Post on 17-Mar-2020
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ABSTRACT
Nur Latifah, A Pragmatic Approach to the Incongruity of Humor in the Dialog of
Kung Fu Panda Movie. Thesis. Jakarta: Letters and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, September 2009.
This research is a study of the incongruity of Humor in the dialogues of
Kung Fu Panda Movie based on the violation of cooperative principle in pragmatics. It is aimed to know the violation of cooperative principle which can
create the incongruity of humor. The writer uses a descriptive qualitative method
in which she tries to describe the violation of cooperative principle that creates the
incongruity of humor. The unit analysis is taken by the writer from a manuscript
of Kung Fu Panda movie released in June 26th
2008.
The thesis examines the analysis of the incongruity of humor through the
dialogues violated the cooperative principles. The incongruity of humor will be
elaborated through Grice theory of cooperative principle. The writer observes the
context which supported the analysis then she identifies the violation of
cooperative principle in Kung Fu Panda movie’s dialogues and the implicature of
those dialogues.
The conclusions that the writer can get from the analysis are; there are two
dialogues violate the maxim of quality and five dialogues violate the maxim of
manner.
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APPROVEMENT
A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO THE INCONGRUITY OF HUMOR IN
THE DIALOGUES OF KUNG FU PANDA MOVIE
A Thesis
Submitted to the Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of Strata 1
NUR LATIFAH
105026000910
Approved by:
Advisor
Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd NIP. 150 299 480
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2009
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LEGALIZATION
The thesis entitled “ A Pragmatic Approach to the Incongruity of Humor in the
Dialogues of Kung Fu Panda Movie” has been defended before the Letters and
Humanities Faculty’s Examination Committee on November 03, 2009. The thesis
has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree
of strata one.
Jakarta, November 03, 2009
Examination Committee
Chair Person, Secretary,
Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd
NIP. 150 299 480 NIP. 150261902
Members:
Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd M. Supardi, S.S, M. Hum
NIP. 150261902
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by
another person nor material which to substantial extent has been accepted for the
award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher
learning, except wher due acknowledgement has been made in the text.
Jakarta, September 29, 2009.
Nur Latifah
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AKCNOWLEDGEMENT
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious and the most Merciful.
Praise and gratitude are only for Him, the Lord of the universe, who has
given his extraordinary mercy by succeeding the writer in making this thesis. May
blessing and salutation be upon the most honorable prophet and messenger
Muhammad SAW, his families, his companions, and his congregations.
In terms of the completion of the writer’s study, she wants to express her
deepest gratitude to Prof. Dr. Komarudin Hidayat as the Rector of UIN Syahid
Jakarta, Dr. Abdul Chair, MA as the Dean of Letters and Humanities Faculty, Dr.
Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd as the Chief of English Letters Department, Drs. Asep
Saefuddin, M.Pd as the Secretary of English Letters Department, and all inspiring
lecturers of English Letters Department for having taught and educated her during
her study at State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
The writer dedicates her much love and thanks to her beloved parents for
their guidance, struggles, sacrifice, support, pray, and material and psychological
support. She offers everything to them, and to her brothers for motivating her to
graduate.
Her foremost and deepest thanks to Boogie for teaching her the skill of life
which she never learnt it at any formal school in this world. S’ Agapo.
Furthermore, she would like to thank to mbak’ Eti for teaching her
Linguistics especially Pragmatics, uda Andri for his kindness to motivate, Ophy
and ‘Nyut for their kindness in sharing the time together, Hery for his jokes and
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advice, Bang Sholah for teaching me the balance of life, A’ Izzi for his kindness to
make me smile, her great classmates in class A as well as her friends in class B
and C, Imaria friends (Ida, Ayu, Mardel, Yuni, Hanum, Jannah, Hikna, Rini, and
Nurul) for the wonderful friendship, and all of her friends wherever they are that
can’t be voiced here.
Thanks are also addressed to all staffs of some libraries in Jakarta; such as
Letters and Humanities Library, State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah
Jakarta Library, Atma Jaya Library, Indonesia University Library, British Council
Library and Regional Library of South Jakarta.
Finally, she hopes this thesis will be beneficial for the readers who are
especially interested in pragmatics.
Jakarta, September 2009
Nur Latifah
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................. i
APPROVEMENT......................................................................................... ii
LEGALIZATION ......................................................................................... iii
DECLARATION.......................................................................................... iv
AKCNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................ v
TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................. vii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................. 1
A. Background of the Study.................................................. 1
B. Focus of the Study ........................................................... 5
C. Research Question .......................................................... 5
D. Objective of the Study ..................................................... 5
E. Significance of the Study ................................................. 6
F. Research Methodology ................................................... 6
1. Method of Research ................................................... 6
2. Technique of Data Analysis ....................................... 6
3. Unit of Analysis ......................................................... 7
4. Instrument of Research.............................................. 7
CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK…………………………. .. 7
A. Pragmatics ....................................................................... 7
1. Cooperative Principle ................................................. 10
2. Implicature................................................................. 13
3. Context ...................................................................... 14 B. Humor ............................................................................. 15
1. Theory of Humor ....................................................... 15
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a. Theory of Incongruity........................................... 16
b. Theory of Hostility ............................................... 17
c. Theory of Liberation............................................. 18
CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDINGS ....................................................... 20
A. Data Description .............................................................. 20
B. Data Analysis................................................................... 26
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS............................... 58
A. Conclusions ..................................................................... 58
B. Suggestions...................................................................... 60
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................... 61
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Human being and communication are two related items. Human being as
social creature can’t live alone without another human. Then, he needs
communication to interact with other meanwhile communication only can take
place if the people are involved in. “Communication itself means a process by
which information is exchange between individuals through a common system of
symbols, signs, or behavior”.1
Toward the definition, the writer assumes at least two summaries. First,
communication is a process by which information is exchanged between
individuals. Then, there are two persons or more involved in communication. The
person who utters his idea or information is called the speaker and the person who
hears the speaker’s idea or information is called the hearer. Second,
communication between individuals can be done through some media such a
common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. It can be suggested that the media
are language, gestures, the visual arts - painting and sculpture, etc. Although there
are some media can be used, but language is the primary and most sophisticated
media means in communication between people because the people can’t
communicate in any real sense without language. Thus, the essence of language
which argued by the Danish linguistics philosopher Otto Jespersen in his book
Philosophy of Grammar that is a human activity -activity in the part of one
1 A. Chaedar Alwasilah, Sosiologi Bahasa (Bandung:Angkasa, 1986), p. 9.
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individual to make him self understood by another and activity on the part of that
other to understand what was in the mind of the first.2 Therefore, when the people
use language, they are obviously engaged in communication activity to make
themselves understood by another and hope the other understand the idea they
want to inform.
To have the communication gone well, the speaker and the hearer have to
expect that there are principles in communication which manage their act, their
using language, and the interpretation of their act and speech. They are
responsible for their act and for the violation to the communication principles3.
Therefore, they have to adhere to the rule of communication, which are clarity,
consciousness, and directness, by giving their contribution to communication as
informative and effective as it is required and going in line with the context.
Communication, furthermore, requires them to cooperate because the
communication only comes alive in mutually accepted and pragmatically
determined context. For the example, the person asks for help by uttering “help!”
and “can you help me?” for different purpose and condition. He tends to utter
“help!” if he is in an emergency condition meanwhile he tends to utter “can you
help me?” if he is not in an emergency situation. The situation will be strange if
the burned house victim asks for help by uttering “help” and the person whose pen
fell asks for help by uttering “can you help me?” in the same intonation with the
burned house victim.
2 Jan Renkema, Discorse Studies. (Amsterdam: John Benyamins Publishing Company,
1993), p. 8. 3 I Dewa Putu Wijana, Dasar-dasar Pragmatik (Yogyakarta : Andi offset, 1996), p. 45
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Toward the explanation above, then, it can be assumed that there is
underlying principle which determines the way in which language is used with a
maximum efficiency and effectiveness. The principle is called cooperative
principle introduced by Herbert Paul Grice who classified it into four maxims to
have the communication gone well4. If the speaker violates to the cooperative
principle, it can be suggested that there are some possibilities why he violates it,
such as he aims to imply his utterances and conveys more than literal meaning
which is called implicature, or he is not cooperative, or he tries to create humor.
Humor is any creative works of human intended to lead the comic effect.
Humor is friendly, insulting, aggressive, cheerful, and also fun. The work of
humor is not easy because sometimes it will be useless if it is performed before
the people don’t have any sense of humor or doesn’t recognize at least one of the
universal character of humor such absurdity, superiority, liberation, incongruity,
etc. The creative work of humor can be a picture, discourse, or other created
materials produced to make laughter for those catching them through the senses,
such as comic, cartoon, poetry, drama, and dialog of film.5
One of the dialog of film which can be involved to the creative works of
humor is dialog of Kung Fu Panda movie. Kung Fu Panda movie is a 2008
American animated comedy released on 6 June 2008 and produced by
DreamWorks Animation's studio. Initially, the idea for the film was to make it a
parody and spoof, but John Stevenson, the co-director of Kung Fu Panda movie,
4 Ibid, p. 25.
5 George E. Riday, The anatomy of Humor. Redlands: The Fortnightly Club. Accessed on
November 22, 2008. www.redlandsfortnightly.org/ridayhum.htm.
xii
was not particularly keen on the idea so instead chose the direction of simplistic
comedy.6
Kung fu panda has been nominated in some awards such in golden trailer
award for best animation, teen choice award for choice summer movie: comedy,
and win in Annie Award for ten categories that one of them is best script.7 Kung
Fu Panda opened in 4,114 theaters resulting in the number one position at the box
office. The film held its worldwide premiere at the 61st Cannes Film Festival,
where it received massive and sustained applause at the end of the film's
screening. Since its release, Kung Fu Panda has received very positive and
favorable reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 88% of critics gave
the film positive reviews, based on 156 reviews. The film has an approval rating
of 74% from a select group of critics and an approval rating of 92% from users of
the site and The Chicago Tribune called the film "one of the few comedies of
2008 in any style or genre that knows what its doing".8 Opened in many theaters,
Kung Fu Panda movie is easier to be analyzed because it presented universal
humor which every one can has the sense of it.
Toward the explanation above, the writer is interested in analyzing the
violation of cooperative principle in dialog of Kung Fu Panda movie, the
incongruous homur in those dialog, and the implicature of those dialog. The writer
is interested to analyze this topic because there are many humor researches based
6 Tom O’ neil, Kung Fu Panda, March 19, 2009. http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_
goldderby/2009/01/kung-fu-panda-d.html. 7 Dominic Von Ruedemann, 'Kung Fu Panda' dropkicks 'Wall-E' at Annie Awards’,
suite101, March 19, 2009. http://hollywoodanimatedfilms.suite101.com/article.cfm/kung_fu_
panda_wins_annie_ award, p. 2. 8 Pete Hammond, Reception and performance of Kung Fu Panda, March 19, 2009.
