The Politeness Strategy in Enola Holmes (2020) Movie
A Pragmatic Analysis Based on Brown and Levinson’s Theory
Abstract
This article applies Brown and Levinson's politeness theory to analyze the use of language in the film Enola Holmes(2020). The purpose of this research is to explore how politeness strategies are presented in the film and how these strategies reflect or contradict the social and political norms of Victorian society. Set in England in the 1880s, the film shows Enola Holmes as a young woman who tries to fight against the patriarchal system through her words and actions. Using a qualitative approach, this study analyzes some of the selected scenes and dialogues to identify the use of politeness strategies, and the findings show that Enola prefers to use direct language more often than indirect language, a style of speech that in the Victorian era was generally associated with male authority thus reflecting her independence and rejection of traditional gender norms. This article also emphasizes how Brown and Levinson's theory, with its concepts of face, face-threatening acts (FTA), and four main politeness strategies (bald-on record, positive politeness, negative politeness, and off-record), becomes an important framework for understanding how language is used to negotiate power and social relationships between characters. Through this framework, it can be understood that Enola's use of politeness strategies is not only intended to maintain social relationships but also functions as a form of resistance against patriarchal structures. This article thus contributes to feminist linguistic studies and media studies by explaining how language in films can represent gender issues and social transformation.
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References
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