ABSTRACT
This research was presented to encounter refusal expressions conveyed by children characters in the novel entitled The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in which those are influenced by social distance. It explained the way children employ the choice of refusals, analyzed types of refusal expression, and examined the reason why children apply the choice of refusals uttered by children to refuse an action.
The research applied pragmatics study. It was a descriptive qualitative research which took purposive sampling technique. The data of the research were the dialogues in the novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which contained refusal expressions influenced by social distance. They were categorized in Takahashi and Weltz’s theory of refusal expressions and Thomas’s theory of indirectness factor, namely social distance.
The research found out three findings. First, particular types and strategies of refusal are affected by social distance. The speakers tend to use a direct refusal completed with a direct command, the expression of thanking, and the use of reasoning to express the refusals when they have close relationship. Meanwhile, the speakers tend to employ an indirect refusal in uttering the refusals in order to show positive face of the interlocutor combined with reasoning, telling, questioning, stating a tag question, giving an opinion, and asking permission in uttering the refusals when they have distance relationship.
The second finding shows that there are three types of refusal expression used by the characters to perform refusal, namely direct refusal, indirect refusal, adjunct to refusal. Direct refusal contains non performative statement and mitigated willingness; indirect refusal consists of repetition of part of request, excuse/reason/explanation, topic switch, criticize the request/requester, and adjunct to refusal includes in pause fillers.
The third finding describes that the use of certain types and strategies of refusal influenced by social distance have several reasons. The reasons are to show an easy conversation, to perform respect, and to express politeness.