A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF MAXIM FLOUTING DONE BY THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

This research aims (1) to describe the types of maxims that are flouted in The Devil Wears Prada, (2) to reveal and explain the strategies used by the main characters to flout maxims in The Devil Wears Prada, and (3) to describe the functions of maxim flouting done by the main characters in The Devil Wears Prada. Pragmatic approach was applied in this research. Meanwhile, descriptive-qualitative method was employed. The data of the research were in the form of utterances that contain maxim flouting which were spoken by the main characters in The Devil Wears Prada. The context of the research was the dialogues of the movie. The data sources of this research were The Devil Wears Prada movie and its script. Meanwhile, the primary instrument of this research was the researcher herself. She was supported by a data sheet as the secondary instrument. The data were collected by downloading the movie and its script, watching the movie, and then collecting the data which reflect the phenomena of maxim flouting. The data analysis was conducted by categorizing the data into the types, strategies, and functions of maxim flouting, analyzing the pursued data, checking the accuracy of the data, and then drawing conclusions. To ensure the trustworthiness of the data, the data were triangulated by consulting to the expert lecturers and other students who are majoring in linguistics. The results of the research are as follows. First, all types of maxim flouting are found in the movie. Second, each type of maxim flouting is performed by using certain strategies. Flouting of maxim of quantity is done by giving too little and too much information. Flouting of maxim of quality is done by using hyperbole, metaphor, irony, and banter. Flouting of maxim of manner is done by being obscure. Meanwhile, flouting of maxim of relation is done by being irrelevant. Third, there are nine functions out of twelve functions of maxim flouting that were found in the movie. Those functions are categorized by considering the context of the conversation. The functions are convincing, surprising, boring, frightening, causing, insulting, alarming, getting the hearer to do something, and getting the hearer to realize something. In terms of occurrence, the maxim of quantity flouting is the most used type in the movie because the main characters are informative kind of persons. Consequently, giving too much information as one of the strategies to flout the maxim of quantity becomes the strategy that is mostly used. Meanwhile, convincing becomes the most often appearing function because one of the main characters, as a second assistant who often talks to her boss and to the first assistant, needs to make the hearer feel certain about the information she gives