This research investigates expressive speech acts in "The Goosebumps Book Series: Welcome to Dead House," focusing on the protagonist and antagonist characters. The analysis applies Searle and Vanderveken’s theory (1985) in exploring the functions of expressive speech acts in the narrative staging (orientation, complication, evaluation, and resolution) and its phases. Using a descriptive qualitative design, the research integrates inductive analysis into domain analysis, taxonomy analysis, componential analysis, and cultural themes analysis, which employ a sociopragmatics approach. 127 data were successfully collected from both characters containing 11 functions of expressive speech. Findings reveal the most frequently expressive speech acts in each stage. Complaining were used in the orientation under the condition of the discontent of moving house. Protesting in the complication showed the character’s struggles in facing the problems. Lamenting reflected feelings of lamentation and sadness over the dead city history in the evaluation, the last one in resolution used lamenting to express sadness over what happened to their family, while deploring to arise a strong curse for the failure of fresh blood sacrifice. The application of expressive speech acts supports characters complexity and highlights the emotional tone of each stage and phase.