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/01/kung-fu-panda-d.html.
xiii
on psychology theory meanwhile humor actually can be analyzed through its
language using semantics or pragmatics theory.
B. Focus of the Study
On the background of the study, the writer tells that the creative works of
humor can be a picture, discourse, or other created materials produced to make
laughter for those catching them through the senses. Then, the writer solely
focuses her research to the violence to the maxims of cooperative principle in the
dialogues of Kung Fu Panda movie, the incongruos humor in those dialogues, and
the implicature of those dialogues.
C. Research Question
To make more convenient and simply in the research, the writer
formulates her research through the following questions:
1. Which maxims of the cooperative principle are being violated in the dialog of
Kung Fu Panda movie?
2. How do the incongruity of humors in those dialogues of Kung Fu Panda
movie which are violating the maxims of cooperative principle occur?
3. What are the implicature of those dialogues of Kung Fu Panda movie which
are violating the maxims of cooperative principle?
D. Objective of the Study.
The aim of this research is to analyze the incongruous humor through
pragmatics approach, specifically to:
1. Identify the maxims of the cooperative principle which are being violated
in the dialogues of Kung Fu Panda movie.
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2. Identify how the incongruity of humors in those dialogues which are
violating the maxims of cooperative principle occur.
3. Identify the implicature of those dialog which are violating the maxims of
cooperative principle.
E. Significances of the Study
With this existence of this research, the writer hopes that it will be a
stimulation to analyze humor based on pragmatics which is still rare. The writer
also hopes this reserch will be profitable and beneficial for the readers especially
the ones who have interest in humor analysis based on pragmatics.
F. Research Methodology
1. Methodology of the Study
The method applied in this research is descriptive qualitative method.
Then, the writer will describe the data which are violating the cooperative
principle, the incongruity of humor, and the implicature.
2. Data Analysis.
An analysis of the data obtained qualitative cooperative principle based on
Grice theory. In order to succeed this research, the writer benefited the qualitative
analysis data by implementing the following procedures:
a. Collecting the whole books that are relevant to pragmatics and humor
theory.
b. Reading and understanding some theories of pragmatics and humor
theory..
c. Reading and understanding a manuscript of Kung Fu Panda movie.
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d. Identifying the dialogues of Kung Fu Panda movie that are violated the
cooperative Principle and created the incongruity of humor, and the
implicature of the dialogues.
e. Concluding the data which have been collected.
3. Unit of the Analysis.
The unit of analisis that is researched by the writer is the dialogues of
Kung Fu Panda movie released on 6 June 2008 and produced by DreamWorks
Animation's studio.
4. Instrument of The Research
The writer uses herself as a main research instrument through reading,
identifying, and classifying the data. She observes and signs the violence of
maxims of the cooperative principle within the text.
xvi
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Pragmatics
Pragmatics is different from the study of grammar. Pragmatics is the study
of language use which offers a complementary perspective on language, providing
an insight into the linguistic choices that users make in social situations. It is not
too important whether they observe a particular syntactic rule or not. Meanwhile,
the study of grammar focuses on the language system. “The term ‘pragmatics’ is
derived from Greek pragma which means ‘action’. Action is defined as
intentional behavior.”9
The definition of pragmatics has been stated by some linguists. Parker
stated in his book “Linguistics for non Linguists” that quoted by Kunjana Rahardi
says “pragmatics is distinct from grammar, which is the study of language.
Pragmatics is the study of how language is used to communicate”.10
Parker’s statement of the definition of pragmatics is emphasized and
supported by the statement of Jacob L. Mey and Jean Stiwell Peccei. Jacob L.
Mey argued that “pragmatics is the study of the conditions of human language
uses as these are determined by the context of the society”.11
9 Philipp Strazny, (ed.), “Pragmatics”, Encyclopedia of Linguistics vol 2 (New York:
Taylor & Fransis Book, Inc., 2005), p. 869. 10
Kunjana Rahardi. Pragmatik: Kesantunan Imperative Bahasa Indonesia (Jakarta:
Erlangga, 2002), p. 49 11
Jacob L. Mey. Pragmatics : An introduction (Oxford : Blackwell Publishers Ltd.,
2001), p. 6.
xvii
Jean Stilwell Peccei assumed that “pragmatics is the study concentrated on
aspects of meaning that can’t be predicted by linguistics knowledge alone and
takes into account knowledge about the physical and social world”12
Based on some definitions above, the writer assumes that pragmatics is the
study of meaning that can’t be identified by linguistics knowledge alone or
grammar but it is also determined by knowledge of context of society.
The example:
John : What time is it?
James : The class has begun.
If the dialog above is analyzed semantically or grammatically, that dialog
consists of interrogative sentence “what time is it? And the answer “the class has
begun” consists of noun phrase “the class” and verb phrase “has begun”. That
dialog describes that John asks James what time it is and James answers that the
class has begun. Then, grammatical analysis as a formal analysis can’t explain the
idea of that dialog. Furthermore, pragmatics analysis is able to complete it to get
the idea of it. Concerning to the context, James answers John’s question
explicitly. They can infer what time in that moment by concerning to the time
when the class begins and they have the same assumption of the time so then the
question has been answered already by saying the class has begun.
According to the explanation above, grammatical and lexical knowledge
are generally only two or several factors in the interpretation process. Aside from
physical setting, participants’ personal background knowledge and their attitude
toward each other, sociocultural assumptions concerning role and status
12 Jean stiwell peccei. Pragmatics (Routledge : New York, 1999), p. 15.
xviii
relationship as well as social values associated with various massage (sic)
components also play an important role.13
Then, to have the conversation come
alive in mutually accepted and pragmatically determined context, the speaker and
the hearer have to cooperate and adhere to the rule of communication which is
called the cooperative principles.
1. Cooperative principles
Grice suggested that there is an underlying principle that determined the
way in which language is used with the maximum efficiency and effectiveness to
achieve rational interaction in communication. He called this overarching dictum
the cooperative principle which is proposed in stating that participants expect that
each will make a “conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at
which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in
which you are engaged."14
The cooperative principle is subdivided into four maxims. Maxim means
a succinct formulation of some fundamental principle or rule of conduct.15 The
cooperative principle and its component maxims ensure that in an exchange of
conversation, the right amount of information is provided and that the interaction
is conducted a truthful, relevant, and perspicuous manner. A Speaker may respond
to the maxim by obeying the rule, violate one of the four, choose one of them, or
13
A. Hamid Hasan Lubis. Analisis Wacana Pragmatik (Bandung : Angkasa, 1986), p. 70. 14
Steve Hoenisch, Grice’s Cooperation Principle and Conversational Maxims, Accessed
on February 14, 2009. www.criticism.com/da/grice-maxims.php. 15
Anonymous, The heritage Illustrated dictionary of English Language, vol. 2 (Atalanta :
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1699), p. 808.
xix
sacrifice among the four if the condition demanding the speaker to choose, or just
ignoring the rule.16
The four maxims of cooperative principle are:
a) the maxim of quantity
This maxim proposes the speaker to give his contribution sufficiently
informative for the current purpose of the conversation and doesn’t give more
information than required.17
Example:
a. John : Excuse me, do you know what time it is?
Henry : Yes.
b. John : Excuse me, do you know what time it is?
Henry : five o’clock.18
In the discourse a, it can be identified that Henry violates the maxim of
quality because he doesn’t give sufficiently informative for the current purpose of
the conversation. John apparently doesn’t need a short answer, yes or not, but he
needs extra information for his question. On the other hand, the maxim of quality
is fulfilled all the way in the discourse b. Henry has sent sufficient information for
the question being asked by John.
b) the maxim of quality
This maxim requires the speaker not to say what he believes to be false
and lack adequate evidence.19
16
Steve Hoenisch, Grice’s Cooperation Principle and Conversational Maxims, Accessed
on February 14, 2009. www.criticism.com/da/grice-maxims.php 17
Alison Ross. The Language of Humour (London : Routledge, 1998), p. 40. 18
Salvatore Attardo. Lingustic Theories of Humor (Berlin : Mouton de Gruyter, 1994), p.
272. 19 Jacob L. Mey (2001), op. cit. p. 72.
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Example:
c. Sandy : What is your name?
Jack : My name is jack d. Sandy : What is your name?
Jack : You can call me Spiderman.
In conversation c, both Sandy and Jack adhere to the maxim of quality
because they believe what they say is not false or lack of evidences. In contrast to
conversation c, Jack violates the maxim of quality in conversation d because he is
not a Spiderman. Then, his said is lack of evidence.
c) the maxim of relevance
This maxim requires the speaker to give the information as required for the
goal of conversation.20
Example:
e. Boogie : What do you like to drink? Ray : I like to drink coffee
f. Boogie : What do you like to drink? Ray : I have bought a linguistics book.
Boogie and Ray have accorded the maxim of relevance in conversation e.
Ray has given the relevant information boogie asks for meanwhile Ray violates
the maxim of relevance in conversation f. He gives irrelevant answer to Boogie’s
question.
d) the maxim of manner
This maxim proposes the speaker to be brief, be orderly, avoid obscurity
of expression, and avoid ambiguity.21
20
Soenjono Dardjowidjojo. Psikolinguistik : Pengantar pemahaman Bahasa Manusia.
(Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia, 2005), p. 110. 21 I Dewa Putu Wijana. Dasar-dasar Pragmatik (Yogyakarta: Andi Offset, 1996), p. 50.
xxi
Example:
g. Glory : What movie do you want to watch? Horror or comedy?
Victoria : I want to watch comedy h. Glory : What movie do you want to watch? Horror or comedy?
Victoria : Actually, the drama is good movie but I don’t understand the plot or action movie is also good but I don’t like the actors.
In conversation g above, Glory and Victoria have evoked their ideas
clearly. All statements are understood well by them. This fact is real evidence that
the maxim of manner has been satisfied in conversation g. In conversation h,
Victoria seems to violate the maxim of manner. She doesn’t say her ideas briefly.
