ini adalah ucapan dari tiga karakter utama, yaitu; Aibileen, Minny, dan Skeeter yang mengandung pelanggaran maksim.
Inside Title Page ... ii
Declaration Page ... iii
Mottos ... iv
Dedication Page ... v
Thesis Advisor‟s Approval Page ... vi
Thesis Examiner‟s Approval Page ... vii
Acknowledgement ... viii
Table of Contents ... x
List of Appendices ... xiii
Abstract ... xiv
Intisari ... xv
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study ... 1
1.2 Statement of Problems ... 7
1.3 Objectives of the Study ... 8
1.4 Significance of the Study ... 8
1.5 Scope and Limitation ... 9
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Theoretical Framework ... 11
2.1.1 Pragmatics ... 11
2.1.2 Grice‟s Theory ... 12
2.1.3 Cooperative Principle ... 14
2.1.4 Violation of Maxims ... 17
2.1.5 Character and Characterization ... 19
2.1.6 Relationship of Violation and Characterization of the Character... 20
2.2 Previous Study ... 22
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD 3.1 Research Design ... 24
3.2 Data Collection ... 25
3.2.1 Data and Data Sources ... 25
3.2.2 Research Instrument ... 26
3.2.3 Technique of Data Collection ... 26
3.3 Data Analysis ... 29
CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 4.1 Findings ... 32
4.1.1 Violation of Maxims ... 32
4.1.1.2.1 Being Not Truth ... 45
4.1.1.3 The Violation of Maxim of Relevance ... 48
4.1.1.3.1 Being Not Relevance ... 49
4.1.1.4 The Violation of Maxim of Manner ... 53
4.1.1.4.1 Being Ambiguity ... 54
4.1.2 Relationship between Violation of Maxims and Characters‟ Characterization ... 57
4.1.2.1 Aibileen‟s Result ... 59
4.1.2.2 Minny‟s Result ... 61
4.1.2.3 Skeeter‟s Result ... 63
4.2 Discussions ... 66
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 5.1 Conclusion ... 70
5.2 Suggestion ... 72
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers the principal idea for studying violation of maxim in
the conversation situation reflected on the main characters in Tate Taylor‟s movie
The Help. It consists of background of the study, statement of the problems,
objectives research, significance of the study, scope and limitation, and definition of key terms.
1.1Background of the Study
This research describes about the study of violation of maxims used by the three main characters, they are Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. These characters sometime use the words or sentences which are not related to what the exact meaning of what they literally say might have another meaning. It means that they do not always use a clear word or sentence in conveying their purpose. As Paltridge (2008: p. 53) states that in pragmatics, it concerns to the study of meaning in relation to the contexts in which a person is speaking or writing. This can be included social, situational, and textual context. Pragmatics assumes that when the people communicate with each other they normally follow some kinds of co-operative principle; that is, they have shared understanding of how they should co-operate in their communication.
In the spread technology of this era, most of people do not understand how it becomes threat for us to get a good communication. In order to communicate successfully, human beings are supposed to obey to a certain mode of interaction. For this reason, the linguist, Herbert Paul Grice, developed a mode of interaction for successful communication called the Cooperative Principle (CP) and its maxims. The CP has been mentioned in many pragmatics works such as Yule (1996) and Grundy (2000) for its influence on the field of pragmatics.
Yule (1996) points out: “Most of the time, our conversations take place in
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of conversation. In this maxim of conversation, there are some ways in which maxims may be unfulfilled, such as violation, opting out, being faced with a clash, and flouting. In this study, the writer attempts to explain what kinds of violation of maxims that violates by the three characters.
As Grice explains as cited in Brown and Yule (1983, p. 32), the first maxim is maxim of quantity (be brief) which concerns with the amount of information, it means people may not make their contribution less or more informative than is required. The second is maxim of quality (be true) which means that people may not say what they believe to be false. The third is maxim of relation (be relevant) which people should make relevant conversation. The last, is maxim of manner (be clear) which avoid ambiguity and unnecessary prolixity.
Hence, there are some aims of this research. The specific aims of this research, are, investigate the kinds of violation of maxim used by the three main characters in their conversation, then describe the relationship between violation of maxims and the characterization of the characters to know the inner characteristics of them. It states to understand how and why black and white people communications fail. The reason is:
“When blacks and whites interact in public meeting, their agenda does not typical include a discussion of the way they are interpreting each other‟s behavior, the reasons
they are interpreting it as they do, or the way they are expecting the meeting to evolve.” (Kochman, 1981:7)
speaker said to violate them (Cutting, 2002, p. 40). It means that violation of maxim is the conditions where the speakers and the hearers do not give require contribution in their conversation. As Coulthard (1985, p. 31) argued, when a speakers decided to violate a maxim they may lie, they may not give as much of information as they could, or they may offer utterances which are seem to be ambiguous and they may have some reasons for violating a maxim.
On the other hand, in conversation, some speakers sometime use sentences that can violate the CP, so that the hearers do not understand what the speaker‟s meaning. It can be found such the cases not only in people‟s textual interaction, but also in oral interaction. Oral interaction can be seen in literary works, such as movie. A movie can be called one of literary works. Literature outputs are not only prose, poetry and drama but also film or movie as a result of modernization and development of technology in which it is created by people to be enjoyed in a public. Most people usually call film as movie. It usually records cultural, socials or political issues and other aspects of society. Commonly, the movie created from a novel then it will be formed as movies to entertain human life. There comes a paragraph explains that:
The movie follows the technological development of the movie industry through the decades. As a result, the first films are in black and white but the later ones allow the player to utilize things such as special props, computer-generated imagery and digital sound. One way to gain an advantage over rival studio and to increase the quality of your films is to invest in a research and development facility with enough staff, and to invent significant novelties before others. (Sotamaa, 2007, p. 383-401)
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reflected by the main characters. The Help is a 2011 American period drama film
directed and written by Tate Taylor, and adapted from Kathryn Stockett‟s 2009
novel of the same name. The film was a critical and commercial success; reveiving positive reviews and grossing $216 million in worldwide box office. It is about African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi. It tells primarily from the first-person perspective of three women: Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter. Aibileen and Minny are black maid people in Jackson. But Skeeter is white people who already graduated from college and she wants to be a writer. Aibileen is a maid who takes care of children. Minny is
Aibileen‟s friend who frequently tells her employers what she thinks of them.
