A study of indirect speech acts in “12 year a slave”

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY HỒ THỊ THANH THÚY A STUDY OF INDIRECT SPEECH ACTS IN “12 YEARS A SLAVE” Field: English linguistics Code: 22 02 01 Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Văn Long BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN HỒ THỊ THANH THUÝ NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ HÀNH VI NGÔN NGỮ GIÁN TIẾP TRONG PHIM “12 YEARS A SLAVE” Chuyên ngành: Ngôn ngữ Anh Mã số: 22 02 01 Người hướng dẫn: PGS.TS Nguyễn Văn Long i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP The thesis “A study of indirect speech acts in “12 years a slave”” is conducted by myself, and no other person‟s work has been used without acknowledgement in the research Moreover, this research has not been submitted for any other degree or diploma at any university Quy Nhon, 2021 HO THI THANH THUY ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Van Long, who provides me with his endless patience, thoughtful guidance and critical suggestions so that I can complete this thesis in time Secondly, I am so grateful to all the lecturers of the Department of Foreign Languages for providing me with precious materials and experience during the process of writing the thesis Last but not least, I would like to give my special thanks to my beloved family, friends, and colleagues who encourage me and give me the motivation to accomplish this thesis iii ABSTRACT Due to the significant contributions of indirect speech acts to comprehending language and the success of communication in daily life, the researcher decided to research with the aim of applying speech act theory into the analysis of indirectness in English discourse This thesis aims to conduct the linguistic features of indirect speech acts collected from conversations in “12 years a slave” Indirect speech act structures and indirect speech act functions are investigated with the help of quantitative and qualitative approaches as well as a combination of analytic, synthetic, descriptive and contrastive methods Some noticeable findings were presented in this thesis There are 116 samples of indirect speech acts selected in the conversations of slaves in this movie In terms of structure, the surface form matches the interactional function, but the literal meaning and intended meaning are different attains the most predominant frequency type in the total of structures of indirect speech acts realized in this film As regards function, there are 26 indirect speech act functions examined in the chosen conversations of the movie Some functions are used popularly, namely to refuse, to convince, to defend, to order, to protest, to insist, to promise, to express one’s anger and so on These findings are expected to contribute significantly to the better understanding of indirect speech acts uttered by slaves as well as the success of communication in “12 years a slave” iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study 1.2.1.Aim 1.2.2.Objectives 1.3 Research Questions 1.4 Scope of the Study 1.5 Significance of the Study 1.6 Organization of the Thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 An overview of the Speech Acts Theory 2.1.1.Definition of Speech Acts 2.1.2.Level of Speech Acts 2.1.3.Classification of Speech Acts 2.1.4.Direct and Indirect Speech Acts 10 2.1.5.The role of context in studying Speech Acts 13 2.2 An overview of Indirect Speech Acts 14 2.2.1.Definition of Indirect Speech Acts 14 2.2.2.Characteristics of Indirect Speech Acts 14 2.3 Sentence Structures 16 v 2.4 A Review of Previous Relevant Studies 19 CHAPTER 3: METHODS AND PROCEDURES 22 3.1 Research design 22 3.2 Research methods 22 3.3 Research procedures 23 3.4 Data Collection 23 3.5 Data Analysis 24 3.5.1.Analytical Framework 24 3.5.2.Analytical methods 26 3.4 Reliability and validity 26 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 27 4.1.Structural features of indirect speech acts uttered by Solomon Northup and other slaves in “12 years a slave” 27 4.1.1.Declaratives 29 4.1.1.1.A declarative structure for a question 29 4.1.1.2.A declarative for a command/request 30 4.1.1.3.A declarative structure for an exclamation 31 4.1.2.Interrogatives 32 4.1.2.1.Interrogative structure for a statement 33 4.1.2.2.Interrogative structure for a command/ request 34 4.1.2.3.Interrogative structure for an exclamation 35 4.1.4.Exclamatives 37 4.1.5.Others 37 4.2 Similarities and differences in structures of the examined indirect speech acts uttered by Solomon Northup and other slaves 39 4.3 Functional features of indirect speech acts uttered by Solomon Northup and other slaves in “12 years a slave” 40 vi 4.3.1.To refuse 41 4.3.2.To convince 43 4.3.3.To defend 44 