Types of Speech Acts Identified in The Novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo

Abstract

The study of pragmatics in language plays a crucial role in communication. Pragmatics helps us understand the meaning behind words, avoid misunderstandings, and adapt our speech to social contexts. In this study, the pragmatics analyzed are the types of speech acts in Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" using John Searle's speech act theory, which is classified into five categories: assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, and declarative. The method used is qualitative-descriptive, with primary data of dialogue excerpts. The study shows that the most dominant kind of speech act is assertive, which reflects the characters' many expressions of thoughts, inner conflicts, and social perspectives. The dominance of assertive speech acts supports the main themes of this novel, namely social judgment, human suffering, and the search for meaning. The results of this study illustrate the dynamics of high emotional intensity in the story. This study reveals the crucial role of speech acts in character formation and plot development. It concludes the importance of a pragmatic approach in examining literary works, particularly novels. The implications of this study include the use of communication strategies that authors can employ in fictional dialogue to foster interest and emotions that literary connoisseurs can feel.