2. Implicature
The cooperative principle goes both ways: speakers (generally) observe
the cooperative principle, and listeners (generally) assume that speakers are
observing it. This allows for the possibility of implicatures, which are meanings
that are not explicitly conveyed in what is said, but that can nonetheless be
inferred.22
The word “implicature” is derived from the verb “to imply” as is its
cognate “implication”. Originally, ‘to imply’ means ‘to fold something into
something else’ (from the Latin verb plicare “to fold”); hence, that which is
implied is “folded in” and has to be ‘unfolded” in order to be understood.23
The notion of implicature was originated by the Oxford philosopher
Herbert Paul Grice who introduced it at Harvard in 1967.24 As John J. Gumperz in
his book “Discourse Strategies” stated that the term implicature is used to account
for what a speaker can imply, suggest, or mean as distinct from what the speaker
22 Steve Hoenisch, Grice’s Cooperation Principle and Conversational Maxims, Accessed
on February 14, 2009. www.criticism.com/da/grice-maxims.php 23
Jacob L. Mey (2001), op.cit. p. 45. 24 Yan Huang. Pragmatics (New York : Oxford university Press, 2007), p. 23
xxii
literally says.25
Therefore, the literally meaning can’t be identified by linguistics
knowledge alone or grammar but it is also determined by knowledge of context of
society. The following example is from the classic article Logic and Conversation
by Herbert Paul Grice:
“Suppose that A and B are talking about A mutual friend C, who is now
working in a bank. A asks B how C is getting on in his job, and B replies, Oh quite well, I think; he likes his colleagues and he hasn’t been to prison yet.”26
The form of B’s statement does not say everything about the meaning and
therefore the function. A can derive from B’s remark that B does not hold a high
opinion of C. in fact, B has basically said that C is a potential criminal. Yet, this
can not be derived from the literal meaning of B’s words. Why then can A draw
these conclusions? Because A can assume that there is some relevance to B’s, at
first glance, superfluous addition concerning prison. The only reason B would add
that remark is if B meant to imply that C is a potential criminal.27
3. Context
Pragmatics view context primarily as “knowledge”; although a key part of
such knowledge is “knowledge of situation”. The term of knowledge is what
speakers and hearers can be suggested to know and how that knowledge guides
the uses of language and the interpretation of utterances.28
25
A. Hamid Hasan Lubis (1986), op.cit. p. 76. 26
Jan Renkema (1993), op. cit. p. 8. 27
Ibid 28 Deborah Schiffrin. Approaches to Discourse (Oxford : Blackwell, 1994), p. 365.
xxiii
Dell Hymes identified the relevant context which quoted by A. Hamid
Hasan Lubis as advesser or speaker, advessee or hearer, topic, setting, channel,
code, massage from (sic), event.29
B. Humor
Rollo May, a humanistic psychologist, argued that humor is the capacity to
perceive, appreciate, or express what is funny, amusing, incongruous, ludicrous,
etc.30
Humor is the quality that makes something laughable or amusing;
funniness: could not see the humor of the situation, the ability to perceive, enjoy,
or express what is amusing, comical, incongruous, or absurd, or That which is
intended to induce laughter or amusement: a writer skilled at crafting humor.31
The goal of humor is to violate pragmatic knowledge to a funny end.
Then, it can liberate the perceivers of humor from the telic state, the situation
which is full of pressure, to the paratelic state, the situation when the perceivers of
humor are liberated from pressure.32
1. Theory of humor
The number of different theories of humor from the times of ancient Greek
philosophers through the present is so extensive. Victor Raskin believed that
29
A. Hamid Hasan Lubis (1986), op.cit. p. 84. 30 Steven M. Sultanoff. Integrating Humor into Psychotherapy, in Play Therapy with
Adults. ed. Charles Schaefer, (New York: Wiley and sons, 2002). Accessed on February 4, 2009.
http://www.humormatters.com. P. 17. 31
Alison Ross (1998), op.cit. p. 7. 32 I Dewa Putu Wijana. Kartun : Studi Tentang Permainan Bahasa (Yogyakarta: Ombak,
2003), p. 23.
xxiv
existing theories could be divided into three groups: incongruity theories, hostility
theories, and release theories. 33
a. The theory of Incongruity
The theory of incongruity is often called by biosociation. Many researcher
have noted that incongruity is fundamental to humor.34 This theory was proposed
by Aristotle. It stated that humor appears as a result of understanding the
incongruity between the expected, and the achieved result.35
Then, when
something is perceived or understood that was not expected or predictable from
the situation as understood up to the moment of surprise can create a joke.36
Incongruous means inconsistent; not fitting well together; disjoined;
unsuitable; which all sound of negative term. The term incongruity refers to the
possibility for two meanings being understood from the utterance.37
The humor
will often have the following elements:
a. There is a conflict between what is expected and what actually occurs in the
joke.
b. The conflict is caused by an ambiguity at some level of language.
c. The punch line is surprising, as it is no the expected interpretation, but it
resolves the conflict.38
33
Igor Krichtafovitch, Humor Theory, Linguistics. Accessed on January 28, 2009.
http://www.amazon.com/Humor-Theory-Laughter-IgorKrichtafovitch/dp/1598002228. p. 14. 34
E. Judith Weiner, “The Incongruity of Jokes, Riddles, and Humorous Situation”, Social
interaction and Discourse Structures, Vol. 2. (1997), p. 139. 35
Tom Veatch, Humor Theory, Linguistics. Accessed on February 15, 2009.
http://www.lebed.com/HumorTheory/Humorheoryfinal3.htm. 36
Tom Veatch, Humor is Affective Absurdity, Linguistics. Accessed on November 22,
2008. http://www. Tomveatch.com/else/humor/paper/node32.html. 37
Alison Ross. (1998), op.cit. p. 7. 38 Ibid. p. 8.
xxv
In this theory, humor is symbolized by X and a circumstance of
intersection in the mind of two disjointed but logically justified associative
contexts is symbolized by M1 and M2. The humor occurs when X = M1 and X =
M2 but M1 = M2
The example:
Dialogue in a French film:
“Sir, I would like to ask for your daughter’s hand.”
“Why not? You have already the rest.39
The word “hand” is perceived first in a metaphorical frame of reference, then
suddenly in a literal bodily context. Here is the conflict between the expected and
the achieved result occur and create a comic effect. Hand is identified as a humor,
X, the circumstance when hand is perceived in a metaphorical frame of reference
is identified as M1 and the circumstance when hand is perceived in a literally
bodily context as M2. This situation can be formulated in the following:
M1 = M2
Hand in a metaphorical = = hand in a literally frame of reference bodily context
X
Hand
(Wilson 1979 :31)
b. The theories of hostility
This theory often called by the theory of superiority. Such theories state
that funniness consists of attaining a feeling of superiority over something, or in
39
Jacob E. Safra and Ilan Yoshua, Humour and Wit, The New Encyclopedia Britannica
vol. 20 (Chicago: Britannica, Inc., 1768), p. 682.
xxvi
overcoming an obstacle, or aggression, in the attack of some object.40
The
philosopher Thomas Hobbes (author of Leviathan, 1651) characterized laughter as
a ‘sudden glory’ at a triumph of our own or at indignity suffered by someone else.
He claimed that those who laugh are momentarily released from awareness of
their own lack of ability. These accords with a commonsense perception of much
humor being a form of mockery – a way of attacking others, so maintaining power
and status by gaining support from other who join in the laughter. People most
likely to laugh, according to Hobbes, are those ‘that are conscious of the fewest
abilities in themselves; who are forced to keep themselves in their own favor, by
observing the imperfections of other men41
.
The example:
Jennifer : Before we go for your Record Choice, let’s see if wee can paint a
picture of the young Eleanor Wood, and maybe recall a few childhood memories for you. You excelled in school academically and at sport. I
love to imagine this picture of you, this Cornish dumpling, probably goalie in the hckey team, cheerfully bouncing around in goal, lifting
everyone’s spirits. You were, I should imagine, a happy, jolly, sturdy person.
Dawn : I suppose so. Jennifer : The class clown, perhaps? So many people with physical disadvantages
like yourself often end up compensating. Was it, dare I say, your
chunkiness, the fact that you were and are a fuller-figured person, that
made you more determined to succeed?
Dawn : Oh all right, you can describe me as chunky, ample, bubbly, huggable,
and so on, as log as I can describe you as slow-witted, uninteresting,
obtuse, dull, tedious, mentally stagnant…because what you’re really
wanting to say about me is ‘fat’and what I’m skirting around about you
is ‘stupid’.42
40
Tom Veatch, Humor Theory, Linguistics. Accessed on February 15, 2009.
http://www.lebed.com/HumorTheory/Humorheoryfinal3.htm. Accessed on November 22, 2008. 41
Alison Ross (1998), op.cit p. 53 42 Ibid. p. 54.
xxvii
c. The theories of liberation
According to this theory, humor is a result of the release of a type of
psychic energy, liberating man from a certain amount of restraint. One of the more
famous of these theories belongs to Freud.43 The adherents of a similar viewpoint
include such authors as Spencer (1860), Penjon (1893), Kline (1907), Gregory
(1924), Eastman (1936) and Monro (1951). These authors postulate that human
actions are limited by numerous prohibitions – sustention of rational behavior, the
need for straightforward expression of thought, and adherence to common sense.
The humorous manner of expression of thought and way of socialization frees us
from these restrictions.
The example:
Seorang majikan marah kepada bawahannya yang selalu terlambat masuk
kantor. “Kemarin ban mobilmu kempes. Kemarinnya lagi mobilmu mogok. Pagi
ini jalanan macet. Besok kamu bilang mobilmu nabrak pohon.” “Jangan begitu, Pak. Nanti perusahaan rugi.”44
43
Tom Veatch, Humor Theory, Linguistics. Accessed on February 15, 2009.
http://www.lebed.com/HumorTheory/Humorheoryfinal3.htm. Accessed on November 22, 2008. 44
Wuri Soedjatmiko, “Aspek Linguistik dan sosiokultural di dalam humor”, Pertemuan
Linguistik Lembaga Bahasa Atma Jaya(Pellba): kelima (1992), February 18, 2009, p. 71.
xxviii
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDING
A. Data Description
In this chapter, the writer will examine the analysis of the way to appear
humor through the dialogues violated the cooperative principles. The humor will
be elaborated through Grice theory of cooperative principle. The data are
collected from the dialogues in Kung Fu Panda movie. They can be presented
below:
1. Speaker
Speaker is one of the elements of context which is fundamental to
determine the meaning of speech based on Pragmatics theory. The speakers who
engaged in dialog of Kung Fu Panda movie are shown at the following table:
Table I
The Table of the Speakers engaged in Dialog of Kung Fu Panda Movie
No Speakers Details Proofs
1 Po A young, lazy, irreverent, slacker,
clumsy, giant panda. He is kung
fu fanatic who
works in his
father’s noodle
restaurant and
unexpectedly
chosen to fulfill an
ancient prophecy
to be the Dragon
Warrior.
Tigress : Master, are you pointing at...me?
Oogway : Him. Po : Who--? {Po tries moving
out of the way of
Oogway's finger, but it
keeps following him}
Oogway : You.
Po : Me?
Oogway : {Oogway grabs Po's
hand and holds it up for
all to see} The universe
has brought us the
Dragon Warrior!
(Scene 19)
xxix
Shifu : Yes. Look at you...this fat
butt. Flabby arms...
Po : Those are sensitive in the
flabby parts.
Shifu : And this ridiculous belly (Scene 27)
Po : I lied. I don't dream about
noodles, Dad! I love kung fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-
(Scene 17)
2. Po’s dad His name is Mr.
Ping, the goose
father. He sells
noodle in his
restaurant
Po's Dad : And then you will fulfill
your destiny and take
over the restaurant, just
as I took it over from
my father, who took it
over from his father,
who won it from a
friend in a game of
mahjong.