4.3.4.To order/ Command/ Request 46 4.3.5.To warn 47 4.3.6.To protest 48 4.3.7.To insist 49 4.3.8.To promise 50 4.3.9.To apologize 52 4.3.10.To deny 52 4.3.11.To beg 53 4.3.12.To agree 55 4.3.13.To thank 56 4.3.14.To express one‟s sadness 57 4.3.15.To desire 58 4.3.16.To accuse 59 4.3.17.To complain 59 4.3.18.To explain 61 4.3.19.To ask for permission 61 4.3.20.To hesitate 62 4.3.21.To advise 63 4.3.22.To disagree 63 4.3.23.To express one‟s anger 64 4.3.24.To joke 65 4.3.25.To predict 66 4.3.26 To suggest 67 4.4 Similarities and differences in functions of the examined indirect vii speech acts uttered by Solomon Northup and other slaves 68 4.5 Summary 69 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 70 5.1 Conclusions 70 5.1 Conclusions relating to indirect speech act structures 70 5.1.2 Conclusions relating to indirect speech act functions 71 5.1.3 Conclusions relating to main similarities and differences 72 5.2 Implications of the study 74 5.3 Limitations of the Study 75 5.4 Suggestions for Further Research 75 REFERENCES 76 APPENDIXES viii LIST OF TABLES Table Title number 2.1 2.2 2.3 Comparisons of speech acts classification by Austin and Searle The relationship between the structural form and its communicative function Page 18 Table 2.3: The framework for analyzing the indirectness of speech acts 19 Distribution of structural features of indirect speech acts 4.1 uttered by Solomon Northup and other slaves in “12 years 28 a slave” Distribution of functional feature of indirect speech acts 4.2 uttered by Solomon Northup and other slaves in “12 years a slave” 40 - Armsby: What is it you ask? - Solomon: First, your word, sir (Declarative – Command / request: To order) 53 - Mrs Shaw: He - Solomon Northup: Master Epps has somehow come to believe that Master Shaw is something of a lothario A misguided belief, no doubt - Mrs Shaw: No doubt if not born out of truth itself - Solomon Northup: I meant no disrespect (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To apologize) 54 - Mrs Shaw: He ain't heard you - Solomon Northup: I meant no disrespect to you, Mistress - Mrs Shaw: Got no cause to worry for my sensibilities I ain't felt the end of a lash in more years I can recall I ain't worked a field, neither (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To apologize) 55 - Solomon Northup: I'll apologize for my appearance But I have had a difficult time these past several years Margaret Alonzo Who is this? - Margaret: He's my husband (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To apologize) 56 - Mr Epps: Strike her, Platt Strike her! You will strike her You will strike her until her flesh is rent and meat and blood flow equal or I will kill every nigger in my sight You understand me? Strike her! Strike her! Until I say no more I ain't said nothing! Give me the whip! Get up! - Solomon Northup: Thou devil! Sooner or later, somewhere in the course of eternal justice, thou shalt answer for this sin (Declarative – Exclamation: To express one‟s anger) 57 - Clemens: Survival's not about certain death, it's about keeping your head down - Solomon Northup: Days ago, I was with my family in my home Now you tell me all is lost "Tell no one who I am." That's the way to survive? Well, I don't want to survive I want to live (Declarative – Exclamation: To express one‟s sadness) 58 - Solomon Northup : I will no such thing The detail with which you speak - Patsey: I thought on it long and hard - Solomon : It is melancholia Nothing more How can you fall into such despair? (Interrogative – Exclamation: To Express one‟s sadness) 59 - Eliza : God! - Solomon Northup : Eliza Eliza Stop! Stop your wailing! If you let yourself be overcome by sorrow, you will drown in it (Declarative – Command/ Request: To advise) 60 - Eliza: Have you stopped crying for your children? You make no sounds, but will you ever let them go in your heart? - Solomon Northup: They are as my flesh (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To agree) 61 - Mrs Epps: Was he a learned man? - Solomon Northup: I suppose so - Mrs Epps: He learn you to read? - Solomon Northup: A word, here or there (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To agree) 62 - Bass: No part of this land I originate from Canada Now, guess where that is - Solomon Northup: I know where Canada is Montreal and Kingston and Queenston and a great many places And I have been in York state, too Buffalo and Rochester and Albany, and can tell you the names of the villages on the Erie canal and the Champlain canal (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To agree) 63 - Solomon: Do you believe, sir, in justice, as you said? - Bass: I - Solomon Northup: That slavery is an evil that should befall none? (Interrogative – Statement : To desire) 64 - Solomon Northup : Do you believe, sir, in justice, as you said? - Bass : I - Solomon Northup: That slavery is an evil that should befall none? - Solomon Northup: I believe so If you truly then I ask, I beg that you write my friends in the north acquainting them of my situation and beseeching them to forward free papers It would be an unspeakable happiness to see my wife and my family again (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To desire) 65 - Solomon Northup: There's no truth to it - Mr Epps : You say - Solomon Northup: How could I write a letter without ink or paper? Who am I gonna write to? I got no friends living as I know of That Armsby That Armsby is a lying, drunken fellow (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To accuse) 66 - Tibeats: And didn't I tell you to get a keg of nails? - Solomon Northup: And so, I did - Tibeats : So, you did God damn you I thought you knowed something! - Solomon Northup: I did as instructed If there's something wrong, it's wrong with the instruction (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To accuse) 67 - Patroller: Come here, boy Come on Where‟re you going, boy? - Solomon Northup: (almost tripping over his words) On the way to Bartholomew's Sent by Mistress Epps - Patroller : You best get there, then Get there quick (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To explain) 68 - Tibeats: You will not live to see another day, nigger! Help! Murder! I'm sorry! - Chapin: What is the matter? - Solomon Northup: Master Tibeats wants to whip me for using the nails you gave me (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To explain) 69 - Bass: Well-traveled for a slave How came you here? - Solomon Northup: Master Bass, if justice had been done, I never would have been here - Bass: How's this? Tell me all - Solomon Northup: I'm afraid to tell you (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To complain) 70 -Solomon: They are as smooth to the touch as a yearling's coat -Tibeats: Are you calling me a liar, boy? -Solomon: It's all a matter of perspective, sir From where you stand, you may see differently, but the hands are not mistaken I simply ask that you use all your senses before rendering judgment (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To complain) 71 - Solomon Northup: Master Bass, if justice had been done, I never would have been here - Bass: How's this? Tell me all - Solomon Northup: I'm afraid to tell you (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To hesitate) 72 - Solomon: One moment, sir, and you'll be assisted Mr Parker If we could discuss the price - Mr Parker: Oh, forgive me, Solomon Forgive me, Mrs Northup A customer waits Welcome, sir - Solomon : (To a customer) Shop well, but mind your wallet (Imperative – Statement: To joke) 73 - Solomon: We need a sympathetic ear An opportunity to explain our situation - Clemens: Who, in your estimation, is that sympathetic ear? - Solomon: The two men I journeyed with I'm certain they're making enquiries at this very moment (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To predict) 74 - Solomon Northup: At what price? - Anne: We will take it Children, come see what you father has just purchased for me - Solomon Northup: One moment, sir, and you'll be assisted Mr Parker If we could discuss the price (Declarative – Command/ Request: To suggest) 75 - Mr Brown: Solomon, 43 dollars All to you - Solomon Northup: That is far more than my wages amount to It's been a most profitable week, sir Gentlemen, your generosity is extraordinary (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To thank) 76 - Mr Brown: Hamilton, you know too much - Mr Hamilton : Some say not enough - Mr Brown: Solomon, 43 dollars All to you - Solomon Northup: That is far more than my wages amount to It's been a most profitable week, sir (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To thank) 77 - Mr Moon: Mr Northup! I have two gentlemen whose acquaintance you should make Misters Brown and Hamilton Mr Northup, these two gentlemen were inquiring about distinguished individuals and I was just this very moment saying Solomon Northup is an expert player on the violin He was indeed - Solomon Northup: Mr Moon is being overly gracious (Literal meaning # Intended meaning: To thank) 78 - Clemens: Survival's not about certain death, it's about keeping your head down - Solomon Northup: Days ago, I was with my family in my home Now you tell me all is lost "Tell no one who I am." That's the way to survive? Well, I don't want to survive I want to live (Literal meaning # Intended meaning: To disagree) 79 - Mr Shaw: Platt Epps, good Sunday morning - Solomon: Good morning, Master Shaw Master sent me to retrieve Patsey May