REPAIR UTTERANCES USED BY BART AND HOMER IN THE SIMPSON

Veronika Listi Ferdini Damopolii Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni Universitas Negeri Manado Tondano, Indonesia Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT: The research explores Repair Utterances Used suggested by McManis, et al. (1988). The goals of the of the analysis are to know the repairs used by the speaker and to find out the speaker meaning or intended meaning by using those repairs. The research uses a qualitative descriptive method to describe the data. The data were analyzed by using a pragmatic approach to ease the writer identifies the speaker meaning. The speaker uses repairs: Uh, Umm, Ehm, Uh-uh, and Uh. The speakers use those repairs to show sometimes there are speech errors or unclear utterances made by the speaker. After that, the speaker immediately realizes it and correct his mistake, but it is also possible if the listener asks for correction or clarification by asking the speaker. However, the use of repair in the conversation has a purpose and the reasons why they do repairs to their interlocutor in conversation, such as because to emphasize previous speaker explanation, to clarify something because the speaker doesn't understand what is talking about, to say something wrong and repair it, to ask clarification of unclear statement, and to clarify the less specific explanation.

Keywords: Repair, speaker, speaker meaning.

INTRODUCTION characteristics. In this research, the author As one way of communication, a only discusses one characteristic of the conversation is used by people to interact conversation is hesitation noise.McManis, in their social life. The writer finds et al. says that the features of conversations in films, talk shows, reality conversation, including repair that are not shows, books, and novels every day. In a form of error but rather a term to these conversations, the writer finds describe the characteristics contained in speech indicating doubt, error in the structure of the conversation. He says: mentioning words, a state in which one "Sometimes when a speech error or speaker and another speak simultaneously, something problematical or unclear is and a state in which the speaker uses said, the speaker will notice the problem casual pronunciation in the conversation. and make a correction… at other times, Conversations occurs spontaneously in another participant in the conversation place, and hence many utterances indicate may ask for a correction or clarification, hesitations and other things that cause the for example; by asking a question…" conversation to stop (McManis, et al., From the above statement, it can be 1987: 221). McManis, et al. says that understood that speech is a proof of expressions that show doubt and what linguistic code, then the verbal causes the conversation to stop are understanding includes how to decipher examples of a conversation's the contents of the code. The meaning of

JELT (Journal Of English Language and Literature Teaching) Vol. 06 No. 01 June 2021 P.ISSN : 2548-7728 E.ISSN : 2599-0373 76

the linguistic code is used to give an Richards (1982) in his book On interpretation of the meaning of speech Conversation, Yule (1996: 71) who utterance. discussed the structure of conversation The meaning of speech has a very and preference structure, and Lerner 2004) broad interpretation. According to in his book Conversation analysis. McManis, et al (1987: 197), meaning in Based on the explanation above, the speech involves a broader interpretation of author is interested to discuss the r used by semantic interpretation. Therefore, the the speakers repair and the speaker characteristic of repair in conversations meaning conveyed. Therefore, the entitle used by speakers has meaning. Therefore, of the research is "Repair Used Homer writer is interested to analyze repair and and Bart in the film The Simpsons." interpretation repair used speakers. The The usefulness of this research is to data is a movie because the film provides increase the experience, insight and a good view of audio and visuals so as to knowledge of the author on the part of the facilitate the author to see the structure of the conversation that is repair circumstances around. This is in line with and its speaker meaning. In addition, the the opinion of Verhaar (1970: 14) that the writer can apply the theories that have level of expression and the level of the been obtained during the lecture about the situation and both become the determinant structure of conversation that shows the of the level of meaning. Lubis (1991: 18) ways or forms of communication that are in Verhaar states about the types of often found in interaction with others. language theories are based on: The main theory used by the author in 1. Expression this study is repair (one the characteristics 2. The meaning of speech of conversation) proposed by McManis. et 3. Situation al (1987) in the Language Files. One The use of repair is very influential feature of this conversation is repair. The on the attainment of meaning intended by use of repair shows certain ways that speakers. To understand the characteristics speakers speak in conversation. How to of the conversation and the meanings interpret the repair in the conversation can contained therein, it can be analyzed by be understood by looking at the situation looking at the situation and context, as a and context. Pragmatics discusses the guide that supports interpretations. meaning contained in speech by looking at Context is an important factor used to situations and contexts. Pragmatics and interpret the meaning intended by context are very important to interpret the speakers. Therefore, the author uses speaker meaning. Pragmatics will be used pragmatic analysis where through as a tool for analyzing the speaker's intent pragmatic, the meaning of speakers in his engagement in the conversation. interpreted by seeing also context. Repair Pragmatics is the study of meaning in as one of the characteristics of a relation to the said situations. In this case, conversation is part of the structure of the pragmatics serve as a guide for conversation. One of the features of researching what the speakers speak, conversation is repair discussed by examining the meaning of the context, and McManis, et al. in the Language File studying the words that are few but wide (1987: 221). In addition, other linguists or numerous (Yule, 1998: 3). Yule (1988: also gave an explanation of repair, such as 71) also says that knowledge of structures

