Analysis of The Typical Language Used By Male and Female Major Characters and Its Violation in The Movie 'Titanic'.

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Maranatha Christian University i

ABSTRACT

Untuk penulisan Tugas Akhir ini, saya memilih sebuah film yang berjudul

‘Titanic’. Film tersebut memiliki dua versi, namun saya memilih versi yang

terbaru dan lebih modern. Film tersebut memiliki beberapa aspek linguistik yang hendak saya bahas dalam Tugas Akhir ini.

Saya membahas ciri khas dari bahasa-bahasa yang digunakan baik oleh pria ataupun wanita dalam hal ini saya akan memusatkan pembahasan saya pada empat tokoh utama dalam film ‘Titanic’ yaitu Cal, Jack, Rose dan ibunya, Ruth, berdasarkan dari teori-teori yang dikemukakan oleh seorang linguis berkebangsaan Amerika yang bernama Robin Lakoff.

Robin Lakoff mengemukakan bahwa ada sepuluh ciri khas bahasa yang digunakan oleh wanita pada umumnya. Bertolak dari teori itu, dapat kita lihat bahwa ciri khas bahasa yang digunakan oleh pria adalah kebalikan dari pelbagai teori tersebut. Di samping itu, dalam Tugas Akhir ini, saya akan membahas berbagai penyimpangan bahasa yang digunakan oleh keempat tokoh utama tersebut yang saya temukan dalam film ‘Titanic’.

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Maranatha Christian University ii

Dalam teorinya, Lakoff mengemukakan dengan jelas bahwa faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi seseorang dalam menggunakan suatu bahasa tertentu didasarkan pada empat aspek, yaitu mitra tutur, topik pembicaraan, konteks, dan fungsinya.

Hasil penelitian saya menyimpulkan bahwa pria dan wanita memiliki perbedaan dalam penggunaan bahasa serta mereka memiliki ciri khas bahasa masing-masing. Di samping itu, saya juga menyimpulkan bahwa sepuluh teori yang dikemukakan oleh Robin Lakoff terbukti dan terlihat jelas dalam film yang saya analisa setelah melihat persentasi yang dihasilkan. Dari kesepuluh ciri khas bahasa yang digunakan wanita menurut Robin Lakoff terbukti digunakan oleh kedua tokoh utama wanita dalam film ‘Titanic’ dibandingkan oleh pria.

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Maranatha Christian University iii

APPENDICES

A. Typical Male Language in Caledon ‘Cal’ Hockley (Rose’s fiancée)

No. Linguistic Feature according to Lakoff

Utterances

1 Not using ‘hyper correct’ grammar

1. CAL: And when I crawl between the sheets tonight, I'll still be the first.

TRUDY: S'cuse me, Miss.

CAL: The first and only. Forever.

2. GRACIE: Joining us, Dawson? You don't want to stay out here with the women, do you? JACK: No thanks. I'm heading back.

CAL : Probably best. It'll be all business and politics, that sort of thing. Wouldn't interest you. Good of you to come.

3. RUTH: Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded-- ROSE: Oh, Mother shut up! Don't you

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2. Using Swear Words 1. MURDOCH: I'll shoot any man who tries to get

3. STEWARD BARNES: There's no cause for alarm. Please, go back to your rooms.

STEWARD BARNES: Please, sir. There's no emergency--

CAL: Yes there is, I have been robbed. Now get the Master at Arms. Now, you moron!

4. CAL: It's just the God damned English doing everything by the book.

RUTH: There's no need for language, Mr. Hockley. (to Trudy) Go back and turn the heater on in my room, so it won't be too

Language Violation conducted by Cal

Utterances

1 Intensifiers 1. CAL: It's just the God damned English doing everything by the book.

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2 doesn’t look any bigger than the

Mauretania.

CAL: Your daughter is much too hard to impress, Ruth.

RUTH: So this is the ship they say is unsinkable.

B. Typical Male Language in Jack Dawson

2. JACK: Ever been to Wisconsin?

ROSE: No.

1. JACK: Goin' home... to the land o' the free and the home of the real hot-dogs! On the

Titanic!! We're ridin' in high style now!

We're practically goddamned royalty, ragazzo mio!!