(scene 6)
3. Oogway The tortoise. He is the master of kung
fu in the Jade Palace
Shifu : Master Oogway? You summoned me Is
something wrong?{Reveal Master Oogway... a wise,
old tortoise} (Scene 8)
4. Shifu The red mouse. He is Master
Oogway’s protégé who trains the
Furious Five in the
Jade Palace.
End next to palace on an old red
panda (SHIFU) playing a flute. He
is surrounded by the bushes and trees that nestle between the Palace
buildings back on Shifu, still
playing. (Scene 8)
Shifu enters the hallway of the bunkhouse. The Five burst out of
their rooms and land, ready for inspection.
Furious Five : Good morning master!
(Scene 39)
5. The furious
five (Tigress, Monkey,
Mantis, Viper,
A quintet of
warriors trained in kung fu by tortoise
Master Oogway,
Shifu : Citizens of the Valley of
Peace! It is my great honor to present to you... Tigress!
Viper! Crane! Monkey!
xxx
Crane) and his protégé,
Master Shifu.
Mantis! The Furious Five!
( Scene 15)
Shifu : Well done, students... if you
were trying to disappoint
me. {He uses his flute to
correct the Five's technique}Tigress, you
need more ferocity. Monkey, greater speed.
Crane – height. Viper – subtlety. Mantis—
(Scene 7)
6. Tai Lung
Shifu’s former
pupil and foster-
son. He is the
vengeful and
treacherous snow
leopard.
They approach TAI LUNG, a giant,
muscular snow leopard bound in a
giant piece of tortoise shell armor
and chains. (Scene 23)
Shifu peeks out of the Training
Hall and finds a baby leopard cub
on the steps.
Tigress : Shifu found him as a
cub. And he raised him
as a son.
(Scene 46)
7. Kg. Shaw The pig as the
villager of the
valley of peace.
Throngs of Villagers are streaming
into the arena… Two Pigs pass by.
Kg Shaw : Sorry, Po.
Jr Shaw : We'll bring you
back a souvenir
( Scene 12–13)
8. Jr. Shaw The pig as the
villager of the
valley of peace.
Throngs of Villagers are streaming
into the arena… Two Pigs pass by.
Kg Shaw : Sorry, Po.
Jr Shaw : We'll bring you back a souvenir
( Scene 12–13)
xxxi
2. The Violation of Cooperative Principle
Geoffrey Leech in his book “The Principles of Pragmatics” argued that
humor can be created from the violation of cooperative principle.45 In the dialog
of Kung Fu Panda movie, the writer finds some violation of the cooperative
principle which can create the incongruity of humor and their implicature. The
dialogues are identified below:
Table II
The Violation of cooperative Principle that Create the Incongruity of
humor and their implicature
No. Data Indication Incongruity
of Humor
Implicat
ure
Scene
1 Po's Dad : Oh, because it was a stupid dream.
Can you imagine, me making tofu? (Laughs at
the thought) No. We all have our place in this
world. Mine is here. And yours is—
Po : I know. Is here.
Po's Dad : No, it's at
tables two, five, seven,
and twelve. {He loads
Po's arms with bowls of
soup} Service with a
smile!
Maxim of quality.
X = here
M1 = in the
restaurant
M2 = at
tables two,
five, seven,
and twelve
X = M1
X = M2
M1 = M2
Po’s dad aims to
force Po to stop
talking and serve
the villagers
exactly.
6 – 7
2.
Po : Come on!
Come on, ya—almost
there... {He stops,
flopping onto his back
to catch his breath.
WIDEN TO REVEAL
he's only made it up
Maxim of
quality
X = Almost
there
M1 = Near by the Jade
Palace
He
doesn’t
believe
that he is
only
makes
seven
12-13
45
Geoffrey Leech. Prinsip-prinsip Pragmatik. Jakarta: Penerbit Universitas Indonesia,
1993. p. 152.
xxxii
seven steps} What? No!
Oh No! (Two Pigs pass
by)
M2 = Po
only makes
seven steps
X = M1
X = M2
M1 = M2
steps
3. Crane : Look, you don't belong here.
Po : {Po looks stung to be hearing this from
one of his heroes}I know. I know. You're
right. I just - my whole life I've dreamed of-
Crane : {Crane stops Po before he
embarrasses himself
even more} No no no...
I meant you don't
belong here. I mean, in
this room. This is my
room. Property of
Crane.{Po is mortified,
but covers}
Maxim of manner
X = You don’t belong
here
M1 = You don’t belong
to the Jade Palace
M2 = You
don’t belong
to the
Crane’s
room
X = M1 X = M2
M1 = M2
Crane implies
that Po has to get
out from his room
because he wants
to sleep.
33-34
4. Po : {Po makes a
googly-eyed face} Doieeeee...
Tigress : (charging at Po) Oh! That is ill!
Mantis : {Mantis
pops up and halts
Tigress} Wait! My
fault! I accidentally
tweaked his facial
nerve. {Po falls face
first to the floor,
revealing his back is covered with needles}
And may have also stopped his heart.
Maxim of
manner
X=“Doieeee
e...” with googly-eyed
face
M1 = ill
because
hearing
Tigress’ mockery
M2 = Ill
because acupuncture
Po
implies to stop the
acupuncture
because
he is hurt.
45-48
xxxiii
X = M1
X = M2
M1 = M2
5. Po : (Normal)
Ears. It's not working
for you? I thought they
were pretty good. {Po
looks at the stone-faced Five. Tigress jumps to
her feet} Monkey : It's Shifu.
Po : Of course it's Shifu. What do you
think I'm doing? {He finally notices Shifu
standing there, doing a
slow burn.
Embarrassed, he places
the soup bowls on his
chest like a bra}
Po : Ooh! Master
Shifu!
Maxim of
manner
X = It’s
Shifu M1 =
Monkey
understands
what Po does
M2 =
Monkey says it to tell
Po that Shifu has
entered the room
X = M1
X = M2
M1 = M2
Po warns
Po that
Shifu has
entered
the room and
Monkey orders Po
to stop imitating
Shifu
53-54
6. Shifu : Look at you
Po : Yeah, I
know. I disgust you
Shifu : No no, I
mean... how did you get
up there?
Maxim of
manner
X = Look at
you
M1 = Po
expectas that Shifu
utters it to berate and
humiliate
him
M2 = Shifu
utters it to
tell Po that
he has done
a perfect
spit
X = M1
X = M2 M1 = M2
Shifu
implies
his
amazeme
nt for
seeing
the
perfect
split done
by Po.
58-60
xxxiv
7. Shifu : You did?! [Shifu smiles and
shakes his head in disbelief] Wow. It is as
Oogway foretold —You are the Dragon Warrior.
You have brought peace to this Valley. And to
me. Thank you. Thank
you, Po. Thank you.
[Shifu closes his eyes.
He is still. Po starts
freaking out]
Po : No! Master!
No No No! Don’t die,
Shifu. Please...
Shifu : (eyes
snapping open) I’m not
dying, you idiot—ah, Dragon Warrior. I’m
simply at peace. Finally.
Maxim of manner
X = Thank you
(Closing the
Eyes)
M1 = Shifu
is dying
M2 = Shifu
feels in
peace
X = M1 X = M2
M1 = M2
Shifu
implies his
statement and
action to express
his
feeling of
peaceful
after Po
defeated
Tai Lung
and he
needs a
silent
situation
to feel peaceful.
82
B. Data Analysis
For analyzing, the writer uses the data from the dialogs of kung fu panda
movie. First, she observes the context which supported the analysis. Second, she
identifies the violation of the cooperative principle in dialog of Kung Fu Panda
movie, the incongruous humor in those dialogues, and the implicature of those
dialogues.
1. Datum 1
Po : Dad Dad Dad, it was just a dream.
Po's Dad : No, it was the dream. We are noodle folk. Broth runs through our
veins.
Po : But Dad, didn't you ever, I dunno, want to do something else?
Something besides noodles? Po's Dad : Actually... {Po looks surprised}When I was young and crazy...
xxxv
{Dad gets a wistful look in his eyes} I thought about running
away and learning how to make tofu.
Po : So why didn't you?!
Po's Dad : Oh, because it was a stupid dream. Can you imagine, me making tofu? (Laughs at the thought) No. We all have our place in this
world. Mine is here. And yours is— Po : I know. Is here.
Po's Dad : No, it's at tables two, five, seven, and twelve. {He loads Po's arms with bowls of soup} Service with a smile!
a. Context
Pragmatics is a study of how the linguistic elements interact with the
contextual factors to produce the utterance interpretation.46
The contextual factors
which are supported the analysis can be identified as below:
1) Character : Po and Po’s dad.
2) Setting : In the kitchen in his father’s restaurant
3) Context of situation : The restaurant is crowded. Po goes late to work.
His father, Mr. Ping, asks him what he does until he comes late for
working. He tells his father that he has a crazy dream. He lies to his father
by saying that he dreams about noodle but actually he dreams about
becoming the kung fu warrior, his obsession. His father is very excited
hearing his dream because his father has been waiting for this moment. His
father believes that his dream about noodle is the sign that he is almost
already to be entrusted with the secret ingredient of his grandfather’s
secret ingredient soup then he will fulfill his destiny to take the restaurant
from his father.
46
Ira Noveck and Dan Sperber, eds. Experimental Pragmatics. London: Palgrave.
Accessed on 20 february, 2009. www.nove.edu.
xxxvi
b. The violation of cooperative principle
Humor is non-cooperative communication because it is created from the
violation of cooperative principle. The violation of cooperative principle in datum
1 to create the humor is identified below:
1) Maxim of quality
In this maxim, the speaker is required to not say what he believes to be
false or lack of evidence.47
The maxim of quality in the conversation in datum 1 is
seen in the information contributed by Po and his father. Po shares his idea that
his dream is only a dream by saying “Dad Dad Dad, it was just a dream”. He also
debates his father why his father did not learn to make tofu. It is reflected by his
statement “But Dad, didn't you ever, I dunno, want to do something else?
Something besides noodles?“ and it is emphasized by his statement “So why didn't
you?” It means that Po believes what he says are true. After hearing Po’s
questions, Po’s father answers that when he was young and crazy he thought
about running away and learning how to make tofu. But he did not do it because
he thought that it was a stupid dream. He believed that everybody has his own
place in the world. He believed that his place is in the restaurant to make noodles.
It is depicted in his statement “Actually...When I was young and crazy... I thought
about running away and learning how to make tofu”. He shared his reason why he
did not learn to make tofu by saying “Oh, because it was a stupid dream. Can you
imagine, me making tofu? No. We all have our place in this world. Mine is here.
