AN ANALYSIS OF ALYSSA’S SPEECH IN TV SERIES THE END OF THE F***KING WORLD: WOMAN LANGUAGE FEATURES STUDY
Keywords:
Women’s language Features, TV Series, The End of the F***ing WorldAbstract
This research analyzes woman’s language features used by Alyssa in the TV series The End of the F***ing World. The study is based on Robin Lakoff’s theory of women’s language, which identifies several linguistic features such as lexical hedges, tag questions, intensifiers, super polite forms, rising intonation, empty adjectives, and the use of strong swear words. The purpose of this research is to examine how these features are manifested in the conversations Alyssa and to identify the social factors that influence her language choices. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method. The data were collected by watching the series, transcribing the dialogues, and selecting utterances containing woman’s language features. The analysis focuses on identifying and categorizing the features according to Lakoff’s framework, followed by an interpretation of the social contexts that influence the use of such features. The findings reveal that the female main character in The End of the F***ing World frequently use lexical hedges 16, intensifiers 12, and empty adjective 1, reflecting their efforts to express uncertainty, strengthen meaning, and convey emotions. Super polite forms 1 and rising intonation also found 6, indicating politeness and hesitation. Interestingly, the female characters also employ swear words 14, which contrasts with Lakoff’s claim that women tend to avoid them. This suggests that the character language is not only shaped by gender but also by social norms, power relations, cultural expectations, fear of disapproval, and the need to build relationships. In conclusion, woman’s language features in the series serve various functions beyond gender identity, highlighting the influence of social and cultural factors on communication. This study is expected to provide insights into the representation of women’s language in contemporary media and contribute to further research in sociolinguistics and gender studies.
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