I approach? (Interrogative - Command/ Request: To ask for permission) 80 - Anne: You don't - Solomon Northup: Be good for your mother Okay, Alozon - Solomon Northup: Can I get a kiss, please? Thank you Travel safety (Interrogative - Command/ Request: To ask for permission) 81 - Solomon Northup: Excuse me, Mistress Shaw - Mrs Shaw: Nigger Platt - Solomon Northup: Patsey, Master wishes you to return - Patsey: The Sabbath day, I is free to roam (Declarative – Command/ Request: To order) 82 - Solomon Northup: It's a tragedy - Armsby: How does such come to pass? Working a field and picking cotton like a lowly hand I'm of a damn sight better station I worked as an overseer, you know - Solomon Northup: I did not know, sir (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To apologize) 83 - Bass : I - Solomon Northup: That slavery is an evil that should befall none? - Solomon Northup: I believe so If you truly then, I beg that you write my friends in the north acquainting them of my situation and beseeching them to forward free papers It would be an unspeakable happiness to see my wife and my family again (Declarative – Command/ Request: To order) 84 - Solomon Northup: The proceeds of my fiddling performances Just a few picayunes, but all I have in the world I promise them to you if you will me the favor I require But I beg you not to expose me if you cannot grant the request - Armsby: What is it you ask? - Solomon Northup: First, your word, sir (Declarative – Command/ request: To order) 85 - Captain: Free him! - Clemens: Master Master Ray, sir - Solomon Northup: Clemens Clemens - Captain: Get him back! (Declarative – Command/ request: To order) 86 -Anne : It's beautiful -Solomon Northup : At what price? -Anne : We will take it Children, come see what you father has just purchased for me (Interrogative – Statement: To hesitate) 87 -Solomon Northup: Excuse me, Mistress Shaw -Mrs Shaw: Nigger Platt -Solomon Northup: Patsey, Master wishes you to return -Patsey: The Sabbath day, I is free to roam (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To Refuse) 88 -Patsey: Platt Platt, you awake? -Solomon Northup: I am -Patsey: I have a request An act of kindness I secreted it from the mistress (Declarative – Command/ Request: To order) 89 -Patsey: I have a request An act of kindness I secreted it from the mistress -Solomon: Return it -Patsey: It yours, Platt (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To beg) 90 -Solomon Northup: I will no such thing The detail with which you speak -Patsey: I thought on it long and hard (Intended meaning# Literal meaning: To convince) 91 -Patsey: I thought on it long and hard -Solomon Northup: It is melancholia.Nothing more How can you fall into such despair? -Patsey: How can you not know? (Interrogative – Exclamation: To Express one‟s sadness) 92 -Solomon Northup: It is melancholia.Nothing more How can you fall into such despair? -Patsey: How can you not know I ain't got no comfort in this life If I can't buy mercy from you I'll beg it (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To convince) 93 -Patsey: I'm begging you -Solomon Northup: Why? Why would you consign me to damnation with such an ungodly request? -Patsey: There is God here! God is merciful and he forgive merciful acts Won't be no hell for you Do it Do what I ain't got the strength to myself (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To convince) 94 -Patsey: Master Epps -Mr Epps: You miserable wench Where you been? -Patsey: I been nowhere (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To deny) 95 -Mr Epps: Lies to your misdeeds! -Patsey: The Sabbath day, Master I took me a walk to commune with the Lord (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To protest) 96 -Mr Epps: Now, you speak? Now that you want to add to her lies, you find your tongue! -Patsey: I went to Master Shaw's plantation (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To agree) 97 -Mr Epps: Ah! You admit it -Patsey: Yes, freely And you know why? I got this from Mistress Shaw Mistress Epps won't even grant me no soap to clean with I stink so much, I make myself gag! 500 pounds of cotton Day in, day out! More than any man here And for that, I will be clean That's all I ask This, here, what I went to Shaw's for (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To defend) 98 -Mr Epps: Liar -Patsey: The Lord knows that's all! -Mr Epps: You're a liar (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To beg) 99 -Mr Epps: You're a liar -Patsey: And you, blind with your own covetousness! I don't lie, Master.If you kill me, I'll stick to that (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To complain) 100 -Patsey: And you, blind with your own covetousness! I don't