And yours is—“. Po assumed that his place is also in the restaurant to make
47 Jacob L. Mey. Pragmatics (2001), loc. cit.
xxxvii
noodles but his father says that is wrong. His father says that Po’s place in the
world is at table two, five, seven, and twelve. It is described clearly in his
statement “No, it's at tables two, five, seven, and twelve”. It seems that Po’s
father gives information what he believes to be false. He says that Po’s place in
the world is at table two, five, seven, and twelve while they talking about the
place of noodle seller. In sum, Po’s father violates the maxim of quality.
2) Maxim of quantity
Po repeats the word “dad” in his statement “Dad Dad Dad, it was just a
dream” to emphasize his speech. It means that he doesn’t violate this maxim. Po
utters some questions which elaborated in his questions “But Dad, didn't you ever,
I dunno, want to do something else? Something besides noodles?“ and “So why
didn't you?”. He utters his question sufficiently. Hearing Po questions, His father,
Mr. Ping, has sent some information for the questions being asked by Po. He says,
“Actually... When I was young and crazy... I thought about running away and
learning how to make tofu”. He also answers, “Oh, because it was a stupid dream.
Can you imagine, me making tofu? No. We all have our place in this world. Mine
is here. And yours is—“. The information that has been sent by Po’s father is
uttered sufficiently. Based on some facts above, the writer concludes that the
speakers have fulfilled the maxim of quantity all the way
3) Maxim of relevance
Po says that his dream is only a dream but his father doesn’t believe it. He
argues that they are noodle folk. Then, Po is curious to ask him. He asks, “didn't
you ever, I dunno, want to do something else? Something besides noodles?” His
xxxviii
father answers, “When I was young and crazy... I thought about running away
and learning how to make tofu.” Po asks him any more, “So why didn't you?!” his
father answers, “Oh, because it was a stupid dream. Can you imagine, me making
tofu? No. We all have our place in this world. Mine is here.” Based on the
conversation above, both Po and his father have sent the relevant statement. Po’s
father always sends the relevant answer for some questions being asked by Po.
Hearing his father’s answers, Po also sends the relevant statements and questions
to represent his feelings. In conclusion, all the speakers involved in conversation
have accorded the maxim of relevance.
4) Maxim of manner
In datum 1, there are two questions that asked by Po. He asked did his
father ever want to do something else beside noodle and he asks why his father
did not learn to make tofu. Po asked his questions straightforwardly. His father
answers that actually, when he was young and crazy he thought about running
away and learning how to make tofu but he thought that it was a stupid dream. His
father answers his questions clearly. All speakers have evoked their ideas clearly.
All statements are understood well by them. This fact is real evidence that this
maxim has been satisfied in the conversation.
From the explanation above, the writer concludes that the maxim of
quality is violated in the dialog in datum 1.
xxxix
c. Humor
As argued by Aristotle, humor appears as a result of understanding the
incongruity between the expected, and the achieved result.48 The dialog in datum
1 seems the conflict between what Po expects and what actually occurs. When his
father says that his place is here, it leads Po and also the perceivers of humor to
assume what Mr. Ping wants to say. Then, Po cuts in his father’s speech and says
that he knows his place is also here. The punch line occurs when his father says it
is wrong. Po’s place is at tables two, five, seven, and twelve. Then, it creates the
different situation between what Po expects and what actually occurs. Of course,
his father’s answer surprises Po and the perceivers of humor who has the
assumption what Mr. Ping wants to say. Then, his father’s answer brings them
from the telic state to the paratelic state. This situation can be formulated in the
following:
M1 = M2
In the restaurant = = At tables two, five, seven, and twelve
X
Here
Here is the humor which is identified as X and in the restaurant and at tables two,
five, seven, and twelve are the situations made by the humor which are identified
as M1 and M2.
48
Tom Veatch, Humor Theory, Linguistics. Accessed on February 15, 2009.
http://www.lebed.com/HumorTheory/ Humorheoryfinal3.htm
xl
d. Implicature
The implicature of this dialogue can be seen in the last conversation when
Po’s dad says that Po’s place is at table two, five, seven, and twelve. Based on the
context situation, the restaurant is crowded. Then, by saying it, Po’s dad aims to
force Po to stop talking and serve the villagers exactly.
2. Datum 2
[Where's Po? PAN DOWN a long, long, long, long flight of stairs. Po stands at
the bottom with his noodle cart, looking up at the daunting task before him. Po
struggles to pull his noodle cart up the stairs]
[The sun beats down on Po, but he presses forward. Climbing. Climbing. Po is
still struggling up the stairs]
Po : Come on! Come on, ya—almost there... {He stops, flopping onto
his back to catch his breath. WIDEN TO REVEAL he's only
made it up seven steps} What? No! Oh No! (Two Pigs pass by)
Kg Shaw : Sorry, Po.
Jr Shaw : We'll bring you back a souvenir
a. Context
The contextual factors which are supported the analysis in datum 2 can be
identified in the following:
1) Character : Po, Kg Shaw, and Jr Shaw.
2) Setting : In the stairs, in the bottom of jade palace with his
noodle cart.
3) Context of situation : After knowing master Oogway will choose the
dragon warrior, the villagers go to the Jade Palace. They are streaming into
the arena. Po is anxious to see the tournament but is instead forced to take
a noodle cart up the mountain to the Jade Temple.
xli
b. The cooperative Principle
The violation of cooperative principle in datum 2 to create the humor is
identified below:
1) Maxim of quality
Po says that he almost arrives to jade palace but when he stops and flop
onto his back to catch his breath he is aware that he is only seven stairs from the
bottom. He says, “Come on! Come on, ya—almost there” but when he is aware
he says, “What? No! Oh No!”. What Po says that he is almost to the Jade Palace is
lack of evidence. In sum, Po violates maxim of quality.
2) Maxim of quantity
This maxim proposes the speaker to give his contribution sufficiently
informative for the current purpose of the conversation and doesn’t give more
information than required.49 Po expresses his feeling when he comes almost to the
Jade Palace and when he realizes that he is only seven steps from bottom by
saying “Come on! Come on, ya—almost there. What? No! Oh No!”. He expresses
his feeling sufficiently. Kg. Shaw and Jr Shaw express their sympathy when they
know that Po only makes seven steps. Kg. Shaw says, “Sorry, Po” and Jr. Shaw
says, “We'll bring you back a souvenir". They express their sympathy sufficiently.
It means that all the speaker give their contribution sufficiently informative. It
proves that this maxim has accorded well in datum 2.
49 Alison Ross (1998), op.cit. p. 40.
xlii
3) Maxim of relevance
Po’s statement “Come on! Come on, ya—almost there. What? No! Oh
No!” is relevant to the situation when he is struggling to go to the Jade Palace and
feeling that he is almost there. His statement “What? No! Oh No!” is also relevant
to the situation when he is aware that he is still far from the Jade Palace. The
statement of Kg Shaw saying that he is so sorry for Po and the statement of Jr
Shaw saying that he’ll bring Po a souvenir are relevant to the Po’s situation when
he realizes that he is still at the bottom of the Jade Palace. All facts prove that this
maxim has been fulfilled.
4) Maxim of manner
Po expresses his happiness and sadness clearly by saying “Come on! Come
on, ya—almost there. What? No! Oh No!” Kg Shaw and Jr Shaw also say their
idea clearly about their sympathy by saying “We'll bring you back a souvenir”.
Then, the speakers in datum 2 share their ideas straightforwardly. They adhere to
this maxim well.
In sum, the writer finds the maxim of quality is not adhered to in dialog in
datum 2.
c. Humor
Po tries to get to the Jade Palace by stepping some stairs. It will be hard
for the clumsy giant panda to do it. After stepping stairs, he feels that he almost
arrives to the Jade Palace. He expresses his happiness by saying, “Come on!
Come on, ya—almost there. It guides the audience to expect that he will arrive
there successfully. The expectation is broken up when he says No! Oh No! And he
xliii
realizes that he is still far from the Jade Palace. Here the punch line occurs. The
situation is not fitting well between Po’s statement and what he and the perceivers
of humor expect. It creates a comic effect. It is formulated below:
M1 = M2
Near by the Jade Palace = = Po only makes seven steps
X
Almost there
Po’s statement “Almost there” is the humor which is identified as X because it
creates the conflict between Po’s expectation and the happened situation. Po’s
expectation that he almost arrives to the Jade Palace is identified by M1 and the
happened situation that he is still far from he Jade Palace is identified by M2.
d. Implicature
Po’s statement “Almost there” makes the audiences understand that he is
almost to the Jade Palace and they also understand when Po says “What? No! Oh
No!” by observing the Po’s statement and the happened situation. Po implies that
he doesn’t believe that he is only makes seven steps.
3. Datum 3
Po : You guys were totally amazing at the Battle of Weeping River.
Outnumbered a thousand to one, but you didn't stop, and then you
just...HI-YAH! {Po does a spastic series of Kung Fu moves. We
hear a RIP, and reveal that he's kicked his foot through the paper
wall} Ooo, sorry about that.
Crane : Look, you don't belong here.
Po : {Po looks stung to be hearing this from one of his heroes} I
know. I know. You're right. I just - my whole life I've dreamed of-
xliv
Crane : {Crane stops Po before he embarrasses himself even more}No no
no... I meant you don't belong here. I mean, in this room. This is
my room. Property of Crane. {Po is mortified, but covers}
Po : Oh, okay. Right right. Yeah, you want to get to sleep. Crane : Yeah.
Po : I'm keepin' you up. We got big things tomorrow. Alright. You're awesome. Last thing I'm gonna say. Okay. Bye bye. [Po shuts the
door. Crane sighs. The door flies open. Po enters with an eager smile] What was that?
Crane : I didn't say anything.
a. Context
The contextual factors which are supported the analysis in datum 3 can be
identified in the following:
1) Character : Po and Crane.
2) Setting : In the bunkhouse, in the night.
3) Context of situation : Po is dejected after his first day of training but
advised by Master Oogway, he refuses to quit. He goes back to the
bunkhouse. Po peeks around the corner. He tiptoes into the hall. The
floorboards strain beneath him. Po takes a gentle step but Po's foot goes
through the floor. Po tries to recover. Po rolls his ankle and stumbles
through a bedroom door. Crane is staring back at him. Po tries to have the
conversation with Crane but he says that he should probably get to sleep.
Po is sad and feels dejected.
b. The Cooperative Principle
The violation of cooperative principle in datum 3 to create the humor is
identified below:
xlv
1) Maxim of quality
Crane tells the fact that Po is not belong here because they are in Crane’s
room. He says, “Look, you don't belong here. No no no... I meant you don't belong
here. I mean, in this room. This is my room. Property of Crane” and Po also
realizes that he is in Crane’s room and Crane wants to get sleep. He utters, “Oh,
okay. Right right. Yeah, you want to get to sleep”. Crane is sure that the idea in his
statement is true and Po is honest about what he realizes. In sum, the maxim has
been well-fulfilled.