Then, Skeeter is white person who works as journalist in one of media. She is interested with the life of black people, who is the mostly maid. So, this story is
exploited “colored” helps who gathered with Skeeter as a writer in which to write
a book of true stories about their experiences as help or maids to the white people of Jackson, Mississippi.
The first previous studied, is conducted by Kartikasari (2014), she described the violation of conversational maxims by salespersons of “Revlon” cosmetic. The aims of the study was to know the maxims that violated by salesperson of Revlon cosmetic while offering the product to customer. Then, she described the
factors which caused the violation of certain maxims. The research used qualitative method. The result of his research is the maxim of quantity as the most often violated by the salesperson in Matahari Matos and Certer Poin MOG. The possible factors of violating a certain maxim are: to explain more or stress something, to hide the truth from the hearer, to make the hearers believe in what the speakers say, to expect in order to get more attention from the customer.
Furthermore, the second previous studied that is conducted by Raharja (2015), he focused on cooperative principle violation done by Dodit Mulyanto in Stand
Up Comedy Indonesian Season 4 using Grice‟s theory. The aims of the study is to
describe what is the violation of maxim used by Dodit Mulyanto in order to raise the humor and how he violated the maxim of cooperative principle. The research is conducted using qualitative method. The result of his studied is that appeared four maxims of cooperative principle during played the Stand Up Comedy, they are maxim of quantity, quality, relation and manner. The dominant maxim of the study is the maxim of relation.
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aims of this studied is to describe what kinds of violation of maxim used by Becca in the movie and the reasons of violate the maxim. Later, the result is shown that maxim of quantity and relevance is the most violation in the conversation. Furthermore, the reason of violate the maxim are save face, hide the truth, avoid hurt, cheer the hearer, convince the hearer and satisfy the hearer.
Based on previous studied above, there are some similarities and differences between those researches and this research. The similarities are we have same discussion of cooperative principle theory, especially in violation of maxims. So, do the using of the method, is conducting the qualitative approach. Moreover, the difference of those previous studies is used the conversation at salesperson of Revlon and its customers, the conversation in Stand Up Comedy with the
audience, and the conversation of the character in the movie. Thus, in this study, the writer focuses of the kinds of violation of maxims are used by the main characters of The Help movie which is happened between black and white people in Jackson, Mississippi. Therefore, based on this background, the writer is interesting in investigating about the kinds of violation of maxims found in Tate Taylor‟s Movie The Help by the basic principle of pragmatic – the H.P Grice‟s cooperative principle.
1.2Statement of Problems
Based on the background of the study above, this analyzing is conducted to answer the following question:
2. What is the relationship between violation of maxims and character‟s characterization in Tate Taylor‟s Movie The Help?
1.3Objectives of the Study
Based on the statements of the problems, objectives of the study are formulated as follows:
1. To describe the kinds of conversational maxims are violated by the main
characters in Tate Taylor‟s Movie The Help.
2. To know the relationship between violation of conversational maxim and
character‟s characterization founding Tate Taylor‟s Movie The Help.
1.4Significance of the Study
Practically, this study is expected to give contribution to help the readers understand in the field of cooperative principle, particularly the violation of maxim which is appeared the existence of drama in this movie. Further, it can give contribution to know what kind of violation maxims, such; maxim of quantity, quality, relevance, and manner.
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1.5Scope and Limitation
Based on the background above, the writer thought that it is interesting to discuss the violation of maxims which is included of cooperative principle found in Tate Taylor‟s Movie “The Help”. It is necessary to limit the discussion because of the limited time, cost and energy. So, it is impossible to analyze them all. In this case, the writer limits the discussion and focuses on the violation of four maxims; they are maxim of quality, maxim of quantity, maxim of relevance, and maxim of manner which is occurred in the main characters utterances in the movie, such Aibileen, Minny, and Sketeer to be analyzed.
1.6Definition of Key Terms
The writer attempts to clearly several terms that is needed to define in order to help the readers understand what is being discussed as the topic in this research, such:
1. Maxim of Conversation: general principle which is thought to underlie the efficient use of a language, and which to identify a general Cooperative Principle. (Crystal, 1997, p. 236). The conversational maxim is a study of how we assume unstated meaning of the utterance of some speakers in ordinary conversation and apply to a conversation itself. The purpose of the maxims is to understand that conversation rules must be obeyed.
direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged. (Grice. 1989, p. 26)
3. Violation of Maxim: Violating a maxim of cooperative principle that a speaker will be liable to mislead the hearer. (Grice, 1989, p. 49)
4. Character: It means between letter or sign, a mark of writing, and the
„essential‟ qualities of a „person‟. (Bennett and Royle, 2004, p. 63). The
character is a part of intrinsic element in literary works. It includes mental or moral nature; it is qualities that make one person, attitude, utterance, and the way they think is different from other people. So, when main character is a preferred character telling, it is the most telling figure in stories or events.
5. The Help movie is a 2011 which mainly talk about African-American people. This film is American drama film directed and written by Tate
Taylor, and adapted from Kathryn Stockett‟s 2009 novel of the same
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter consists of many important aspects concerning the theoretical
frameworks and the related studies which support this study.
2.1Theoretical Framework
In doing this research, the writer reviews the theories related to violation of
maxim. These theories include from the definition of pragmatic, Grice’s theory,
cooperative principles, violation of maxim, character and characterization, and
relationship between violation and characterization, and the literature review.
2.1.1 Pragmatics
The first thing which is necessary to consider before coming into
the discussion of pragmatics is the definition of pragmatics in general.
According to Levinson (1983) pragmatics is the study of language usage.
It is a part of linguistic study which learns how language as a code relating
to its context helps the hearer in interpreting what the speaker implies.