PUBKEEPER: No, mate. Titanic go to America. In five minutes.

JACK: Shit!! Come on, Fabri!

JACK: We are the luckiest sons of bitches in the

world!

2. ROSE: Something serious has happened.

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other. (to Master at Arms) Search him. (The Master at Arms steps up to Jack). MASTER AT ARMS: Coat off, mate.

(Lovejoy pulls at Jack's coat and Jack shakes his head in dismay, shrugging out of it. The Master at Arms pats him down).

JACK: This is horseshit.

3. (Jack pulls on the pipe with all his strength. It's not budging. He hears gurgling sound. Water pours under the door, spreading rapidly across the floor).

JACK: Shit. (He tries to pull one hand out of the cuffs, working until the skin is raw... no good.)

JACK: Help!! Somebody!! Can anybody hear

me?!

4. JACK: Nice work, there, Paul Bunyan.

(He climbs down into the water next to her. He can't breathe for a second).

JACK: Shit! Excuse my French. Ow ow ow, that is cold! Come on, let's go.

(They wade out into the hall. Rose starts toward the stairs going up, but Jack stops her. There is only about a foot of the stairwell opening visible).

JACK: Too deep. We gotta find another way out.

5. STEWARD: Go to the main stairwell, with everyone else. It'll all get sorted out there.

(Jack takes one look at this scene and finally just loses it).

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Language Violation conducted by Jack No. Linguistic Feature

according to Lakoff

1. JACK: I'm a good swimmer. (He starts unlacing his left shoe).

ROSE: The fall alone would kill you.

JACK: It would hurt. I'm not saying it wouldn't. To be honest I'm a lot more concerned about the water being so cold.

ROSE: (She looks down. The reality factor of what she is doing is sinking in) How cold?

2. JACK: Rose, Rose, you're so stupid, you're such an idiot—(And all the while he's kissing her and holding her as tight as he can). ROSE: You jump, I jump, right?

JACK: Right.

1. ROSE: (angry in a flash) Listen, buster... I hate caviar! And I'm tired of people dismissing my dreams with a chuckle and a pat on the head.

JACK: I'm sorry. Really... I am. C. Typical Female Language in Rose De Witt Bukater

Utterances

1 Emphatic Stress 1. CAL: What made you think you could put your

hands on my fiancée?! Look at me, you filth! What did you think you were doing?!

ROSE: Cal, stop! It was an accident. CAL: An accident?!

ROSE: It was... stupid really. I was leaning over and I slipped. (Rose looks at Jack, getting eye contact).

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2 Intensifiers

are.

JACK: Well, they didn't think too much of 'em in Paree.

ROSE: Oh no! Oh, I'm so sorry. Truly!

3. ISMAY: His blood and soul are in the ship. She may be mine on paper, but in the eyes of God she belongs to Thomas Andrews. ROSE: Your ship is a wonder, Mr. Andrews.

Truly.

ANDREWS: Thank you, Rose.

1. ROSE: Look, I know what you must be thinking! Poor little rich girl. What does she know about misery?

JACK: That's not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was... what could have happened to hurt this girl so much she though she had no way out.

ROSE: I don't... it wasn't just one thing. It was

everything. It was them, it was their

whole world. And I was trapped in it, like an insect in amber.

2. ROSE: Jack, these are quite good! Really, they are.

JACK: Well, they didn't think too much of 'em in Paree.

ROSE: Oh no! Oh, I'm so sorry. Truly!

3. ROSE: (girlish and excited) You know, my dream has always been to just chuck it all and become an artist... living in a garret, poor but free!

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3 choices are never easy.

5. JACK: See if you can find a key for these. Try those drawers. It's a little brass one. (She kisses his face and hugs him again, then

starts to go through the desk).

JACK: So... how did you find out I didn't do it?

1. JACK: Uh huh. They'll be sorry. 'Course you'll be dead.

ROSE:(she lowers her head) Oh God, I am such an utter fool.

2. CAL: I intended to save this till the engagement gals next week. But I thought tonight, perhaps a reminder of my feeling for you... ROSE: My God... Cal. Is it a--

CAL: Diamond. Yes it is. 56 carats.

