“Who the Hell are You?”: Language Styles and Politeness in the Film Enola Holmes

Abstract

Language is a human communication tool consisting of words, grouping of words, phrases, and sentences, used in both spoken and written forms. Language, in sociolinguistics, serves as a means of representing social status and plays a crucial role in defining a society’s cultural identity. Language style refers to the way individuals adjust their language as per the situation, the person engaged, and the topic of conversation, otherwise known as cultural and situational contexts. This research aims to identify the language styles used in the film Enola Holmes and explore the elements influencing the language style used by characters in the film. This study employed a qualitative methodology incorporating Martin Joos’s theory to examine various language styles and Brown and Levinson’s theory to identify the determinants of language style selection. Based on the findings, the predominant language style used was casual (64.4%), followed by consultative (21.6%), intimate (11.2%), and formal (2.4%). It concluded that language styles are influenced by various events and personal factors. Formal language helps establish boundaries among interlocutors, allowing individuals to enhance their likability and social image using positive face strategies whereas informal language, viz. casual, consultative, and intimate styles, is used to communicate with friends or family members in casual, everyday situations.