According to Leech (1983), people cannot really understand the nature of
the language itself unless they understand pragmatics. One of the
linguistics purposes of pragmatic is the study of meaning in relation to
speech situation. Based on this purposes, the speaker can choose the
language for social interaction and understand the effect of their utterance
choices. Besides, pragmatics is important because in a communication,
achieve his/her goal in communicating something. In contrast, the hearer
tries to understand what the speaker‘s goals in his speech.
Based on the definitions above, the writer can say that pragmatics
is a part of linguistics that focuses on the study of language usage. In
linguistics, language and context has an important connection to make the
communication easy to understand. Besides that, speech situation is also a
significant thing that, the hearer or speaker must understand to be
successful in communication. Thus, pragmatics is how the people use
good language, follows the rules of language, understand the utterances,
and be responsible for what they say. It can help people to understand
about what the speaker means.
2.1.2 Grice’s Theory
Paul Grice presents a theory of conversation and implicature in his
essay “Logic and Conversation.” This theory attempts to bridge the gap
between what participants in conversation say, and what they mean. Grice
presents this theory within the framework of the Cooperative Principle
(CP): “Make your conversational contributions such as is required at the
stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk
exchange in which you are engaged” (1989, p.26).
It should be helpful to start by discussing Grice’s theory of
meaning. When talking about the meaning of a sentence, Grice notes that
the term “to mean” can be used in some interesting variations. Take the
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full,” this example would be quite different from, say, “Those spots mean
(meant) measles” (Grice 1989, p.213-214). This difference involves the
fact that while both statements are, technically, cancellable, only the
former will still be rational when it is cancelled. Thus, if the bus driver
mistakenly rings the bell when the bus is not full, the bell still “means” the
bus is full, though it is not. This is unlike the latter statement, which
involves natural meaning. This second statement becomes contradictory if
one adds, “Those spots meant measles, but he hadn’t got measles” (Grice
1989, p.213). Grice writes that the former statement can be restated as
“Those three rings on the bell mean ‘the bus is full’” (Grice 1989, p.214).
The Cooperative Principle is the basis for conversational maxims.
Grice decides to pay tribute to Kant by creating four categories “Quantity,
Quality, Relation, and Manner” (Grice 1989, p.26). The categories, along
with those maxims, are as follows:
Quality: Try to make your contribution one that is true 1. Do not say what you believe to be false.
2. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. Quantity:
1. Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purposes of the exchange).
2. Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.
Relation:
1. Be relevant
Manner: Be perspicuous
2. Avoid ambiguity
3. Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity) 4. Be orderly (Grice 1989, p.26-27)
On the other hand, Grice (in Levinson 1983: p. 101) formulated
essentially is about how people use language. This theory describe that,
people interpret the language on the assumption that the sender is obeying
four maxims. People assume that the speakers are intending to be true
(maxim of quality), to be brief (maxim of quantity), to be relevant (maxim
of relevant), and to be clear (maxim of manner).
2.1.3 Cooperative Principle
The cooperative principle function makes ideal communication
between speaker and hearer. The ideal communication means a speaker
and hearer give a lot of contribution that necessary them. There are three
characteristics of cooperative principle (Mey, 2009, p.152). Those are:
1. The participants have some common immediate aim.
2. The contributions of the participants are dovetailed, mutually
dependent.
3. There is some sort of understanding (often tacit) that, other
thing being equal, the transactions should continue in
appropriate style unless both parties are agreeable that it should
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The cooperative principle, based on Grice in Cutting (2002, p.34)
divided into four types. They are maxim of quantity, maxim of quality,
maxim of relevance, and maxim of manner.
1. Maxim of Quality
The maxim of quality occurs when the speakers are
expected to be sincere, to be saying something that they believe
corresponds to reality. They are assumed not to say anything
that they believe to be false or anything for which you lack
adequate evidence. Some speakers like to draw the hearer’s
attention to the fact that they are really saying what they
believe to be true. Simply the maxim of quality such as:
1. Do not say what you believe to be false.
2. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.
2. Maxim of Quantity
The maxim of quantity occurs when the speakers should be
as informative as is required, that they should give neither too
little information nor too much. Some speakers like to point to
the fact that they know how much information the hearer
requires. Simply the maxim of quantity such as:
1. Make your contribution as informative as is required.
2. Do not make your contribution more informative than is
3. Maxim of Relevance
The maxim of relevance occurs when the speakers are
assumed to say something that is relevant to what has been said
before. Simply the maxim of relevant concern on makes your
contribution relevant.
4. Maxim of Manner
In the maxim of manner, we should clear in what we say
and should avoid obscurity and ambiguity. Moreover we
should be brief and orderly in our contribution to the
interaction. Simply the maxim of manner, such as:
1. Avoid obscurity of expression.
2. Avoid ambiguity.
3. Be brief.
4. Be orderly
In pragmatic study, there are some principles which can be used to
deliver a meaning in an utterance. One of the principles is cooperative
principle, which is a fundamental assumption in building a meaning or the
meaning that showed by the speakers and the hearers. According Grice
(1975) in his book “Logic and Conversation” regarding cooperative
principle, states that violation of cooperative principle can occur in a
conversation when the information that will be delivered by the speakers
to the interlocutors do not convey clearly. The violation of cooperative
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violation maxim of quality, violation maxim of relevant, and violation
maxim of manner. The next explanation of violation maxim can be
presented in 2.1.4that regarding the kinds of violation of cooperative
principle.
2.1.4 Violation of Maxims
Grice, to explain how these implications are to be understood,
presents four ways in which maxims may be unfulfilled. These four ways
are violation, opting out, being faced with a clash, and flouting. There may
be a violation; Grice writes that a person “may quietly and
unostentatiously violate a maxim; if so, in some cases he will be liable to
mislead” (Grice, 1975, p. 30).
The participants enable to disobey one of maxim and violate other
maxim or they could possible to violate all of maxim. As Grice states that
there are various ways of participant does not fulfill maxim (Grice, 1975,
p.49):
1. The speaker may quietly and unostentatiously violate of
maxim; if so, in some cases he will be liable to mislead.
