A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF STYLE OF SPEECH AS PERFORMED BY YOUNG ADULT GIRL CHARACTERS IN JUDY BLUME’S ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET

摘要

This study aims at specifying, describing and analyzing style of speech as performed by young adult girl characters in Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. The objectives of this study are (1) to specify the linguistic features—words and syntax—occurred in the novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and (2) to describe the speech functions and the use of the style which can convey message found in the young adult girl characters’ speeches in the novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.udThe study applied the descriptive qualitative method since the discussion was presented descriptively with the researcher as the main instrument and the data sheets as the secondary instrument. The data findings were in quantitative data presented in numbers and percentages. In collecting the data, the novel was read and re-read. Then, the researcher wrote down the data. After being collected, the data were categorized and analyzed based on each category. Finally, the triangulation was in the forms of peer discussion.udThe result of the research shows two significant points. First, there are only two kinds of linguistic features related to the discussion of the style of speech, found in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, namely words and syntax. Second, there are two parts that are presented in the study: the speech functions and the use of the style which can convey message. In term of the variety of the speech functions, the young adult girl characters express it into six categories i.e. expressive, directive, referential, metalinguistic, poetic, and phatic, however, only poetic function does not occur in the young adult girl characters’ speeches. Meanwhile, related to the discussion of the use of the style which can convey message, the young adult girl characters experiencing the phenomenon because of three reasons as forms of phatic communication, to control interactions, and to protect ego.