JELT (Journal Of English Language and Literature Teaching) Vol. 06 No. 01 June 2021 P.ISSN : 2548-7728 E.ISSN : 2599-0373 77

in the conversation is necessary because someone, by saying "You're fired," or the structure of the conversation is an when marrying someone by saying "I do." important aspect of pragmatics. In addition the author also uses other Prediction linguistic theories that support the writing As a basis for viewing the function of of journals, the theory proposed by conversational features used by speakers Coulthard (1977), Victoria Fromkin and and speakers, presupposition can be used. Robert Rodman (1978), Richard (1982), Lubis (1991: 63) suggests that Levinson, et al. (1983), Richard and according to Stalnaker the Presupposition Schmidt (1983), Wardhaugh (1986), is what is taken by the speakers to be the Tarigan (1990), Searle (1992), Lubis common of the participants in the (1994), Mey (1998), Cutting (2002), and conversation. The assumption is Lerner (2004). something the speaker makes as the basis of the conversation. According to Lubis Classification of Actions himself, pragmatic responsiveness is In his book, On conversation, Richard determined by context (based on situation, (1982: 5) writes the classification of speaker, location, etc.). speech acts according to Searle (1976). Yule (1996) suggests that A The classification of speech acts are presupposition is something the speaker classified according to what the speaker assumes to be the case prior to making an means utterance. He also added Speakers, not sentences, have presupposition. From the a. Representatives explanation, it can be understood that This speech acts have the function of presupposition is the thing that the telling people about things, such as preacher assumes before to say an asserting (claiming), saying (stating), and utterance. reporting (reporting). Tarigan (1986: 40), provides a b. Commissives definition of presupposition or This speech acts to say that speakers will presupposition according to Finocchiaro do something, like promises and threats. (1982: 9): c. Directives "... there are still other factors This speech acts to make the speakers do contributing to the smoothness of something, such as suggestions, requests, conversations or acts of speech, among and commands. other things," real-world experiences" d. Expressive (Expressive) used by people in conversations involving This speech acts to function to express them-or at least what they learn-if full feelings and attitudes about the state of the understanding of their meaning is relationship, such as apologies accomplished," which can be termed with (apologies), regrets (regrets), and thanks presupposition or ('forecasts, conjectures) (thanks). which are a major basis for a study of how e. Declarations (Declarative) interactions are between semantics." This speech acts to provide a change in a relationship state, for example when we Repair resign, by saying "I resign." When firing

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Every individual involved in the interpretation. Nazir himself added that conversation will give different utterances the purpose of descriptive research or reactions because of the different method is to create a description, picture factors that lie behind them likewise the or painting systematically, factually and characteristics of the conversations that accurately about the facts, traits and speakers use in a conversation. McManis, relationships between phenomena et al (1987: 221) suggests ten investigated. conversational features, but the author just discuss one of them, that is repair. Result and Discussion

Repair The author will analyze all data that represent the characteristics of The definition of repair can be conversations categorized in repair. This is understood from the statement below: because in the three episodes of The Simpsons, the data are found which are "Sometimes when a speech error categorized into repair. or something that is problematical or unclear is said, the speaker will notice the Data 1 problem and make a correction… at other Lisa : Hey, everybody. times another participant in the Here comes my conversation may ask for a correctionor brother, Bart the clarification, for example by asking a bully-killer. question…" (1987:221). All students : Yeah. Lisa : You're our hero, So it is understandable that Bart! sometimes there are speech errors or Bart : Look, Lisa, I unclear utterances made by the speaker would just as soon and after that the speaker immediately not make a big deal realizes it and will correct his mistake, but out of this. You it is also possible if the listener asks for know that I'm not correction or clarification by asking the sayin(g) it. I mean speaker. I' m not a hero. I'm just saying that—I Example: fear for my safety. (1) So are we all set then?... I mean for Tuesday. (Bart The General) (2) "John who?" atau "It was what." The physical context of the conversation includes the place where the METHOD conversation takes place, namely in Lisa's The methodology used in this research class. The participants of the conversation is descriptive method. Nazir in Whitney were Bart and Lisa. The participant (2005: 54) says that the descriptive behavior shown in this conversation is method is fact-finding with the right shown by Bart who comes to Lisa and her