2. The speaker may opt out from the operation both of the maxim
and the CP; he may say indicate, or allow it to become plain
that he is unwilling to cooperate in the way the maxim requires.
3. The speaker may be face by a clash: they may be unable.
Maxim is a rule that people must fulfill in a good conversation, but
in communication the speaker utterances usually do not always follow the
rules. There might be violation of cooperative principles.
1. Violation Maxim of Quality
The maxim of quality, which says that speakers are
expected to be sincere in saying something that they believe
correspond to the reality. This maxim can be violate if the speakers
do no tell the truth or the information is lack of evidence, and
something in the meaning is not literally true (Guy, 1989: p. 30).
2. Violation Maxim of Quantity
According to Guy (1989: p. 30) this maxim implies that a
speaker should give neither too little information or too much.
People who give too little information risk their hearer not being
able to identify what they are talking about because they are not
explicit enough. Those who give more information than the hearer
needs risk boring them.
3. Violation Maxim of Relevance
According to Guy (1989: p. 31), the next is maxim of
relevance which says that the speakers are assumed to something
that is relevant to what has been said before. This maxim is a little
harder to find because it is hard to construct responses that must be
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4. Violation Maxim of Manner
According to Guy (1989: p. 31), maxim of manner governs
about clarity (avoid ambiguity). Clarity means the quality of
expressing ideas or thought in a clear way. This maxim violates
either for humor, as in the case of puns, and double engenders,
where rival meanings are deliberately tolerated, or in the order to
establish solidarity ofthe speakers or exclude an over hearer from
the conversation.
2.1.5 Character and Characterization
Sometimes we used the word character synonymously with “person”,
“human being”, and “literary figure”, more often we use it in reference to
an individual’s personal qualities and characteristics (Roberts, 1969: p.
53). Moreover, Bennett and Royle (2004: p. 63) explain that “character”
means a letter or sign, a mark of writing, and the ‘essential’ qualities of a
‘person’.
In presenting the character, an author may use many modes of
characterization. Wellek and Warren (1942: p. 226) suggest that the
simplest form of characterization is naming. Each name given is for
vivifying, animating and individuating the author’s character.
A mode of characterization is what Perrine calls direct and indirect
presentation (1974: p. 48). In direct presentation, an author presents his
character in a straight way. He directly tells us, through exposition or
story tells us what he is like.In indirect presentation, however, the author
shows his character in action or through from their utterance when
produce some speech in a stage. The reader may know what a character is
like by making inference from what the character thinks, says or does.
Besides, characters in fiction can be conveniently classified as major.
It is an important figure at the center of the story’s action or theme. The
character is sometimes called a protagonist whose conflict with an
antagonist may spark the story’s conflict. While, characterizationis means
by which writers present and reveal character-by direct description, by
showing the character in action, or by the presentation of other characters
that help to define each other.
2.1.6 Relationship of Violation and Characterization of the Character
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the
personality of the characters. In this research, the writer will use the
indirect characterization which shows things that can determine the inner
characterizations. In this case, the writer will analyze the utterance’s
characters that violate the maxim in their conversation. The aim is to know
how the characterization of the characters can be found through their
utterance which using the violation of maxims in cooperative principle.By
knowing this, can be influenced how the characters of the movie produce
their utterance.Either from their environment or their purpose when they
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This part can be related to the context of the conversation.
According to Cook (1989: p. 10) context is knowledge of word outside of
the language which people use to interpret. Context is very important to
determine meaning of utterance. If context does not exist, people find
difficulties to generate meaning in a text. Actually, a text always occurs in
two contexts. There are the context of culture and context of situation.
When the people think of the differences in forms of address, in
ceremonies, in politeness and in significant activities between one culture
and another, they are get some idea of the importance of context of culture
in shaping meaning. The context of culture is sometimes described as the
sum of all the meanings it is possible to mean in that particular culture
(Butt, 2001: p. 3).
Within the context of culture, people use language in many more
specific contexts of situations. This is a useful term to cover the things
going on in the word outside the text that make the text what it is. These
are the grammatical patterns that people use consciously or subconsciously
to construct text of different varieties and that their audience uses to
classify and interpret. Context of situation relates some categories; those
are verbal and nonverbal action of participants, relevant direction or goal
2.2Previous Studies
In this part, the writer discovers three previous studies, are:
Firstly, the research of NikenWulanKartikasari (2014), she analyzed the
cooperative principle and described the violation of conversational maxims by
salespersons of “Revlon” cosmetic. It has aims in which to know the violation
of maxims that violated by salesperson of Revlon cosmetic while offering their
product to customer. Then, she described the factors which caused the
violation of certain maxims. In her study, she answered the problem by using
theory proposed by Paul Grice. The research used qualitative method. This
study showed that violation can happen in the real life situation like in the
conversation between the salespersons of Revlon cosmetic with the customers
while offering the products. The result of her research is the maxim of
quantity as the most often violated by the salesperson in Matahari Matos and
CerterPoin MOG. The possible factors of violating a certain maxim are: to
explain more or stress something, to hide the truth from the hearer, to make
the hearers believe in what the speakers say, to expect in order to get more
attention from the customer.
Secondly, theprevious studied that is conducted by Ahmad
UlliyadhiSatriaRaharja (2015), he focused on cooperative principle theory of
violation that is done by DoditMulyanto in Stand Up Comedy Indonesian
Season 4 using Grice’s theory. The aims of the study is to describe what is the
violation of maxim used by DoditMulyanto in order to raise the humor and
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conducted using qualitative method. The result of his studied is that appeared
four maxims of cooperative principle during played the Stand Up Comedy,
they are maxim of quantity, quality, relation and manner. The dominant
maxim of the study is the maxim of relation. It can determine that the result
can entertain the audiences of DoditMulyanto.
