Aulia, Kamelyta Zuhraloka (2026) ANALYZING ILLOCUTIONARY SPEECH ACTS TO UNCOVER SPENCER WHITE’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN HEARTBREAK HIGH SERIES SEASON 2 (2024). Undergraduate thesis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya.

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Abstract

The study objectives to identify the types of illocutionary speech acts used by
Spencer White in Heartbreak High season 2 (2024) and analyzes how these
speech acts reflect his character development throughout the series. This study
applied a qualitative method by using Searle’s (1979) theory of illocutionary
speech acts and Forster’s (1927) concept of round character. The data consisted
of fifty-four utterances produced by Spencer White across eight episodes, which
contains a total of seventy-six illocutionary speech acts. The findings
demonstrate that Spencer White employs four types of illocutionary speech acts:
assertive, expressive, directive, and commissive, with assertive speech acts being
the most dominant. The analysis also reveals that Spencer’s speech acts
progressively shift from expressing criticism, mockery, and self-priority
perspectives to convey appreciation, responsibility, apology, and commitment to
change. Even though Spencer’s development includes moments of reversal, the
overall pattern demonstrates a complex personality and capability of surprising
the audience that fulfills Forster’s (1927) concept of a round character. The
conclusion of this study is illocutionary speech acts not merely reveal Spencer
White’s communicative intentions but also reflect his character development
throughout the series. The results show that pragmatic analysis has a contribution
in understanding characterization in cinematic narrative.
Keywords: pragmatics; illocutionary speech acts; character development;
Spencer White; Heartbreak High; round character.

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