This study is under a big umbrella of linguistics. More specifically, it is a sociolinguistic study. This research aims to analyze the gossip among female characters in Gossip Girl Season 1. In more specific terms, this research is aimed at finding out the types, describing the speech features are used, and documenting the functions of gossip among female characters in Gossip Girl Season 1.udThis research applied the descriptive qualitative method. The discussion was presented in a descriptive way. Meanwhile, the quantitative data were used to strengthen the findings and to help draw inferences. The researcher analyzed the data in some steps: identifying the errors in the data collection to gain appropriate data; classifying gossip by the female characters in Gossip Girl Season 1 TV Series; analyzing the types, speech features, and functions of gossip employed by the female characters; and drawing conclusions of the research questions.udThis study reveals three findings. First, the types of gossip that are used among female characters in Gossip Girl Season 1 are house talk, scandal, bitching, and chatting. The female characters mostly use chatting in delivering gossip as they have mutual relationship and close friendship among them. They rarely use scandal because they do not like to judge other women’s behaviour. Second, there are four speech features of gossip used among female characters in Gossip Girl Season 1. They are meaningless particles, neutral words, tag questions, and requests. The female characters mostly apply neutral words. It can be a means that they have many important things that they want to talk about with other women and to continue explaining what happens in the gossip. Meanwhile, they do not use requisite information because they use tag questions when they feel hesitant. Third, there are five functions of gossip among female characters in Gossip Girl Season 1. They are to provide information, to give entertainment, to enhance friendship, to influence others, and to make social comparison. Dealing with functions of gossip, on the highest rank is to provide information as the basic purpose of gossiping is to deliver information to other women. The most rarely function found is to make social comparison. This suggests that the female characters in Gossip Girl Season 1 are confident with their personality and identity.
展开▼