The last previous studied that is conducted by IrfakMuzaim (2015), he
emphasized cooperative principle in his research which is found a case of
violation maxim in humor. He focused on Vampire Suck movie that is a
parody of Twilight Saga New Moon. To supporting his study, he used the
qualitative method. There is some aims of this studied is to describe what
kinds of violation of maxim used by Becca in the movie and the reasons of
violate the maxim. Later, the result is shown that maxim of quantity and
relevance is the most violation in the conversation. Furthermore, the reason of
violate the maxim are save face, hide the truth, avoid hurt, cheer the hearer,
convince the hearer and satisfy the hearer.Based on the previous studies
above, the writer’s research is almost same discussion of the violation maxim
but it has different object. In this study, the writer focuses on describing the
kinds of violation of maxims which is done by three main characters, are
Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. Then, the writer compares the relationship
between violation of maxims and the characterization of the characters. The
difference from the previous study is, the comparing of what the relationship
can influence the character’s characterization in order know the
This chapter described the research method used in conducting the study. It
contains research design, data collections; data and data source, research
instrument, technique of data collection, and data analysis.
3.1Research Design
In conducting this study, a qualitative research is proposed by the writer.
Qualitative research refers to a process-oriented methods used to understand,
interpret, describe and develop a theory in a research. It will attempt to broaden or
deepen our understanding of how things came to be the way their views are,
exploring a new area where issues are not yet understood or properly identified
(Hancock, 2007, p.4). According to Dornyei (2007, p.35) state that qualitative
research comprises data collection procedures in which the result is infinite,
textual data which are analysed by non-statistical technique. On the other hand,
regarding the generation of knowledge, qualitative research is characterized as
developmental and dynamic, and does not use formal structured instruments
(Holloway, 2005, p.4-6). It involves the systematic collection and analysis of
subjective narrative data in an organized to identify the characteristics and the
significance of human experience (Holloway, 2005, p. 47-51).
The qualitative descriptive analysis was adopted for collecting and analyzing
the data of the conversational maxim that is violated by white and black people in
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utterances which is delivered by the main characters, such; Aibileen, Minny and
Skeeter that include the violation of maxim in their conversations. Besides, this
study is also to seek out and interpret the utterances of the characters using
Gricean theory of cooperative principle to know the relationship between
violation of maxim and the characterization of the main characters.
3.2Data Collection
3.2.1 Data and Data Sources
As Dornyei (2007) argued that the qualitative data works with the
various types of recorded interview, various types of texts, and also
images. In this study, the writer took the text data that is a form of
utterances which include phrases and sentences produced by three main
characters;Aibilien,Minny and Skeeter in Tate Taylor’s movie The Help. It
is adapted from a novel was published in United State in 2009 by Kathryn
Stockett.
The data source of this study is a literary workwhich is taken from
Tate Taylor’s movie The Help. The writer will use the pdf version of the
transcript which downloaded from www.genecartwright.comon Thursday,
February 26th, 2015 at 09.43 AM. It contains 144 pages. The pdfversion
facilitated for the data collection in textual form because the qualitative
3.2.2 Research Instruments
Themain research instrument of this study is the writer, because she
collected and analyzed the data by herself. As Annum states that, by the
observer, the writer was able to obtain firsthand information about objects,
and eventful happening (2015, p.3).
Therefore, the writer collected the utterances to find out the answer of
the research question. Further, she conducted the data with her original
work without any questioner to solve the problem because the data is
written text. So, the writer is a human instrument to solve the problem in
this study.
3.2.3 Technique of Data Collection
The procedures of collecting the data in this study are explained by the
following steps:
1. The writer downloaded The Help movie for watching the movie
that was be the first step, it downloaded from YouTube which has
English subtitle.
2. The writer printed out the entire data, The Help movie’s transcript,
by Tate Taylor that she has already have in the PDF-file form.
3. The writer read and understood the transcript of The Help movie
by Tate Taylor. To get close comprehensively of the whole
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4. The writer coded the kinds of violation of maxim which is uttered
by the speakers, for finding part of dialoguesas many as possible
that containing kinds of violation maxim.
3.2 Table Coding of Violation of Maxim
Kinds of Violation Maxim Coding of Violation Maxim
Maxim of Quantity
Less Informative
MQn
L.i
More
Informative M.i Maxim of
Quality Not Truth MQl N.t Maxim of
Relevance
Not
Relevance MRv N.r Maxim of
Figure 3.2 Violation of Quantity Maxim
The figure above shows that the data is taken from the conversation which
is occurred by Aibileen. That conversation shows the violation of quantity maxim
that is included of less informative.
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The data is shown by Minny, is includes the violation of maxim of quality.
The writer marked the utterance by signing green color. It shows that the kind of
violation which is done by Minny is not truth.
3.3 Data Analysis
In analyzing data, the writer useddescriptive method andqualitative
approach to analyze and expose the data. Descriptive method describes the object
which is observed by using words. This method allowed the writer to come to
analysis and interpretation the answer of problemsthat occur in this study. When
analyzing data, the writer did some steps as follows:
1. Identify the data, utterances, into each category of violation maxims. In
this step, the writer identified the data in clearly rather than in data
collection.
2. Classifying the identified data of The Help movie’s transcript which
contains violation of maxims. The writer took the number from the
previous step to know which utterances include kinds of violation maxims.
No Characters Violation of Maxims Data Total Percentage
1. Aibilien
MQn L.i 2 M.i 1, 3, … MQl N.t -
MRv N.r 13, 37, ... MMn Amb 42
M.i 12, 38, ...
MQl N.t 9, 6, … MRv N.r 8, 10, …
MMn Amb -
3. Skeeter
MQn
L.i 65 M.i 5, 6, …
MQl N.t 4, 23, …
MRv N.r 7, 19, …
MMn Amb 17, 22, …
Total
3. The writer interpreted what the speakers actually try to extend their
utterances by using the violation of maxims. Here, the writer took the data
number 1.
Skeeter : Did you know as a girl, growing up, that one day you’d be a maid?
Aibilien : Yes, ma’am. I did
Skeeter : And you know that because?
Aibilien : My momma was a maid. My grandmomma was a house slave.
The example above is a dialogue which happens between Skeeter
and Aibilien when Aibilien talks about her life. In quite situation, she tells
some life of maids in Jackson, Mississippi. She stands at a kitchen sink
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In the conversation, Aibilien violate maxim of quantity because she
says “My momma was a maid. My grand momma was a house slave” to
Skeeter as the interviewer. It is something being more informative which
overrated to her family’s life when Skeeter gives a question of her
historical-background.