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classmates and wants to convey his incompetence against Nelson, the most Data 2 feared bad boy in their school. The epistemic context that Bart points to is that Homer : What did you do this time, he doesn't want to get involved in a bigger you little hoodlum? Oops— problem. The social context of this get outta the way! conversation shows the relationship Bart : I didn't do it. between brother, sister, and friends. Homer : What? Bart : Nobody saw me defacing Discussion school property. There's no You know that I'm not sayin(g) it. I way they can prove mean I'm not a hero what Bart said shows anything. that Bart told Lisa and his friends that he Marge : No, Bart. This note isn't never said anything and then Bart about you. corrected or clarified his speech by Bart : It isn't? There must be explaining something that is that he is not some mistakes—. Hey, you a hero. right. This note's about You know that I'm not sayin(g) it. I Lisa. mean I'm not a hero what Bart said is a (Moaning Lisa) representative speech act that serves to state, in this case, stating that he is not The physical context of the someone that Lisa and her friends conversation includes the place where the consider, namely a hero. conversation takes place, namely in the Presupposition of utterance You Simpson family's home. The participants know that I'm not sayin(g) it. I mean I'm of the conversation were Homer, Marge, not a hero indicates that Bart said and Bart. The participant's behavior something that was unclear so that Bart shown in this conversation is shown by immediately corrected or added an Homer, who is angry that Marge told him explanation after saying You know that I'm that his son had received a warning letter. not sayin(g) it so that the addressee Bart felt that his recent mischief had never understands the meaning of his utterance. been noticed by the principal. Therefore, You know that I'm not sayin(g) it. I Bart denied it by saying not to do that. mean I'm not a hero what Bart said is a Homer asked what that meant. The social characteristic of a conversation that is context of this conversation shows the categorized as repair, where at first Bart relationship between father and son. gave an explanation that Lisa and her friends might not know, so Bart added an Discussion explanation after delivering the The repair What? What Homer explanation earlier. says shows that Homer doesn't know what The repair is contained in the Bart means by saying I didn't do it. Bart utterance You know that I'm not sayin(g) also did not provide an explanation of it. I mean I'm not a hero means that Bart what he said so that Homer told Bart the wants to emphasize Bart's previous meaning of what Bart did not do. explanation so that the speaker can What? What Homer says is a understand it. directive speech act that functions to make

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the addressee do something. In this case Homer asks for an explanation of Bart's Discussion previous utterance. When Bart is about to fight the bad Presupposition of the meaning of the boy, Lisa tries to tell him that the boy is a utterance What? indicates that Homer felt friend of the feared gang leader at their Bart's remarks about not doing something school, Nelson Muntz. Lisa tries to tell her were less clear. Homer asked for this that she is a friend of Nelson Muntz but explanation from Bart and from Bart's Lisa mispronounces the boy's last name. next answer, it was only then that Bart's Bart then corrected Lisa's mistake and words were known. Lisa agreed with Bart's correction. The word What? What Bart said The improvements made by Bart was a characteristic of a conversation that in changing the name of Nelson Mug to was categorized as repair, where Homer Nelson Muntz, are representative speech felt Bart was not clear in revealing acts that function to confirm his statement. something so Homer asked Bart to explain The presupposition of the meaning of the what he said. utterance indicated that Bart realized that The repair contained in the Lisa had mispronounced the name of the utterance What? means that Homer doesn't child at their school. So Bart corrected the understand what Bart is talking about. child's name. The repair of the name from Data 3 Nelson Mug to Nelson Muntz by Bart is a Bart : So give her back those characteristic of a conversation that is cupcakes before I categorized as repair, where Bart realizes knock your block his partner's mistake in saying something off. and then corrects his partner's speech error Lisa : Don't Bart! He's friend of himself. Nelson Mug! The repair done by Bart in Bart : Nelson Muntz. correcting the person's name means that Lisa : Yes, Nelson Muntz. his partner said something wrong, in this case the person's name. (Bart The General) Data 4 The physical context of the Homer : So, how was it? conversation includes the place where the Bart : Os-os. conversation takes place, namely in Lisa Homer : What is that? and Bart's schoolyard. The participant of Bart : That's backwards for the conversation was a bad boy who took so-so. Lisa, Bart, and Lisa's cake. The behavior of participants in this conversation is (Bart The Genius) shown by Bart who is angry at the bad boy's behavior towards his brother. The The physical context of the social context of this conversation shows conversation includes the place where the the relationship between siblings where conversation takes place, namely in the they are at that time against their naughty Simpson family's home. The participants friends. of the conversation are Homer and Bart.