lie, Master.If you kill me, I'll stick to that -Mr Epps: I'll fetch you down I'll learn you to go to Shaw's Treach Run and fetch some line Strip her Strike her bare and lash her to the post (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To insist) 101 - Mr Epps: I'll fetch you down I'll learn you to go to Shaw's Treach Run and fetch some line Strip her Strike her bare and lash her to the post -Patsey: No (Declarative- Exclamation: Express one‟s sadness) 102 -Mr Epps: Beat her Give her the whip! Give it all to her! Platt, you come here and you beat her now Platt! Come here! -Patsey: I'd rather it you, Platt (Declarative- Command/ Request: Order) 103 -Eliza: Do not divide my family Do not take me unless you take my children -Freeman: Eliza! Quiet! -Eliza: You will have the most faithful slave in me The most faithful slave that has ever lived But I beg that you not separate us (Intended meaning# Literal meaning: To beg) 104 -Mr Ford: I will take the ones Platt and Eliza -Freeman: Sold, Eliza and Platt -Eliza: I will not go without my children (Intended meaning# Literal meaning: To protest) 105 -Solomon Northup: Eliza Eliza Stop! Stop your wailing! If you let yourself be overcome by sorrow, you will drown in it -Eliza: Have you stopped crying for your children? You make no sounds, but will you ever let them go in your heart (Interrogative – Exclamation: Express one‟s anger) 106 -Solomon Northup: Eliza Eliza Stop! Stop your wailing! If you let yourself be overcome by sorrow, you will drown in it -Eliza: Have you stopped crying for your children? You make no sounds, but will you ever let them go in your heart? (Interrogative – Exclamation: Express one‟s anger) 107 -Solomon : They are as my flesh -Eliza: Then who is distressed? Do I upset the master and the mistress? Do you careless about my loss than their well-being? (Interrogative – Exclamation: Express one‟s anger) 108 -Eliza: Then who is distressed? Do I upset the master and the mistress? Do you careless about my loss than their well-being? -Solomon : Master Ford is a decent man (Interrogative – Exclamation: Express one‟s anger) 109 -Solomon Northup: Master Ford is a decent man -Eliza: He is a slaver! Solomon Northup: Under the circumstances (Intended meaning# Literal meaning: To protest) 110 -Eliza: He is a slaver! -Solomon Northup: Under the circumstances -Eliza: Under the circumstances, he is a slaver (Intended meaning# Literal meaning: To protest) 111 -Eliza: Under the circumstances, he is a slaver But you truckle at his boot You luxuriate in his favor -SolomonNorthup: I survive! I will not fall into despair! I will offer up my talents to Master Ford! I will keep myself hearty until freedom is opportune! (Intended meaning# Literal meaning: To complain) 112 -Solomon Northup: I survive! I will not fall into despair! I will offer up my talents to Master Ford! I will keep myself hearty until freedom is opportune! -Eliza: Ford is your opportunity? You think he does not know that you are more than you suggest? But he does nothing for you Nothing You are no better than prized livestock Call for him Call! Tell him of your previous circumstances, and see what it earns you, Solomon So, you've settled into your role as Platt, then? (Interrogative – Statement: To complain) 113 -Solomon: My back is thick with scars for protesting my freedom Do not accuse me -Eliza: I accuse you of nothing I cannot accuse (Intended meaning# Literal meaning:To deny) 114 -Solomon: My back is thick with scars for protesting my freedom Do not accuse me -Eliza: I accuse you of nothing I cannot accuse I have done dishonorable things to survive and for all of them, I have ended up here (Declarative – exclamation: Express one‟ssadness) 115 -Freeman: Goddamn sniveling wench! -Eliza: You will not take them from me! -Freeman: God damn you! I will give you something to cry about, you goddamned witch! Get her out of here, Cape! Out, now! Mr Ford, a pleasure (Intended meaning# Literal meaning: To protest) 116 -Patsey: Platt! -Mr Epps: Get my horse, Treach Get away from him, Pats -Patsey: I'm gonna be seeing you real soon (Intended meaning # Literal meaning: To promise) ... structures and functions of indirect speech acts in “12 years a slave” Also, it gives assistance in finding out the characteristics of indirect speech acts The quantitative approach analyses the data... Northup and other slaves in “12 years a slave” - To clarify the functions of the examined indirect speech acts uttered by Black people including Solomon Northup and other slaves in “12 years a slave”. .. introduced in conversations of the movie “12 years a slave”, and how often are they realized? - What are the functions of indirect speech acts introduced in conversations of the movie “12 years a slave",