4. Analyzing the relationship between violation and the characterization of
the character’s utterances that occur in the conversation. The purpose of
this step is to know the characterization of the main characters that
violated the maxim in The Help’s movie, they are, Aibileen, Minny and
Skeeter
5. Making conclusion. The writer made a conclusion based on the result of
This chapter presents the findings of the research and discussions of the results. This section provides the answer of two research problems that have been revealed in the first chapter.
4.1 Findings
Based on the data analysis, the writer discovered some violations of four maxims, such as; maxim of quantity, quality, relevance and manner, which are uttered by Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter as the main characters. Furthermore, the writer shows the relationship of violation of maxims and characterization of the characters found in Tate Taylor’s movie The Help.
4.1.1 Violation of Maxims
In this section, the writer analyzes the utterances of conversation from new perspective which Grice (1975) observed that sometimes human being violate the maxims do to emotional and mental, not always want to attain some kind of specific purpose. Hence, according to Grice’s framework, all of the maxims give
contribution of some conversations, that are, sufficiently provided (quantity maxim), truthfully (quality maxim), be relevance to other utterances (relevance) and questions clearly (manner maxim).
Based on the result of data analysis on three main characters’ utterances,
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are categorized based on the utterance that is violated by Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter as the main characters. Here, the writer shows the total number of violation of four kinds of maxim.
Figure 4.1 Number of Violation of Maxims by the Main Characters
From the data shown in Figure 4.1, there are 65 violations of maxims of some conversations done by three characters in The Help movie. The first character, Aibileen, has three kinds of violation of maxims. They are violation of maxim of quantity, relevance and manner. The second character, Minny, has three kinds of violation of maxims. They are maxim violation of quantity, quality and relevance. The last character, Skeeter, has all kinds of violation of maxims, they are; violation of maxim of quantity, quality, relevance and manner. The percentages of the violation of maxims are presented in Figure 4.2.
Figure 4.2 Violation of Maxims Percentage
In the Figure 4.2 above, Aibileen is signified in a blue color. Minny is signified in red color. Whereas, the green color signify the utterance which is violated by Skeeter. Among all of the characters, Skeeter has a highest percentage, it is, 60 %. Meanwhile, Aibileen has the lowest percentage, that is, 17 %. Then, Minny has 23 % of the violation of maxims.
4.1.1.1 The Violation of Maxim of Quantity
The speaker should be as informative as required, that they should give neither too less nor too much information to violate the maxim of quantity. The utterances are categorized as violation of maxim of quantity because the utterances do not fulfill the rule of maxim of quantity. As Yule (1996) assumed that those rules of maxims are, make your contribution as informative as is
Aibileen 17%
Minny 23% Skeeter
60%
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required and do not make your contribution less or more informative than is required (p. 37). In Tate Taylor’s The Help, the three main characters, Aibileen,
Minny and Skeeter, that do the violation of quantity maxim differently which is shown in the percentage below.
Table 4.1 Fulfillment of Violation of Quantity Maxim
No Characters V.
From the table above, Aibileen violated the maxim of quantity seven times data (10, 7%). Aibileen’s violation of maxim of quantity is divided in two kinds,
divided into two kinds also, that are, less informative one time datum (1, 5%) and more informative thirteenth times data (20%).
4.1.1.1.1 Being Less Informative
In a conversation, sometimes, some speakers give information to the hearer which is less informative than is required. It can make their conversation disconnected with each other. So, to get the point, they have to obey the maxims in order it can be fulfilled. In this part, the writer discovered some utterances that is violated only once of each characters, Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. The data of this part is analyzed below. 1) Violation of Maxim of Quantity by Aibileen
The first excerpt is taken from data number 2 (p.2).
Skeeter : What does it feel like, to raise a white child when your own child’s at home…being looked after by somebody else?
Aibileen : It feel…..
Aibileen : I done raised seventeen kids in my life. Looking
after white babies, that’s what I do.
The conversation happens at the kitchen. Skeeter, 23, asks to Aibileen, 53, about the black maids’ life when they work for white people.
As the conversation above, Aibileen violates the maxim of quantity which is being less informative. She unclearly answers when Skeeter asks her
“What does it feel like, to raise a white child when your own child’s at
home…being looked after by somebody else?” Then, she answers “It
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seventeen kids in my life. Looking after white babies, that’s what I
do.”Aibileen’s answer means that she wants to explore her feeling to
Skeeter. It shows that she provides her utterance to be less information. According to Guy (1989: p.30) the maxim of quantity implies that a speaker should give neither too less or too much information. When, people give less information, their hearer not being able to identify what they are talking about because theinformation is not explicit enough. In the conversation above Aibileen gives less information to Skeeter’s question
by giving the explanation of what she does, is about raising seventeen kids of white people.
2) Violation of Maxim of Quantity by Minny
The second excerpt is taken from data number 34 (p.44). Yule May : Is that Minny?
Aibileen : Minny? Minny : Hey, Aibileen. Yule May : Hi, Minny. Minny : Uh-hm.
Aibileen : Where do you headed?
Minny : I got some business ta tend to. So, y’all just mind your own!
Yule May : All right, then. Well, Bye! Minny : Bye!
Aibileen“Is that Minny?” Then, Aibileen answers by asking
“Minny?”Minny only accosts Aibileen. But she ignores Yule May and she
only cares to Aibileen. Then, Aibileen asks for Minny “Where you
headed?” it means that Aibileen feels confused why Minny walks fastly,
so that, she asks to Minny where will she go. Minny answers anxiously at her face, “I got some business ta tend to.”
From Minny’s utterance, she violates the maxim of quantity,
because she gives less information to Aibileen’s question. She provides
less information without answer correctly what Aibileen’s question. She
does not want to tell others what is her aim by bringing a pie cake. So, she makes her contribution less informative than is required.