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The behavior of participants in this Homer : Come on, Marge. I conversation is shown by Homer asking don't bug when about Bart's first day at his new school. you're helping Lisa. Bart answered with strange and unfamiliar Marge : Well, Bart, I hope words. The social context of this you're going conversation shows the relationship straight to the between father and son. principal about this. Bart : See my face—I Discussion mean I could do Homer said What is that? because that. he did not understand the answer that Bart put forward, therefore Homer asked Bart (Bart The General) again to get an explanation. After that, Bart explained the meaning of os-os. The physical context of the Saying What is that? is what conversation includes the place where the Homer used as a directive speech act that conversation takes place, namely in the functions to ask the addressee to explain Simpson family's home. The conversation the meaning of the previous utterance. participants were Homer, Marge and Bart. Presumption of meaning What is The behavior of the participants in this that? indicates that Homer as a speaker conversation is shown by Homer asking realizes that his interlocutor does not Bart about his problem. A depressed provide an explanation of the word os-os, looking Bart explains his problem with the therefore Homer asks for that explanation. bad boy at school, Marge proposes to tell Therefore the utterance What is the kid who is bothering Bart to the that? what Bart put forward is called the principal. The social context of this characteristic of conversation which is conversation shows the relationship categorized as repair. Repair is used by the between father, mother and son. speaker because the speaker does not understand the meaning of the Discussion interlocutor's speech so he asks for an Bart's utterance is See my face—I explanation with the aim of understanding mean I could do that. This shows that Bart the intent of the interlocutor. gave an explanation for the utterance of The meaning of the utterance What See my face. Judging from the context, is that? indicates that Homer does not Bart looked depressed at the time. So he understand what the other person is saying said See my face and then gave an and asks for further clarification or additional explanation by saying I mean I explanation. could do that as the meaning of the previous explanation. Data 5 The utterance See my face—I mean Homer : So what's the I could do that used by Bart is a problem, son? representative speech act that functions to Bart : I had a-run-in say that he will do what his mother with a bully. suggests. This is because Bart's position Marge : A bully? has been squeezed and he feels depressed.

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The presupposition of the meaning understand what is talking about, to say of See my face—I mean I could do that something wrong and repair it, to ask indicates that Bart is aware of the meaning clarification of unclear statement, and to of his utterance, that is, See my face is not clarify less specific explanation. clear and he provides additional explanations so that listeners understand ACKNOWLEDGEMENT what he means. I am enormously grateful to Professor Therefore, the utterance See my Dudih Z (alm) face—I mean I could do that put forward by Bart is called a conversation REFERENCES characteristic which is categorized as Chaer, Abdul dan Leonie Agustina. 2004. repair. This repair is used by Bart because Sociolinguistics. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta. he realizes his speech may not be clear to Coulthard, Malcolm. An Introduction to his listeners so he gives a more specific Discourse Analysis. London: Longman explanation. Group. The meaning of the utterance See Cummings, Louise. 2005. Pragmatics: A my face—I mean I could do that shows Multidisciplinary Perspective. that Bart gave a less specific explanation Edinburg: Edinburg University Press so he clarified it again. Ltd. Cutting, Joan. 2002. Pragmatics and Discourse. London and New York: CONCLUSION Routledge. Fromkin, Victoria and Robert Rodman. Repair Utterances are used 1978. An Inroduction to Language. spontaneously and unplanned speakers in England: conversations, even teachers and Levinson, Stephen C. 1983. Pragmatics. broadcasters who speak eloquently. The New York: Cambridge University sounds have many uses in the Press. conversation but most of these sounds Lerner, Gene H. 2004. Conversation indicate to show sometimes there are Analysis. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. speech errors or unclear utterances made Lubis, A. Hamid Hasan Lubis. 1991. by the speaker and after that the speaker Analisis Wacana Pragmatik. Bandung: immediately realizes it and will correct his Penerbit Angkasa. mistake, but it is also possible if the Maru, Mister Gidion. Ratu, Donal listener asks for correction or clarification Matheos. Dukut, Ekawati Marhaenny. by asking the speaker. Based on the author 2018. The Use of the T-Ex Approach in research, there are 5 intended speakers Indonesian EFL Essay Writing: Feedbacks and Knowledge meaning when using repair. Exploration. International Journal of The speakers, Homer and Bart Engineering & Technology. Vol 7, No 3.25 : Special Issue 25 Simpson, used repair to emphasize McManis, Carolin, Deborah Stollenwerk, speaker previous explanation, to clarify and Zhang Zheng-Sheng. 1988. something because the speaker doesn't

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