MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M. THESIS A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF HUMOR IN MOVIE SCRIPT MONSTERS INC (Phân tích tính hài hước trong kịch bản phim công ty quái vật qua ngữ dụng học) NGUYEN THI NHU TRANG Field: English Language Code: 8.01 Hanoi-2023 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M. THESIS A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF HUMOR IN MOVIE SCRIPT MONSTERS INC (Phân tích tính hài hước trong kịch bản phim công ty quái vật qua ngữ dụng học) NGUYEN THI NHU TRANG Field: English Language Code: 8.01 Supervisor: Tran Thi Le Dung. PhD Hanoi-2023 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF HUMOR IN MOVIE SCRIPT MONSTERS INC (Phân tích tính hài hước trong kịch bản phim công ty quái vật qua ngữ dụng học) submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English Language.
Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis. Hanoi, 2023 NGUYEN THI NHU TRANG Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) Date: ………………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It has been a long journey for me to finish my thesis. There are also many people who walked along with me to support and motivate me during the time of doing the research. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Tran Thi Le Dung.
PhD, my supervisor, who has patiently and constantly supported me through the stages of the study, and whose stimulating ideas, expertise, and suggestions have inspired me greatly through my growth as an academic researcher. A special word of thanks goes to all the lecturers of the M.A course at Hanoi Open University and many others, without their supports and encouragements it would never have been possible for me to have this thesis accomplished. Finally, I am greatly indebted to my family, my friends for the sacrifice they have devoted to the fulfillment of this academic work. ii ABSTRACT This research is carried out to investigate linguistic factors that contribute to the comedic effect in the movie script for Monsters, Inc.
The objectives of this research are to evaluate maxims in the movie script Monsters Inc flout in order to make fun and characterize the types of humor that result from maxim flouting. In this study, humor in Movie Script Monsters Inc is examined conceptually in the framework theory of Grice's conversational maxims which are based on Grice's cooperative principle. The research is mainly carried out through the support of qualitative, quantitative and descriptive approach. The data such as words, phrases, clauses, and sentences was found as the form of utterances.
Data contexts were conversations in movie script Monsters, Inc. According to the study's findings, this research reveals two findings. First, the characters in Monsters Inc movie script disobey all kinds of rules in an effort to make funny. The maxims of quality flouting, quantity flouting, relation flouting and manner flouting are listed here.
Second, unintentional conversational humor which predominates in everyday speech is portrayed through the film. This includes irony, sarcasm, overstatement, teasing, clever reply to serious statement, replies to rhetorical questions and pun. Finally, the study was concluded to demonstrate the benefit of humor in daily life. Therefore, it not only aids English learners but also enables them to reach the outside world and broaden their knowledge of several languages.
iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CR : Clever replies to serious statements I : Irony MM : Maxim of Manner MQl : Maxim of Quality MQt : Maxim of Quantity MR : Maxim of Relation O : Overstatement P : Pun RR : Replies to rhetorical question Sr : Sarcasm T : Teasing iv LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES Figure 1 Analytical construct. Flouting maxim of quality. Flouting maxim of quantity. Flouting maxim of relation.
Flouting maxim of manner. Types of maxim flouting and forms .47 v TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. Aims and objectives of the study .