Women’s Language Features Used by Tally Youngblood in the Movie Uglies

Abstract

This study examines the use of women’s language features by Tally Youngblood, the main female character in the movie Uglies (2024), which is adapted from Scott Westerfeld’s novel of the same name. This study aims to identify the women’s language features and their functions found in Tally’s utterances in the movie. This study employs a qualitative method with content analysis, applying Lakoff’s (1975) theory of women’s language features and Pearson’s (1985) theory of women’s language functions. The data consists of 398 utterances by Tally Youngblood, among which 76 instances of women’s language features were identified. The findings reveal that Tally uses nine features proposed by Lakoff, including: 30 lexical hedges or fillers, 1 tag question, 3 empty adjectives, 1 precise color term, 3 rising intonations on declaratives, 12 intensifiers, 8 super polite forms, 5 avoidance of strong swear words, and 13 emphatic stresses. Hypercorrect grammar was not found, indicating her identity as a teenager in a futuristic dystopian society who tends to use informal language in interactions and prefers casual communication over formal speech. The most dominant feature, lexical hedges, reflects Tally’s doubts about the societal system and her effort to conform to social norms. Conversely, her use of emphatic stress emphasizes her emotional intensity and inner conflict regarding society’s beauty standards. In terms of function, Tally most frequently employs women’s language function to express feelings and uncertainty, revealing her emotional struggle and hesitation about undergoing cosmetic surgery. This study concludes that the women’s language features and function used by Tally not only characterize her language choices but also reflect broader social pressures surrounding beauty, identity, and female self-expression.