3. JACK: Alright, we're going. We'll drink cheap beer and go on the roller coaster until we throw up and we'll ride horses on the beach... right in the surf... but you have to ride like a cowboy, none of that side-saddle stuff.

ROSE: You mean one leg on each side? Scandalous! Can you show me?

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5

2. ROSE: Mother, may I introduce Jack Dawson.

RUTH: Charmed, I'm sure.

1. ROSE: (girlish and excited) You know, my dream has always been to just chuck it all and become an artist... living in a garret, poor but free!

2. ROSE: (angry in a flash) Listen, buster... I hate caviar! And I'm tired of people dismissing my dreams with a chuckle and a pat on the head.

JACK: I'm sorry. Really... I am.

ROSE: Well, alright. There's something in me, Jack. I feel it. I don't know what it is, whether I should be an artist, or, I don't know... a dancer. Like Isadora Duncan.... a wild pagan spirit... suddenly) Look! A shooting star.

Language Violation conducted by Rose

Utterances

1 Swear words 1. ROSE: (angry in a flash) Listen, buster... I hate caviar! And I'm tired of people dismissing my dreams with a chuckle and a pat on the head.

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2 Not using ‘hypercorrect’ grammar

class? I hope they're not too crowded-- ROSE: Oh, Mother shut up! (Ruth freezes,

mouth open) Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats... not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die. CAL: Not the better half. (PUSH IN ON

ROSE'S FACE as it hits her like a thunderbolt. Jack is third class. He doesn't stand a chance. Another rocket bursts overhead, bathing her face in white light). ROSE: You unimaginable bastard.

3. OPERATOR: Sorry, miss, lifts are closed— (Without thinking she grabs him and shoves him back into the lift).

ROSE: I'm through with being polite, goddamnit!! I may never be polite the

rest of my life! Now take me down!!

1. JACK: Where to, Miss?

ROSE: To the stars. (ON JACK as her hands come out of the shadows and pull him over the seat into the back. He lands next to her, and his breath seems loud in the quiet darkness. He looks at her and she is smiling. It is the moment of truth).

D. Typical Female Language in Ruth De Witt Bukater

Utterances

1 Lexical

Hedges/Fillers

1. JACK: Well, right now my address is the RMS

Titanic. After that, I'm on God's good

humor. ( Salad is served. Jack reaches for the fish fork. Rose gives him a look and picks up the salad fork, prompting him with her eyes. He changes forks).

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2 about the male preoccupation with size might be of particular interest to you, Mr. Ismay.

(Andrews chokes on his breadstick, suppressing laughter).

RUTH: My God, Rose, what's gotten into-- 2. RUTH: Do you want to see me working as a

seamstress? Is that what you want? Do you want to see our fine things sold at an auction, our memories scattered to the winds? My God, Rose, how can you be so selfish?

ROSE: It's so unfair.

1. MOLLY: Hello girls, I was hoping I'd catch you at tea.

RUTH: We're awfully sorry you missed it. The Countess and I are just off to take the air on the boat deck.

2. ROSE: Shall we go dress, mother? (over her shoulder) See you at dinner, Jack.

RUTH: (as they walk away) Rose, look at you... out in the sun with no hat. Honestly! 1. MOLLY: Hello girls, I was hoping I'd catch you

at tea.

RUTH: We're awfully sorry you missed it. The Countess and I are just off to take the air on the boat deck.

1. ROSE: Mother, may I introduce Jack Dawson.

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Maranatha Christian University 1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The topic of my thesis is the analysis of the typical language used by male

and female major characters and its violation in the movie ‘Titanic’.

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In the topic of Language and Gender, it is said that the language used by males and that of females is different. Basically, males are more free to use their language than females are. On the other hand, it is not easy for females to express their ideas within their language (Holmes, 2001: 158). Females have some rules which control their attitude and language, especially in a patriarchal society. According to Holmes, females use more standard forms than males do because females are more status-conscious than males (2001: 157). They are more aware of the fact that the way they speak indicates their social background or social status. The society is inclined to expect females to behave better than males; therefore, they should speak more standard than males (Holmes, 2001:158).

