Assertive Speech Acts in Spiderman: Far From Home (2019): A Pragmatic Study

Abstract

This research analyzes assertive speech acts in the film Spiderman: Far From Home (2019) through a pragmatic lens. Based on Searle’s (1979) classification, assertive speech acts express a speaker’s belief in the truth of a statement and include several forms such as stating, suggesting, complaining, claiming, and reporting. The purpose of this study is to identify and interpret how these assertive acts are manifested in the film’s dialogue to reveal the characters’ intentions, attitudes, and relationships. The study applies a descriptive qualitative method, with the film’s transcript serving as the main data source. Selected dialogues involving the main characters Peter Parker, MJ, Nick Fury, and Mysterio were analyzed contextually to uncover their pragmatic functions. The results show five main types of assertive acts
with the following frequencies: stating (16 occurrences or 24%), reporting (23 or 34%), claiming (14 or 21%), suggesting (11 or 16%), and complaining (8 or 12%), with a total of 67 utterances. Examples include Peter expressing his wish for an ordinary trip (state), Mysterio proclaiming his power to defeat the Elementals (claim), and Nick
Fury is giving information about them (report). The findings indicate that assertive acts significantly shape the characters’ psychological portrayal, intentions, and social dynamics. Overall, the study concludes that assertive speech acts are essential to understanding character development and narrative progression, as well as the
broader pragmatic meaning conveyed through film dialogue.