EXPLORING LANGUAGE STYLES IN THE FILM UGLIES (2024): A SOCIOLINGUISTICS PERSPECTIVE

Olga Adelia Daulay, Rusdi Noor Rosa, Muhammad Yusuf

Abstract


This study investigates the use of language styles in the film Uglies (released in 2024) by applying Joos’ (1967) classification of language styles (frozen, formal, consultative, casual, and intimate) and Holmes’ (2013) framework of social factors influencing the choice of language styles, including participants, setting, topic, and function. Using a qualitative approach with content analysis as the research design, this study took the data from the English subtitled transcripts of the film officially released by Netflix. The findings reveal that the casual style is the most dominant, followed by the intimate and consultative styles, reflecting the film’s focus on adolescent characters and peer relationships in informal and emotionally driven contexts. The formal style appears in institutional interactions, while the frozen style is notably absent, due to the lack of ceremonial or ritualistic settings in the narrative. Analyzing language in dystopian fiction is significant because it reveals how imagined societies construct power, identity, and resistance through communication. This study highlights the close relationship between language styles and social factors, demonstrating how linguistic choices reflect the dynamics of participant relationships and communicative functions in the film.

Keywords


language style; social factors; language in films; Uglies

Full Text:

PDF

References


Agosta, K. T. A., & Skolastika, I. M. P. (2024). A language style analysis of the main character in the “Keeping Mum” movie. BULLET: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu, 2(6), 1347–1352. https://journal.mediapublikasi.id/index.php/bullet/article/view/3985

Ali, A. A. (2022). Analyzing social factors which explain how the social context affects our choice of a code or a variety, whether language, dialect, or style, with examples from English- other languages, and Libyan Arabic. Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, 93, 1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.7176/JLLL/93-01

Cojocaru, S., Bragaru, C., & Ciuchi, O. M. (2012). The role of language in constructing social realities. The Appreciative Inquiry and the reconstruction of organisational ideology. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 36, 31-43. https://stefancojocaru.ro/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/rcis36_02.pdf

Eckert, Penelope and Rickford, John, R. (2001). Style and Sociolinguistic Variation. Cambridge University Press. https://assets.cambridge.org/97805215/91911/frontmatter/9780521591911_frontmatter.pdf

Fatah, S. M., & Muhammed, A. A. (2025). A sociolinguistic study of gendered language in Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘girl’ using speech act theory and deficit model. Language Literacy: Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Language Teaching, 9(1), 11-26. https://doi.org/10.30743/ll.v9i1.10654

Gumperz, J. & Cook-Gumperz, J. (2007). A postscript: Style and identity in interactional sociolinguistics. In P. Auer (Ed.), Style and social identities: Alternative approaches to linguistic heterogeneity (pp. 477-502). De Gruyter Mouton.

Hendriks, M. (2019). ‘My life is like a movie’: Making a fiction film as a route to knowledge production on Gang Political Performances in Goma, DR Congo. Journal of Extreme Anthropology, 3(1), 57-76. http://dx.doi.org/10.5617/jea.6695

Hia, L. A., Sembiring, R. A., & Sihite, J. (2025). An analysis of language style in Battleship movie. Journal Scientific of Mandalika, 6(4), 779–786. https://doi.org/10.36312/10.36312/vol6iss4pp779-786

Hidayati, D. H. (2022). How are the sociolinguistic competences applied in the English textbook? SALEE: Study of Applied Linguistics and English Education, 3(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.35961/salee.v3i1.385

Holmes, J. (2013). An introduction to sociolinguistics (4th ed). Routledge.