3) Violation of Maxim of Quantity by Skeeter
The third excerpt is taken from data number 65 (p.129). Skeeter : What are you doing here?
Hilly : I’ve contacted my lawyer, Hibbie Goodman. He’s the best libel attorney in the state. Oh Missy, you’re going to jail!
Skeeter : You can’t prove anything.
Hilly : Oh, I one-hundred-percent know you wrote it because nobody else in town is tacky as you.
Skeeter : You don’t know anything, Hilly.
Hilly : I don’t, do I? You tell Aibilien, the next time she wants to about my dear friend Elizabeth…uh-huh. Remember her? Had you in her wedding? Let’s just say, Aibilien ought to have been a little bit smarter before putting in about that L-shaped scratch in poor Elizabeth’s dining table. And that nigger, Minny? Do I have plans for her.
Skeeter : Careful, Hilly. Now that’s chapter twelve. Don’t give yourself away now.
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The conversation above happens in unpredictable situation. It occurs in Skeeter’s home. Hilly, 24, says to Skeeter “I’ve contacted my
lawyer, Hibbie Goodman. He’s the best libel attorney in the state. Oh
Missy, you’re going to jail!” She got angry with Skeeter because Skeeter
had written a story of her badness characteristic. So that, Hilly threatens that she will contact her lawyer to report Skeeter that she was done something unfair of her. As seen of her climax anger, she says to bring Skeeter come to a jail. But, Skeeter rebuts that threat. By saying “You
can’t prove anything.“ Then Hilly directly gives an accusation that
Skeeter is a bad writer. She also thinks that Skeeter is not deserve to be a writer, by saying “Oh, I one-hundred-percent know you wrote it because nobody else in town is tacky as you.”
From Hilly’s anger, Skeeter abstains Hilly that she does not know
anything how the way to give a homage to a black people as a maid. Hilly pries up and cracks up some stories of the maids, Aibilien and Minny. Her expression is full of anger and hateful. Then, Skeeter gives her contribution which is less information than is required by saying “Careful
Hilly.” It is done by remembering of the constitution. So, Skeeter turns
4.1.1.1.2 Being More Informative
Besides being less informative section, some speakers may give more information to the hearer than the situation is required. It can describe the inner characteristic of each characters, even, they give less or more information. When the speaker is giving more information, means, they are a talkative person. This reason can make their conversation disconnected. So, in order to get the clear meaning, they have to obey the maxim in order the maxim can be fulfilled. The data of this part is analyzed below.
1) Violation of Maxim of Quantity by Aibileen
The fourth excerpt is taken from data number 58 (p.93).
Minny : What they gone do to us if they catch us with Miss Skeeter?
Aibileen : We gone be careful.
Minny : Hitch us to a pickup and drug us behind? Shoot me front my children?
Aibileen : We ain’t doing civil rights. We just telling stories like they really happen.
The conversation above happens in Minny’s house at kitchen. Aibileen comes to Minny’s house when Minny sits with all five of her
41
afraid that there will be happened a desirable thing of her and Aibilen when they were together with Skeeter. Aibileen makes Minny calm down by answering “We gone be careful.” She convinces, there will be not happened something bad of them. But, Minny denies by asking, “Hitch us to a pickup and drug us behind? Shoot me front my children?” that it does
not make sense.
Later, either Aibileen or Minny feel worried, they just do their activity as usual. In order the situation is quite enough, Aibileen violates the maxim of quantity by answering Minny’s question, “We ain’t doing
civil rights. We just telling stories like they really happen.” The utterance
shows that Aibileen do that because she gives more information for Minny in order the tight situation can be calming. So, Aibilien violates the maxim of quantity that included of more information which does not give a complete answer.
2) Violation of Maxim of Quantity by Minny
The fifth excerpt is taken from data number 48 (p.66).
Minny : And just what makes you think colored people need your help? Why do you care?
Aiblilien : Minny.
Minny : May be you just want to get Aibilien in trouble. (To Skeeter)
Skeeter : No. I want to show her perspective. So people might understand what it’s like from your side. Minny : Well it’s a real Fourth of July picnic. It’s what
The conversation happens in Aibileen’s home at the kitchen.
Aibileen and Skeeter begin an interview. Suddenly, Minny comes to Aibileen’s home. When Minny comes to Aibileen’s kitchen and knows
Skeeter, she asks to Skeeter, “And just what makes you think colored
people need your help? Why do you care?” After that, Aibileen calls
Minny to stop talking. But Minny continues her sentence to Skeeter by saying “May be you just want to get Aibileen in trouble”.Minny seems dislike if there is white people around of her life. Then, Skeeter gives a response that she just want to show the black people perspective, in order other people know how it is like from their side.
Here, Minny does not give a good response, she says “Well it’s a
real Fourth of July picnic. It’s what we dream a doing all weekend long
get back in their house to polish the silver. And we just love not making
minimum wage or getting Social Security.” It means that she proves how
the household boss of maids considered the black people in Jackson as a low class. This utterance shows that Minny gives more information, than is required. So, Minny violates the maxim of quantity by giving more information.
3) Violation of Maxim of Quantity by Skeeter
The sixth excerpt is taken from data number 5&6 (p.7-8). Receptionist : Eugenia Phelan, Mr. Blackly.
43
“Murrah High Editor, Ole Miss Rebel Rouser Editor, double major.” Woohoo. “Junior League Editor”… Damn girl, don’t you have any fun. Skeeter : Is that important?
Mr. Blackly : Do you have any references? Skeeter : Yes, sir. Right here.
Mr. Blackly : This is a rejection letter. Skeeter : Not exactly. Miss Stein- Mr. Blackly : Stein!
Skeeter : Elaine Stein, Senior Editor at Harper and Row Publishing, in New York. (5)
Mr. Blackly : Oh, Lord.
Skeeter : I’m going to be a serious writer, Mr. Blackly. I applied for a job but Miss Stein just thought-
Mr. Blackly : -she said “no”.