2) Maxim of quantity
Po expresses his amazement by saying “You guys were totally amazing at
the Battle of Weeping River. Outnumbered a thousand to one, but you didn't stop,
and then you just...HI-YAH!” He also expresses his awareness by saying “I know.
I know. You're right. I just - my whole life I've dreamed of- Oh, okay. Right right.
Yeah, you want to get to sleep. I'm keepin' you up. We got big things tomorrow.
Alright. You're awesome. Last thing I'm gonna say. Okay. Bye bye”. Po says his
ideas effectively. Crane says, “Look, you don't belong here. No no no... I meant
you don't belong here. I mean, in this room. This is my room. Property of Crane”.
Crane also says his statement effectively. Then the writer identifies that all
speakers adhere to the maxim of quantity because they say their ideas in right
portion.
3) Maxim of relevance
Po shows his kung fu but he breaks Crane’s paper wall. Seeing this fact,
crane says that Po doesn’t belong here. Po misunderstands with Crane statement.
xlvi
He feel dejected the Crane explains that he means that Po doesn’t belong to there
room. Crane sends the appropriate statement to cheer Po when he is upset for
feeling dejected. He utters, “No no no... I meant you don't belong here. I mean, in
this room. This is my room. Property of Crane”. Then, Po is aware that Crane
wants to get sleep and he go out of Crane’s room. Po also gives the relevant
respond for Crane’s statement when he says that there is his room. Po understands
that Crane wants to get sleep. He says, “Oh, okay. Right right. Yeah, you want to
get to sleep. I'm keepin' you up.” In sum, the maxim has been satisfied.
4) Maxim of manner
In this maxim, the speaker is required to be brief, be orderly, avoid
obscurity of expression, and avoid ambiguity.50
Crane utters, “Look, you don't
belong here”. This statement creates an mbiguity for Po. Po says, “I know. I
know. You're right. I just - my whole life I've dreamed of-“. He creates an
ambiguity for Po. He means that Po does not belong in his room but Po
misunderstands. Po suggests that Crane’s statement means he does not belong to
the Jade Palace. Crane doesn’t send his message directly. He doesn’t say that Po
has to get out from his room. Then, Po misunderstands. It means that Crane, in
this conversation, seems to violate the maxim.
Toward the explanation above, the writer concludes the maxim of manner
is violated in dialog in datum 3.
50 I Dewa Putu Wijana (1996), loc. cit.
xlvii
c. Humor
Crane expects Po gets out from his room by his statement that Po is not
belong here, but the achieved result from Crane’s statement is Po feels that he is
refused and he is not appropriate to be the Dragon warrior. Hearing Po’s
statement, Crane is panic. The panic situation creates a punch line because it can
bring Po and the perceivers of humor from the telic state to paratelic state. To feel
the punch line, the perceivers of humor have to get the ambiguity from the
sentence “you don’t belong here”. The ambiguity creates the situation not fitting
well between what Crane expects and the achieved result. It means that in datum 4
are two meanings that being understood from the statement “you don’t belong
here”. The term incongruity refers to the possibility for two meanings being
understood from the utterance.51
It can be formulated as below:
M1 = M2
You don’t belong to the = = You don’t belong to
the Jade Palace Crane’s room
X
You don’t belong here
The Statement “You don’t belong here” is the humor which identified as X
because it creates a conflict between Po’s expectation and Crane’s purpose. Po’s
expectation that he doesn’t belong to the Jade Palace is identified as M1 and
Crane’s purpose that Po doesn’t belong to his room is identified as M2.
51 Alison Ross. (1998), op.cit. p. 7.
xlviii
d. Implicature
The implicature in this conversation is seen from Crane’s statement saying
that Po is not belonging here. Actually, Crane implies that Po has to get out from
his room because he wants to sleep.
4. Datum 4
Po : (Trying to ease the tension) Guys, guys. I know about Tai Lung.
{Tigress turns to Po} He was a student, the first ever to master the thousand...{Tigress approaches Po and leans in towards him}
(nervously trailing off)...scrolls of... kung fu... and...then he
turned bad... and now he's in jail.
Tigress : {Tigress shakes her head at the panda's ignorance} He wasn't just
a student. {Shifu peeks out of the Training Hall and finds a baby
leopard cub on the steps} Shifu found him as a cub. And he
raised him as a son. {Baby Tai Lung pulls on Shifu's
whiskers}...and when the boy showed talent in Kung Fu... {Baby
Tai Lung punches the training dummy across the floor} ...Shifu
trained him. {Shifu teaches Baby Tai Lung how to punch} He
believed in him. He told him he was destined for greatness.{Hard
cut to a full-grown Tai Lung demolishing a training dummy} It was never enough for Tai Lung. He wanted the Dragon Scroll.
But Oogway saw darkness in his heart and refused. Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the valley. He tried to take the scroll by force.
And Shifu had to destroy what he had created. {Tai Lung ransacks a village on his way up to the Jade Palace. He crashes
through the doors, running towards a waiting Shifu and Oogway. Shifu leaps at Tai Lung to deliver a kick} But how could he?
{Seeing only baby Tai Lung running towards him, Shifu pulls his kick short. Tai Lung counters with a devastating strike and Shifu
crashes to the ground holding his broken leg.Tai Lung leaps for
the scroll, but Oogway stops him with strikes at his pressure
points. He falls to the ground in a heap} Shifu loved Tai Lung
like he'd never loved anyone before... {Young Tigress in the
training hall strikes the dummy in the same manner as Tai Lung.
Shifu corrects her form. Nothing more. Young Tigress looks
crestfallen}...or since. {The sad, young Tigress cross-dissolves to
adult Tigress}{Everyone is quiet in the moment} And he has a
chance to make things right, to train the true Dragon Warrior.
And he's stuck with you: a big, fat panda who treats it like a joke.
Po : {Po makes a googly-eyed face} Doieeeee... Tigress : (charging at Po) Oh! That is ill!
Mantis : {Mantis pops up and halts Tigress} Wait! My fault! I accidentally
xlix
tweaked his facial nerve. {Po falls face first to the floor, revealing
his back is covered with needles} And may have also stopped his
heart.
a. Context
The contextual factors which are supported the analysis in datum 4 can be
identified in the following:
1) Character : Po, Tigress, and Mantis.
2) Setting : Bunkhouse – Evening
3) Context of situation : After training, Po gets acupuncture from Crane
and Mantis. While acupuncturing, Po tells them that Shifu tries to get rid
of him. The others look at each other and chuckle awkwardly. Mantis says
that he can seem kind of heartless but he isn’t always like that. Viper
supports Mantis’ argument by saying that according to legend, there was
once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile. But that was
before... Crane stops his speech and makes Po curious to know. Suddenly,
tigress enters the room and continues the crane’s speech. Crane argues that
they aren’t really supposed to talk about him. But tigress disagree and
argue if Po is going to stay in the Jade Palace, he should know.
b. The Cooperative Principle
The violation of cooperative principle in datum 4 to create the humor is
identified below:
1) Maxim of quality
Po says that he know Tai Lung. He utters, “Guys, guys. I know about Tai
Lung. He was a student, the first ever to master the thousand...scrolls of... kung
fu... and...then he turned bad... and now he's in jail”. What Po says about Tai
l
Lung is true because he is a kung fu fanatic. Meanwhile, Tigress says that Tai
Lung is not only a student. She believes that it is true and not lack of evidence
because she is one of a quintet of warriors who trained in kung fu by master
Oogway and master Shifu in the Jade Palace. While talking about Tai Lung,
Mantis says that he tweaks Po’s facial nerve and it can stop Po’s heart. He says it
truly. It depicted by his statement “Wait! My fault! I accidentally tweaked his
facial nerve. And may have also stopped his heart”. All the statement that said by
Tigress, Po, and Viper are true. Based on some proofs, the writer identifies that all
speakers engaged in this conversation adhere to this maxim.
2) Maxim of quantity
Po tells that Tai Lung was a student who turned bad and now he is in jail.
Po says, “He was a student, the first ever to master the thousand...scrolls of...
kung fu... and...then he turned bad... and now he's in jail”. Po says what he knows
about Tai Lung sufficiently. Tigress explains more about Tai Lung. She says that
Tai Lung was not just a student. Shifu found him and raised him as his son. He
loved Tai Lung like he’d never loved any one before. Shifu believed that Tai Lung
was destined for greatness. Tai Lung wanted the Dragon Scroll but Oogway saw
darkness in his heart and refused. Although Tigress’s explanation is longer
explanation than Po’s, she shares his idea in right portion. Meanwhile Mantis
doesn’t share his idea about Tai Lung, He also gives his contribution in this
conversation. He tells Tigress that he tweaked Po’s facial nerve sufficiently
informative. In sum, the contributions which given by Tigress, Po, and Mantis are
li
informative as required. The speakers don’t say anything much more than it is
needed in this conversation. Then, the maxim has been adhered to.
3) Maxim of relevance
Po evokes his idea about Tai Lung. Feeling unsatisfied with Po’s idea,
Tigress tells more about Tai Lung. Tigress gives the relevant statement to Po’s
statement. Although Mantis doesn’t talk about Tai Lung, He tells Tigress why Po
shouts with his googly-eyed face by saying “Wait! My fault! I accidentally
tweaked his facial nerve. And may have also stopped his heart”. In conclusion, Po
and Tigress have accorded the maxim of relevance in the datum 5. Po says the
relevant statement about Tai Lung. According to Po’s statement, Tigress sends her
relevant additional information about Tai Lung. Mantis has also accorded the
maxim by sending his relevant contribution for easing Tigress’ tension.
4) Maxim of manner
This maxim regards the speaker to be brief, be orderly, avoid obscurity of
expression, and avoid ambiguity.52 Po says, “Doieeeee...” with his googly-eyed
face in serious situation while talking about Tai Lung. Tigress suggests that Po is
ill hearing her explanation but actually he is ill because acupuncture. In serious
condition when they talk about Tai Lung, the strange shout with googly-eyed face
will be confusing. Po seems violate this maxim by his statement “Doieeeee...”
with googly-eyed face.
From the explanation above, the writer finds the maxim of manner is
violated in the dialog in datum 4.
52 I Dewa Putu Wijana (1996). loc. cit.
lii
c. Humor
Tigress thinks that his speech makes Po ill but actually the real condition
is Po fells ill because the acupuncture. The reason why Po shouts isn’t explained
By Po himself but it is explained by Mantis. Actually, Mantis can explain why Po
shouts before the Tigress asks but he says it after the Tigress asks. The
incongruity created by constructing the dialog elements. The dialog element
which is actually uttered by Po is uttered by Mantis in different time whether it’s
actually uttered in the same time. Then, the different expectation between
Tigress’s expectation and the happened condition occurs. It makes a comic effect.