Hummaira, H., Fitrisia, D., & Muthalib, K. A. (2022). An analysis of speech styles used by two characters in the movie Green Book. English Education Journal, 13(2), 255-266. https://doi.org/10.24815/eej.v13i2.25912

Indahsari, F. E., Rezeki, Y. S., & Rahmani, E. F. (2023). An analysis of language styles used by the main character in “The Great Debaters” movie. Journal of Scientific Research, Education, and Technology (JSRET), 2(4), 1710- 1718. https://doi.org/10.58526/jsret.v2i4.287

Irwan, A. A., Iskandar, & Mustikawati, Y. (2023). An analysis of language styles used in Hong’s movie “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” movie. English Education Journal, 2(2), 177-184. https://ojs.unsamakassar.ac.id/edj/article/view/305

Joos, M. (1967). The five clocks: A linguistic excursion into the five styles of English usage. Harcourt Brace World. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL32993557M/The_five_clocks

Kadek, N., Siska, A., Dewi, S., Made, I., & Skolastika, P. (2024). An analysis of language styles in the movie “Instant Family.” RETORIKA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa, 10(2), 360–367. https://doi.org/10.55637/jr.10.2.8109.360-367

Keraf, G. (2010). Diksi dan Gaya Bahasa: Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Krippendorff, K. (2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.

Kurniawan, F. A., & Firda, T. (2023). Analisis konten film “Mak Cepluk” sebagai pelestarian permainan tradisional Indonesia. Mu’ashir: Jurnal Dakwah dan Komunikasi Islam, 1(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.35878/muashir.v1i1.760

Lu, Z. (2023). How do films reflect our societies today? An analysis of films and film genres. Communication Society and Media, 6(4), 69-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/csm.v6n4p69

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. Sage Publication.

Nabilah, H., & Candria, M. (2023). Charlotte’s language style in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton story series (2023). Culturalistics: Journal of Cultural, Literary, and Linguistic Studies, 7(2), 33-42. https://doi.org/10.14710/ca.v7i2.20823

Purba, D., Sulistia, F., Br. Manurung, V. L., & Herman. (2021). Sociolinguistics analysis on language style form at the movie script of Papillon. Trends Journal of Sciences Research, 1(1), 37-45. https://doi.org/10.31586/ujssh.2021.110

Putri R. A. A., Halim, A., & Abdullah, A. (2022). Language style in Miracle from Heaven movie: A sociolinguistic study. Performance, 1(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.26858/performance.v1i1%20August.36749

Rahmi, A., & Fanani, A. (2024). The analysis of language style used in Barbie movie (2023). Proceedings of National English Undergraduate Student Conference (NEUSCO), pp. 234-243. https://proceedings.uinsa.ac.id/index.php/neusco/article/view/2683

Safitri, E. I. N., & Pramudyawardhani, S. R. (2024). The language styles in Walt Disney Pinocchio movie (2022). Jurnal Dialektika, 12(1), 1–11. https://journal.peradaban.ac.id/index.php/jdpbi/article/view/1920

Salsabila, J., Lestari, K., & Fiscarina, C. V. (2023). Language style used by the main character in Hala: A Sociolinguistic study. Ideas: Journal on Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 11(2), 167–167. https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v11i2.4723

Silta, P. P., Geroda, G. B., & Pane, W. S. (2023). An analysis language style based on the level of formality according to Martin Joos theory. Inquest Journal, 1(2), 164-174. https://doi.org/10.53622/ij.v1i02.183

Simamora, R. M. P., & Sherina, S. A. (2022). An analysis of language styles used by the main characters in the dialogues in Business Proposal Series. Bahasa: Jurnal Keilmuan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia, 4(2), 79-87. https://doi.org/10.26499/bahasa.v4i2.291

Sopacuaperu, J. H., Setyawan, A. H., & Hartati, E. (2024). Language style analysis of Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Jurnal Pendidikan Ilmiah Transformatif, 8(8), 42–48. https://oaj.jurnalhst.com/index.php/jpit/article/view/3748

Swantara, M., Suastini, N. W., & Santika, I. D. A. D. M. (2024). An analysis of language style in Little Buddha movie. Journal of Language and Applied Linguistics, 5(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.22334/traverse.v5i1.136

Trudgill, P. (2000). Sociolinguistics: An introduction to language and society. Penguin Books Limited.

Ugondo, P. L. (2021). Film, cinema, and literature. National Open University of Nigeria Press.

Wardhaugh, R. & Fuller, J. M. (2015). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics: Basil Blackwell Ltd. https://mrdowoportal.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/1/8/10183165/wardhaugh-fuller2015-an_introduction_to_sociolinguistics.pdf




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30743/ll.v1i1.11488

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.