Skeeter : Well, until I gain some experiences! See, it says
it right there, “Great potential…Gain some experience and please apply again.” (6)
As shown in the conversation above, there are two kinds of violations of quantity maxim which is included of more informative that is done by Skeeter. She will apply a job in Mr. Blackly’s office. His full name is Mr. Harold Blackly, 60. At the first time, he sees the curriculum vitae of Skeeter and asks another qualification of her application. Then, the maxim of quantity because she gives more information to Mr. Blackly, who is Stein actually. The sentence “Elaine Stein, Senior Editor at Harper
information than is required from her interlocutor. It shows that Skeeter has less experience to get a job. That is why she applies in Jackson Journal Newspaper. She continuous her saying that she wants to be a serious writer. But, she explains to him that before applying to Mr. Blackly’s office, Miss Stein asked to her to look for some other experiences. Then, Mr. Blackly says “-She said “no”.
In data number 6, Skeeter answers and explains more information that she has to convince to Mr. Blackly to accept her in his office. Skeeter’s utterance, “Well, until I gain some experiences! See, it says it
right there, “Great potential…Gain some experience and please apply
again,” shows that she still wants Mr. Blackly can be able to accept her as a writer in Jackson. So, she violates the maxim of quantity in which more informative.
4.1.1.2 The Violation of Maxim of Quality
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Table 4.2 Fulfillment of Violation of Quality Maxim
No Characters V.
MQl Data Total Percentage
1. Aibileen N.t - - -
2. Minny N.t p.10 (9), p.8 (61) 2 3,2 %
3. Skeeter N.t p.7 (4), p.26 (23), p.35 (32), p.37 (33), p.64 (47), p.82 (55), p.85 (56)
7 10,8 %
As the table is shown above, violation of quality maxim can be seen from the data that the writer did not find the data of Aibileen. It is caused she does not violate the quality maxim in her conversation, so that, there is no number as seen in the table above. Later, Minny violates the maxim of quality which contains of not truth is the less done, that is, two times data (3, 2%). Whereas, Skeeter violates the maxim of quality that contains not truth is most often done seven times data (10, 8%). Therefore, the writer describes that the violation of quality maxim is done by Minny and Skeeter.
4.1.1.2.1 Being Not Truth
1) Violation of Maxim of Quality by Minny
The seventh excerpt is taken from data number 9 (p.10).
Minny : Missus Walters?! You need help coming down? Missus Walter : I’m down. Been down.
Minny : Gone give me a heart attack!
The conversation happens between Minny and Missus Walter, 60. It is in Hilly’s home. Missus Walter is Hilly’s mother. When Hilly asks to
Minny to call her mother she is carefully rolling the paper back up in the roll. Then, Minny looks for Missus Walter, “Missus Walters?! You need
help coming down?” But Missus Walter is just at down floor, “I’m down.
Been down.”
Later, Minny’s utterance, “Gone give me a heart attack!” is the
utterance that breaks the rule of quality maxim. Minny violates the maxim of quality by giving untrue information. She is wrong because she does not give true utterance. She lies that she got a heart attack when she is looking for Missus Walter in up stair. So, Minny disobeys the rule of violation of quality maxim.
2) Violation of Maxim of Quality by Skeeter
The eighth excerpt is taken from data number 32 (p. 35).
Miss Stein : Look, no maid in her right mind is ever gonna tell you the truth. That’s a hell of a risk to take in a place like Jackson, Mississippi.
Skeeter : I already have a maid.
Miss Stein : Really? A Negro maid has already agreed to speak with you?
47
The dialogue above is between Skeeter and Miss Stein, 45, as Senior Editor at Harper and Row Publishing, in New York. When Miss Stein says, “Look, no maid in her right mind is ever gonna tell you the
truth. That’s a hell of a risk to take in a place like Jackson, Mississippi”
means she is sure that there is no maid who will tell their right mind. It defines that she downs the expectations of Skeeter to write a whole life of black maid when they work to the white families, or, how they felt about it that they cannot even use the toilets in white family’s house. Skeeter gives
a response, “I already have a maid.” This Skeeter’s utterance violates the maxim of quality because she lies that there were a black maid whom already agreed to be interviewed by her. And so do this utterance “Yes,
ma’am”, even it is correct answer but she reveals not to be true. She lies
about the maid. She had found the maids yet before. It means she violates the maxim of quality.
The ninth excerpt is taken from data number 33 (p. 37).
Skeeter : I want to interview you…about what it is like to work as a maid. I’d like to do a book of interviews about working for white families… Show what it’s like to work for, say…Elizabeth.
Aibileen : You know what’d happen if Miss Leefolt knew I was telling stories on her?
Skeeter : Well, I was thinking we wouldn’t tell her. The other maids would have to keep it a secret, too.
The dialogue above is the conversation between Skeeter and Aibileen. It happens in Elizabeth’s home yard. The dialogue tells that
families. Hence, she will interview Aibileen to get the information of maid, for example how is the feeling of being Elizabeth’s maid and takes
care of Elizabeth’s baby. Then, Aibileen gives a question to Skeeter, “You
know what’d happen if Miss Leefolt knew I was telling stories on her?” By
answering Aibileen’s question, Skeeter says “Well, I was thinking we
wouldn’t tell her. The other maids would have to keep it a secret, too.” So
that, she gives untrue information to Aibileen. Therefore, she violates the maxim of quality because she reveals not being truthful.
4.1.1.3 The Violation of Maxim of Relevance
The violation of maxim of relevance occurs when a speaker gives information relevantly. According Grice (1975), assumes, that as far as the maxim of relevance, in which the speaker should relevant to the ongoing conversation and move the conversation in a definite direction. The writer discovers violation of relevance maxim in the utterances of three characters. The utterance is categorized as violation of relevance maxim because it does not fulfill the rule of maxim of relevance. Here, the table shows the percentages of violation of relevance maxim which is done by three main characters, they are, Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter.
Table 4.3 Fulfillment of Violation of Relevance Maxim
No Characters V. MRv Data Total Percentage
1. Aibileen N.r p.14 (13), p.45 (37), p.52
(44) 3
4,6 %
2. Minny N.r p.10 (8), p.14 (10), p.14
(11), p.59 (45), p.67 (49), 7