The incongruous can be formulated as below:
M1 = M2
Ill because hearing = = Ill because acupuncture
Tigress’ mockery
X
Doieeeee...
[With googly-eyed face]
The utterance “Doieeeee...” with googly-eyed face makes a conflict between
Tigress’ expectation and what actually occurs. Then, it is identified as X, the
humor. The writer finds the expectation of Tigress that Po shouts “Doieeeee...”
with googly-eyed face because he is ill hearing Tigress’ mockery as M1 and the
real situation that Po shouts “Doieeeee...” with googly-eyed face because he is
hurt with the acupuncture as M2.
liii
d. Implicature
The implicature in this case is seen from Po’s shout “Doieeeee” with his a
googly-eyed face when he gets the acupuncture. He implies to stop the
acupuncture because he is hurt.
5. Datum 5
Tigress : It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time
on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe.{On the others for a beat. Then Po shrugs}
Po : I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet. I'm
gonna need a lot more than dew. And, uh, universe juice. {Po
laughs. He picks up his bowl and takes a giant gulp. When he
lowers the bowl, we see a noodle hanging from his face -- it looks
like a moustache. Mantis snickers}What?
Mantis : Oh, nothing... Master Shifu!{The rest start laughing. Po realizes
he's wearing a noodle moustache. He plays it up}
Po : (imitating Shifu) You will never be the Dragon Warrior, unless
you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth! {The Five
LAUGH} (imitating Shifu) What is that noise you're making?
Laughter? I never heard of it!{The Five keep LAUGHING. Po reaches over and grabs two empty bowls and holds them up like
ears} Po : (imitating Shifu) Work hard, Panda. And maybe, someday... you
will have ears like mine.{As the rest of the Five laugh, Tigress sneaks a moment to smell Po's soup. Leaning towards the bowl,
she suddenly looks up and stops. The Five also look up and stop laughing} {Reveal Shifu has entered behind Po. He is holding
Oogway's staff} Po : (normal) Ears. It's not working for you? I thought they were
pretty good. {Po looks at the stone-faced Five. Tigress jumps to
her feet}
Monkey : It's Shifu.
Po : Of course it's Shifu. What do you think I'm doing? {He finally
notices Shifu standing there, doing a slow burn. Embarrassed, he
places the soup bowls on his chest like a bra}
Po : Ooh! Master Shifu!
a. Context
The contextual factors which are supported the analysis in datum 5 can be
identified in the following:
liv
1) Character : Po, Tigress, Mantis, and Monkey.
2) Setting : In the kitchen, in the night.
3) Context of situation : Po is cooking Soup for the Five. The Five, except
tigress, say that the soup is delicious. They have joke together. Finally,
Monkey realizes that tigress doesn’t enjoy the joke. Monkey orders tigress
to sit and try the soup. She sits and begins to talk.
b. The Cooperative Principle
The violation of cooperative principle in datum 5 to create the humor is
identified below:
1) Maxim of quality
Tigress tells the fact that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a
time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe.
Tigress is sure that the idea in her statement is true. She says, “It is said that the
Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a
single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe”. Po also says the fact that he
needs a lot more than dew. He utters, “I guess my body doesn't know it's the
Dragon Warrior yet. I'm gonna need a lot more than dew. And, uh, universe
juice”. Po also imitates Shifu well. Mantis doesn’t hide any information when he
sees Po has a noodle moustache like Shifu’s moustache by saying “Oh, nothing...
Master Shifu!” and Monkey says, “It’s Shifu!” when he realizes that Po imitates
shifu and he also tells Po when Shifu comes. He has nothing for reason to tell a
lie. The writer concludes that the information contributed by Tigress, Mantis, Po,
and Monkey are true. Then, this maxim has accorded well by the speakers.
lv
2) Maxim of quantity
Tigress and Po share their idea about the Dragon warior. He says, “It is
said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the
dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe” and Po says, “I guess
my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet. I'm gonna need a lot more than
dew. And, uh, universe juice”. Po imitates Shifu in right proportion. Both Mantis
and monkey say their ideas sufficiently. The ideas described in their statement
“Oh, nothing... Master Shifu” and “it’s Shifu!”. All speakers have said their ideas
effectively as the communication required. It means that the maxim of quantity is
obeyed by the speakers.
3) Maxim of relevance
Tigress says, “It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at
a time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the
universe”. Hearing Tigress’ statement, Po, the chosen Dragon Warrior, argues
that he needs a lot more than dew. He eats his noodle but the rest of it hangs like a
moustache. Seeing the moustache, Mantis calls him master Shifu. It described in
his statement “Oh, nothing... Master Shifu!”. Then, Po realizes that he wears a
noodle moustache and begins playing it up by imitating Shifu. Suddenly Shifu
comes and Monkey warns Po by saying “It’s Shifu!”. Observing the data in datum
5, the writer identifies that all the speakers say the relevant statement. The goal of
the conversation is fulfilled. Yet, the maxim has been adhered to.
lvi
4) Maxim of manner
Herbert Paul Grice argued in his book “Logic and Conversation” which
quoted by Geoffrey Leech says “Maxim of manner is relating not to what is said
but rather to how what is said is to be said.”53 In datum 5, Monkey says, “It's
Shifu” and Po misunderstands with Monkey’s statement by saying “Of course it's
Shifu. What do you think I'm doing?”. Monkey doesn’t send his idea clearly when
Shifu comes. Then it creates an ambiguity for Po. In sum, this maxim has been
violated by Monkey.
Thus, the writer gets the violation of maxim of manner in the dialog in
datum 5.
c. Humor
Looking at the stone-faced Five, Po thinks that his action is not working.
Then, when Monkey said “It’s Shifu”, it evokes an ambiguity. Po expects that
Monkey says it because he has been understood what Po does that he imitates
Shifu. In fact, Monkey says it to tell Po that Shifu has entered the room and stands
behind him. Po surprises when he realizes that Shifu has entered the room. This
surprising thing is the punch line. The conflict between Po’s expectation and the
happened situation is amusing. It is formulated below:
53 Geoffrey Leech. (1993), op. cit. 155
lvii
M1 = M2
Monkey understands = = Monkey tells Po that Shifu
what Po does has entered the room
X It’s Shifu
The humor in the Sentence “It’s Shifu” is identified as X because it creates an
ambiguity for Po. Po’s expects that Monkey understands what he does is
identified as M1 and the real situation that Monkey says it to tell Po that Sjifu has
entered the room is identified as M2.
d. Implicature
In this case, the implicature is seen from Monkey’s statement saying “Its
shifu”. It is a warning used to tell Po that Shifu has entered the room and Monkey
orders Po to stop imitating Shifu but Po fails to understand the implicature.
6. Datum 6
Po : (Mouth full) Don't tell Monkey. {He glances back down at Shifu,
whose disbelief turns to a wise smile} Shifu : Look at you
Po : Yeah, I know. I disgust you
Shifu : No no, I mean... how did you get up there?
Po : I don't know. I guess I-- I don't know. I was getting a cookie...[He
looks at the cookie and then can't help but eat it}
Shifu : And yet you are ten feet off the ground and have done a perfect
split.
Po : No, this... this is just an accident.
[He and Po stare at each other for a beat. Then... WHOOMP! Po
slips and crashes to the kitchen floor. A cookie rolls over to Shifu.
He picks it up}
lviii
a. Context
The contextual factors which are supported the analysis in datum 6 can be
identified in the following:
1) Character : Po and Shifu.
2) Setting : In the kitchen of Bunkhouse, in the morning.
3) Context of situation : Shifu looks inside the training hall. It’s empty. He
hears The noises from the bunkhouse. He turns the corner in the
bunkhouse. He sees Po's shadow as he performs some amazing Kung Fu.
Entering the kitchen, He finds Po is stuffing his face with food. Seeing
Shifu, he stops mid-munch. Shifu surveys the room. He finds the broken
lock, smashed doors, unhinged cabinets. Po belches. Seeing master Shifu
amazes, Po tells him that he eats when he is upset. Master Shifu gets the
idea and he tells Po that monkey hides his almond cookies on the top shelf.
Shifu calmly exits and hides just outside the doorway, waiting to see if his
hunch is correct. He hears some noises. He peeks back inside and finds Po
perched atop the high shelves jamming more cookies into his mouth. Po
notices Shifu walking back in.
b. The Cooperative Principle
The violation of cooperative principle in datum 6 to create the humor is
identified below:
1) Maxim of quality
The maxim of quality in the conversation in datum 6 is seen in the
information contributed by Shifu and Po. Po tells the fact that he eats when he is
lix
upset. He also tells that he disgusts Shifu and he doesn’t know how he gets up on
ten feet off the ground. It can be proven by his statements “Yeah, I know. I disgust
you”, I don't I-- I don't know. know. I guess I was getting a cookie”, and ” This is
just an accident”. He believes that his idea is true. Shifu utters, how did you get
up there. And yet you are ten feet off the ground and have done a perfect split”
when he sees Po do the perfect split. Shifu says honestly about his amazement for
seeing the perfect split done by Po. In conclusion, both have accorded the maxim.
2) Maxim of quantity
Po asks Shifu not to tell that he eats Monkey’s almond cookies. He says,
“Don't tell Monkey”. Seeing Po eats the cookies in perfect split position, Shifu
surprises. He asks Po sufficiently how he gets up there. Po answers that he doesn’t
know. He suggests that it is just an accident. Based on the situation happens, the
writer argues that the goal of the conversation is satisfied well because all
speakers evoke the relevant idea.
3) Maxim of relevance
Shifu asks Po how he gets up ten feet off the ground and Po sends the
relevant answer by saying that he does not know how he gets there. He suggests it
is just an accident. It is depicted in Po’s statement saying, “I don't know. I guess I-
- I don't know. I was getting a cookie”. Hearing Po’s answer, Shifu tells the
relevant statement that Po is ten feet off the ground and has done a perfect split.
But Po utters, “This... this is just an accident”. The writer identifies the ideas that
contributed by Po and Shifu are relevant for the goal of communication. It means
that this maxim has been accorded.
lx
4) Maxim of manner
Shifu statement “Look at you” used to express his amazement for seeing
the perfect split. But Po misunderstands. He suggests that Shifu’s statement means
that he disgusts Shifu because he eats greedily. Here, the ambiguity occurs. Shifu
doesn’t send clearly his amazement. Then, Shifu, in this conversation, seems to
violate the maxim of manner.
The writer, from the explanation above, concludes that the maxim of
manner is violated in the dialog in datum 6.
c. Humor
Shifu utters, “Look at you” makes two expectations. It depicts clearly in
the situation when Shifu utters it. He utters it in purpose to tell Po that Po has
done a perfect split whether Po expects that Shifu utters it to berate and humiliate
him. The different expectation between Po’s and Shifu’s create a comic effect.