For showing males’ solidarity, masculinity, and toughness, males usually use vernacular more often (Holmes, 2001: 154). Females’ topics of conversation are concerned with personal relationships, experiences, problems and feelings. However, males do not talk about their emotion; instead they talk about sports, women, machines, authority, competition (Holmes, 2001:299). Furthermore, female is less direct than male. In addition, females pay more attention to details. In general, females are indecisive, more co-operative, nag, ask more questions, and support each other. (Holmes, 2001: 297)

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I choose a movie as the data source for the reason that a movie can provide detailed information, such as dialogue, context, intonation, situation, events, setting, and also characters. When watching a movie, the audience does not need to use as much imagination as they do when they read a book or novel.

The movie that I choose to discuss is entitled Titanic. There are two versions of the legendary movie Titanic, and I choose the most recent version of

Titanic, directed by James Cameron. This movie tells about the sinking of a big

ship called Titanic when sailing from England to America in 1912 because it crashed in to an iceberg.

The setting of place of Titanic is in England. England is a patriarchal country. Patriarchal refers to a system, which is ruled or controlled by men. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English: 1995). ‘Much early feminist’s thought presupposed that there was a more or less simple correlation between males and power and females and powerlessness. (Lakoff, 1975; Spender, 1980 in linguisticspoliteness.eclipse.2005).

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I am interested in analyzing the typical language in the movie used by males, through Cal and Jack, and the females through Rose and Ruth. They are the major characters of the movie Titanic. In this movie, I find that the male and female characters use typical language; on the other hand, I also notice that there are times when the female characters are not consistent to use the typical language for females, nor are the male characters. In other words, they have violated a convention in using language.

This kind of topic is included in the area of Sociolinguistics. According to Janet Holmes, Sociolinguistics is concerned with the relationship between language and the context in which it is used. (2001: 1)

Statement of the Problem

The problems analyzed in this thesis are formulated as follows:

1. What utterances indicate the typical language used by the male and female characters in the movie Titanic?

2. What utterances show the violation of the language used by the four major characters based on gender?

3. What are the factors that influence the violation?

Purpose of the Study

Based on the statement of the problem, the purpose of the thesis is:

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2. To present the utterances that show the violation of the language used by the four major characters based on gender.

3. To present the factors which influence the violation.

Methods of Research

The method of research used in this thesis follows this procedure. First of all, I collect the data in the form of the utterances used by the four major characters, Cal, Jack, Rose, and Ruth, in the movie ‘Titanic’ to show the typical language used by male and female. I also use some references from the library as well as from the Internet. Second, I select and classify the data. Then they are analyzed. Finally, I write a research report.

Organization of the Thesis

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CHAPTER FOUR

CONCLUSION

This chapter consists of some conclusions that I use in my thesis based on

the previous chapter. Sociolinguistics is the approach. By using this approach, I

am aware that there is a number of information which is given especially to know

the typical language used by males and females. Males and females have some

characteristics in their using language. Robin Lakoff in her theory has mentioned

that a female has at least ten features typical language. By applying her theory, I

assume that the typical language used by a male is the opposite of it.

By adopting Lakoff’s theory concerning the typical language used by

females, I can see that males and females make some violations in using their

typical language. The violations are influenced by some factors, which not only

come from the participants but also are influenced by the function and context.

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The relationship between the speakers and listeners in conversation is very

important. There are some factors that influence the factors. Those are

participants, including age, social status, and gender; context, whether they are

angry or not, happy or not, etc.; the topic, what is being talked about between the

participants and the speakers; and the function as well as the reason why they are

speaking. These factors are very important in our daily conversation.

In my analysis, I find that some typical language used by males are based

on Lakoff’s theory together with females’ typical language and the violation in

the movie ‘Titanic’ through the four major characters. Those are Jack, Cal, Rose,

and Ruth.

The typical language used by Cal are: not using ‘hypercorrect’ grammar,

and using swear word. They are also found in typical male language used by Jack.

While analysing the movie, I also find some violations conducted by the

two of male and female characters. Language violation conducted by Cal are

intensifiers, and avoidance of strong swear words, while language violation made

by Jack are intensifiers and emphatic stresses. Males use violations in his

language. They just try to be polite in front of the participants. They also see the

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important influence in using the violation . When males are talking to a woman,

they use a polite form such as the avoidance of strong swear words, intensifiers,

or ‘hypercorrect’ grammar.

