An Analysis of Directive Speech Acts in Acha's Utterances in Mariposa Movie (2020)

Abstract

This study examines how directive speech acts are used by female characters and how politeness strategies and gender stereotypes are represented in romantic interactions in Indonesian popular media. Unlike previous studies, which generally focus on classifying speech acts without linking them to issues of politeness and gender, this study examines the use of directive speech acts by Acha, the main character in the film Mariposa (2020), in her interactions with Iqbal. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method, with data consisting of 51 dialogues analyzed using the classification of directive speech acts according to Prayitno (2011), politeness strategies according to Brown and Levinson (1987), and gender stereotype categories according to Brannon (2002). The results show that requests are the most dominant type of directive speech act (39.22%), followed by advice (21.57%) and commands (13.73%). In addition, positive and negative politeness strategies were most frequently used, while attitude stereotypes were the most dominant form of gender stereotypes (62.75%). These findings show that women in Indonesian teen movies can display assertiveness and initiative in communication without neglecting politeness, thus contributing to pragmatic studies and gender studies in the context of Indonesian popular culture.