The comic effect is added by the situation when Po’s action is being adored by
Shifu, he utters “this is just an accident” so he slips and crashes to the kitchen
floor. This surprising thing also creates a punch line. The ambiguity in datum 6 is
formulated as the following:
M1 = M2
Shifu berates and = = Shifu Tells Po that he has
humiliates Po done a perfect split
X
X
Look at you
lxi
Humor occurs in the statement “Look at you”. Then, it is X. The situations
happened because it are identified as M1 and M2. Po’s suggestion that Shifu utters
it to berate and humiliate Po is M1 and the happened situation that Shifu utters it
to tell Po that he has done a perfect spit is M2.
d. Implicature
John J. Gumperz in his book “Discourse Strategies” stated that the term
implicature is used to account for what a speaker can imply, suggest, or mean as
distinct from what the speaker literally says.54
Shifu attempts to berate and
humiliate Po because he is unwilling to believe that a clumsy fat panda can
become the Dragon Warrior. When panda can do a perfect split, it amazes him.
Shifu says, “Look at you”. It is used to imply Shifu’s amazement for seeing the
perfect split done by Po.
7. Datum 7
[Po arrives breathless at the Jade Palace. Shifu is still lying in the scroll room, his
eyes closed. Po rushes to his side] Po : Master! Shifu! Shifu! Are you okay?
Shifu : [Shifu weakly opens his eyes] Po! You're alive! (Then, darkly) Or we're both dead.
Po : No, Master, I didn't die. I defeated Tai Lung!
Shifu : You did?! [Shifu smiles and shakes his head in disbelief] Wow. It
is as Oogway foretold --You are the Dragon Warrior. You have
brought peace to this Valley. And to me. Thank you. Thank you,
Po. Thank you. [Shifu closes his eyes. He is still. Po starts
freaking out]
Po : No! Master! No No No! Don't die, Shifu. Please...
Shifu : (eyes snapping open) I'm not dying, you idiot-- ah, Dragon
Warrior. I'm simply at peace. Finally.
Po : Oh. So, um, I should...stop talking?
Shifu : If you can.
54 A. Hamid Hasan Lubis, op.cit. p. 76.
lxii
a. Context
The contextual factors which are supported the analysis in datum 7 can be
identified in the following:
1) Character : Po and Shifu.
2) Setting : In the jade palace
3) Context of situation : Villagers emerge from hiding. Po walks out from
the mist looking very much like the warrior from the opening dream. As
he nears, we see that his hat is an upside down wok and his scarf is a torn
apron. Villagers cheer the Dragon Warrior. Po's Dad emerges from the
crowd. Po hugs his father and notices the Furious five. The deeply
impressed Furious Five accept Po as a kung fu master and their equal.
They call him ‘master’. Suddenly, he remembers master Shifu is badly
wounded. Po races toward the Jade Palace. He climbs the steps. Then more
steps. Po finds that Shifu is exhausted and appears to dying.
b. The Cooperative Principle
The violation of cooperative principle in datum 7 to create the humor is
identified below:
1) Maxim of quality
This maxim rules the speakers always say things they believe to be true.55
In this case, Po tells Shifu that he has defeated Tai Lung. When Shifu begins to
close his eyes, Po utters, “Master! Shifu! Shifu! Are you okay? No, Master, I didn't
die. I defeated Tai Lung. No! Master! No No No! Don't die, Shifu. Please...”. Po
55 Jan Renkema (1993), op. cit. 10.
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believes that what he say are true. Shifu, in another, closes his eyes to feel the
peace. He says, “I'm not dying, you idiot-- ah, Dragon Warrior. I'm simply at
peace. Finally”. Shifu also believes that what he say is true because he has not
reason to tell lie. Yet, both just say the truth. They are sure about what they say.
Then, they adhere to this maxim.
2) Maxim of quantity
Po’s contribution in this conversation is seen from his statements when he
has defeated Tai Lung and finds Shifu is exhausted and appears to dying. He says,
“Master! Shifu! Shifu! Are you okay? No, Master, I didn't die. I defeated Tai
Lung. No! Master! No No No! Don't die, Shifu. Please...”. Based on Po’s
statement, the writer identifies that Po give his contribution sufficiently
informative for the current purpose of the conversation. He repeats the word “No”
to express his fear for seeing Shifu appears to dying He doesn’t mean to violate
the maxim. Shifu thanks Po for defeating Tai Lung by his statement “You did?!
Wow. It is as Oogway foretold --You are the Dragon Warrior. You have brought
peace to this Valley. And to me. Thank you. Thank you, Po. Thank you”. The
writer suggests the repetition of “thank you” doesn’t mean to violate the maxim. It
used to emphasize Shifu’s thank. Shifu responds Po’s fear sufficiently. He says,
“I'm not dying, you idiot-- ah, Dragon Warrior. I'm simply at peace. Finally”.
Based on some proofs above, the writer concludes that the speakers obey this
maxim well.
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3) Maxim of relevance
Shifu asks Po about his battle by saying, “Po! You're alive! Or we're both
dead”. Po sends the relevant answer “No, Master, I didn't die. I defeated Tai
Lung!” when Po is afraid if Shifu dies, he utters, “Master! No No No! Don't die,
Shifu. Please...” and Shifu calms him by saying “I'm not dying, you idiot-- ah,
Dragon Warrior. I'm simply at peace. Finally”. Po has sent the relevant answer
for the question being asked by Shifu about his battle and Shifu has also sent
information to calm Po’s fear of his condition. In sum, all speakers engaged in this
conversation obey the maxim of relevance
4) Maxim of manner
Shifu thanks Po for defeating Tai Lung. Shifu says, “You did?! Wow. It is
as Oogway foretold --You are the Dragon Warrior. You have brought peace to
this Valley. And to me. Thank you. Thank you, Po. Thank you” Shifu says it in
small voice and after that he closes his eyes like he is dying. Then, Po starts
freaking out. Po says, “Master! No No No! Don't die, Shifu. Please...”. It seems
that Shifu violates the maxim because he creates an ambiguity in his speech.
Toward the explanation above, the writer concludes that the maxim of
manner is violated in the dialog in datum 7.
c. Humor
The dialog in datum 7 seems the conflict between what Po expects and
what actually happens. The conflict occurs when Shifu utters “thank you” with
smaller voice so then he closes his eyes. Po assumes that Shifu is dying but what
actually occurs is Shifu wants to feel peace after Tai Lung is defeated. This
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ambiguity is caused by the different interpretation of “thank you” which uttered
by Shifu in small voice so then he closes his eyes. The punch line is seen in the
statement “I'm not dying, you idiot”. It is surprising because the statement before
leads the audience’s expectation that Shifu will die. The different expectation
from Shifu’s statement “thank you” formulated as the following:
M1 = M2
Shifu is dying = = Shifu is in simply peace
X
Thank you
(Closing the Eyes)
The statement “Thank you” is the humor, X. it makes a different situation between
Po’s suggestion and Shifu’s condition. Po’s suggestion that Shifu is dying is M1
and The condition when Shifu feels in peace is M2.
d. Implicature
Shifu’s statement “Thank you. Thank you, Po. Thank you” and Shifu
action by closing his eyes after saying it evoke implicature. Po thinks Shifu is
dying but Shifu implies his statement and action to express his feeling of peaceful
after Po defeated Tai Lung and he needs a silent situation to feel peaceful.
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CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
A. Conclusions
Communication means a lot to the human activity because communication
is human activity on the part of one individual to make him self understood by
another, and on the other part of that other to understand what was in the mind of
the first. Communication, furthermore, requires the human to cooperate because
communication only comes alive in mutually accepted and pragmatically
determined context. Therefore, to have communication comes alive, there are
underlying principle which manages the human’s act, his using language, and the
interpretation of his act and speech. The principle is called by cooperative
principle.
lxvii
If the human violates the cooperative principle, it can be assumed that
there are some possibilities why he violates it, such as he aims to imply his
utterances and conveys more than literal meaning which called implicature, or he
is not cooperative, or he tries to create humor. The violation of cooperative
principle can creates the incongruous humor to make something laughable or
amusing. The cooperative principle is classified into four maxims which are
maxim of quality, maxim of quantity, maxim of relevance, maxim of manner.
In this research, the writer has found and analyzed seven data violated the
cooperative principle to create the humors. As explained in the previous chapter,
the seven data analyzed data are dialogues in kung fu panda movie. The result of
analysis shows that two data violate the maxim of quality (datum one and datum
two). In datum one; Po’s father gives information what he believes to be false. He
says “here” which creates an ambiguity. Po expects that his father will say that his
place is at the restaurant but his father says that his place is at table two, five,
seven, and twelve. In datum two; Po says something that lack of evidence. Po says
that he almost arrives to the Jade Palace but when he stops to take a breathe, he is
aware that he is only seven stairs from the bottom.
Five data violate the maxim of manner (datum three, datum four, datum
five, datum six, and datum seven). In datum three; Crane doesn’t send his
message directly. Crane thinks that Po does not belong in his room but Po
misunderstands. Po assumes that Crane’s statement means he does not belong to
the Jade Palace. In datum four; Po says, “Doieeeee…” with his googly-eyed face
in serious situation while talking about Tai Lung. It creates an ambiguity. Tigress
lxviii
assumes that Po is hurt because his speech but actually because the acupuncture.
In datum five; Monkey doesn’t send his idea clearly when Shifu comes. Then, it
creates an ambiguity for Po. Po assumes that Monkey understands that he imitates
Shifu but actually Monkey utters it to tell Po that Shifu has entered the room. In
datum six; Shifu’s statement “Look at you” used to express his amazement for
seeing the perfect split but he does not send clearly his amazement. Then, po
misunderstands. In datum seven; Shifu says, “thank you” in small voice and after
that he closes his eyes as if he die. Then, Po starts freaking out. He creates an
ambiguity for Po.
B. Suggestions
The analysis of humor has been observed since the times of ancient Greek
philosophers through the present. Then, humor has many theories and approaches
with their own useful perspectives. In all its many splendor varieties of theories,
humors are mostly investigated through psychological theory. Based on
psychological theory, incongruous humor is seen as the perceiving of a situation
in two self-consistent but mutually incompatible frames of reference.
Actually, the incongruous humor also can be analyzed through linguistics
theory. The linguists argued that incongruous humor caused by violation of
communication principle. But the analysis of humor through linguistics theory is
still rare so that the analysis of this thesis entitled “Pragmatics Approach to the
Incongruity of Humor in the Dialogues of Kung Fu Panda Movie” can be a
lxix
stimulation for the ones who are interested in the research of humor through
linguistics theory.
The study of humor indirectly can explore pragmatic issues of natural
language since it is the violation of communication principle which makes things
funny. Studies of large corpora of humor may be useful in the discovery of other
relevant pragmatic rules.
Finally, this research only embraces a small scope of humor whereas there
are various theories of humor. The writer suggests to whom are interested in
humor analysis based on linguistics theory a research which embraces a wide
scope of humor with various theories.
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