ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS UTTERED BY THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN “MONSTERS, INC. MOVIE SCRIPT

Abstract

This study analyzes the illocutionary acts uttered by the two main characters in the Monsters, Inc. movie script and examines their anaphoric meanings. Language in animated films not only entertains but also reflects natural communication, where speech acts and reference play a crucial role in delivering meaning. Therefore, this research aims to explore how the main characters perform various illocutionary acts and how anaphora contributes to understanding those acts within the movie dialogue. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method. The data are taken from the Monsters, Inc. movie script and analyzed based on Cutting’s (2002) theory of illocutionary acts, focusing on five types: representative, directive, commissive, expressive, and declarative. The objectives of this research are (1) to find out the types of illocutionary acts uttered by the main characters in the Monsters, Inc. movie script, and (2) to find out the anaphoric meanings of those illocutionary acts. The findings show that four types of illocutionary acts are found in the movie script: representative, directive, commissive, and expressive, while declarative acts do not appear. Specifically, there are 15 representative utterances, 25 directive utterances, 10 commissive utterances, and 20 expressive utterances. Directive acts are the most dominant type, showing that the main characters often use commands, requests, and suggestions to achieve their communicative goals. In terms of anaphora, 55 utterances contain referential anaphora, 15 contain bridging cross-reference anaphora, 3 contain Evans-type anaphora, and 1 contains laziness anaphora, while no bound-variable anaphora is found. These results indicate that anaphora serves an essential function in maintaining cohesion and coherence across dialogues, while the use of illocutionary acts reflects the characters’ communicative intentions and relationships. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of pragmatic functions in animated movie scripts and highlights how anaphora supports the interpretation of speech acts within discourse.