While typical language used by Rose is emphatic stresses, intensifiers,

avoidance of strong swear words, polite forms, lexical hedges/fillers, and tag

question. The typical female language in Ruth are Lexical hedges/fillers,

avoidance of strong swear words, emphatic stress, intensifiers, and “empty”

adjectives. Females use lexical hedges/fillers, intensifiers, tag questions, emphatic

stress for showing they lack self-confidence. They want to keep their relationship

on good terms with other people. Because of their indecisiveness, they ask more

questions and want to make certain that nothing is wrong with her. Therefore,

they use tag questions in their utterances. Society accepts females as educated or

polite females from their using language; thus, they use avoid using strong swear

words and use more of the polite forms.

Whereas language violation done by Rose is using swear words and not

using ‘hypercorrect’ grammar; nevertheless, I do not find language violation done

by Ruth, Rose’s mother. Ruth in her language reflects the typical language used

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middle-class society; as a result, she always keeps her good attitude in front of the

public, especially in her society. By keeping her good attitude, she wants to be

accepted by the society and she does not want to be considered an uneducated

female. She uses her language carefully.

While analysing the movie, I just find two significant typical language

used by males and females, those are swear words and using ‘hypercorrect’

grammar. In this movie, males use more swear words than females do. Both Rose

and Ruth belong to the middle-class society, and thus they use less swear words

than males. They want to be accepted as well as considered as educated females

by their society. Swear words refer to something ‘dirty’; consequently, females

avoid using swear words. On the other hand, Rose uses some swear words in her

utterance, and thus she violates the theory. Rose uses swear words when she gets

angry. Besides, Rose’s participants influence her to use swear words. In the movie,

Rose uses swear words only when she is angry with males. Even though she gets

angry with her mother, she does not use strong swear words. When she is angry

with another female, she uses swear words usually used by females when they get

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On the other hand, when males use swear words, it does not depend on the

participants, they can use swear words when they are talking to both males and

females. However, the social roles influence the use of swear words. Cal and Jack

have different status in society; accordingly, they have different ways of using

swear words. Jack uses swear words not only when he gets angry but also when

he is happy or joking while Cal uses swear words when he only gets angry.

Males do not use ‘hypercorrect’ grammar; it shows that males use

straightforward languages to express his feelings, emotions, or anger. Males are

more direct than women. In my opinion, the participants have important

influences to the speakers in using language. When males are talking with females,

sometimes males use ‘hypercorrect’ grammar to express their ideas for the reason

that males want to get sympathy or attention more from the participants, in this

case the participants are females. In my opinion, when females use ‘hypercorrect’

grammar, it shows that females want to gain more attention from the participants

and in general females are more talkative than males.

To end my conclusion, after I have analysed and classified the data based

on the movie ‘Titanic’, I conclude that females use more typical language based

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Eighty percents of Lakoff’s theory can be found in the two females characters’

utterances while males use twenty percents of the theory. In my opinion, the ten

features typical language used by females can be observed in reality even though

males together with females have some violations in their language, but it is not

significant. In my analysis, the violations is used both by males and females are

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

References

Holmes, Janet. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics (Second edition). Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2001.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (Third edition). Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2001.

Richards, Jake, John Plast, and Heidi Weber. Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited, 1985.

Internet Websites

Script of the Movie ‘Titanic’. 3 May 2004. Cloth Monkey. May 2005 <http://www.clothmonkey.com/home1-6.htm>

Sims, Andrea D. Language and Gender. 5 April 2006

<http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/language_gender.html>. Vandergriff, Jim. Is There a Women's Language?. 28 April 2006

<http://faculty.knox.edu/jvanderg/Women's%20English.html>. Gender and Politeness: Theorising of Power. 16 May 2005

<http://www.linguisticpoliteness.eclipse.co.uk/Gender%20and%20Politen ess.htm>

Analysis of The Typical Language Used By Male and Female Major Characters and Its Violation in The Movie 'Titanic'.

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPENDICES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER FOUR

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY