DEFINITENESS AND INDEFINITENESS ON CHICKEN SOUP NOVEL

ENTITLED “THE PERFECT AMERICAN FAMILY”

BY MICHAEL MURPHY

Lecturer : Dr. Dwi Winarsih, M.Pd

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the final assignment of pragmatics

By
EVA RAHMATUNNISA
0203517060

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

GRADUATE PROGRAM
SEMARANG STATE UNIVERSITY
2018
 AN ANALYSIS OF DEFINITENESS AND INDEFINITENESS ON
CHICKEN SOUP NOVEL ENTITLED
“THE PERFECT AMERICAN FAMILY” BY MICHAEL MURPHY

Eva Rahmatunnisa
Evarahmatunnisa@gmail.com
English Language Education, Graduate Program
State University of Semarang
Abstract
This study was about analysis of definiteness and indefiniteness in Chicken
Soup novel entitled “The Perfect American Family” written by Michael Murphy.
The main purpose of this study was to identify the definiteness and indefiniteness
article used in the novel. The definite article is the and in definite articles are a/an,
some. In addition, this study used descriptive qualitative. The data was collected
where the researcher analyzed the story of the novel. The researcher concludes
that there are 51 definite and indefinite articles. In this case, there are 21 definite
articles found in the story and 30 indefinite articles. The indefinite article consist
of 22 indefinite “a” and 8 indefinite “an” , on the other hand, there are 21 definite
article “the” in the story novel. Then, the researcher also analyzed the percentage
of the definite and indefinite article found in the novel entitled “The Perfect
American Family” written by Michael Murphy. The first percentage is from
definite article. In this case, the definite article “the” is 43%. On the other hand,
the percentage of indefinite article is 57%.

Keyword : Definite article, indefinite article , novel.

INTRODUCTION
Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics related to the social context. It is the
study refers to the use of meaning to the language in which depends on the
speaker contextually. In Thomas (2013) pragmatics was meaning in use or
meaning in context. But those were too general (Thomas, 2013). In short,
Levinson (1983) stated that pragmatics was the study of language usage.
Pragmatics studies all the non – semantics features that are encoded in
languages, and these features are aspects of the context (Levinson 1983). For
example when someone asks what time was. It means not only the time itself, but

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it has another meaning in context why the speaker say like that. The time can refer
to another case. It is possibly that the speaker wants to know why the one who is
being waited is not yet come. So what was time can have meant more than time
itself. So that how to interpret the meaning of language contextually is needed,
that is how pragmatics plays the role.
Furthermore, there are some kind of pragmatics sub-theme such as deixis,
conversational implicature, presupposition, speech acts, definiteness and
indefiniteness, and conversational structure. In this case, the researcher chooses
definiteness and indefiniteness for. The researcher wants to identify the
definiteness and indefiniteness found in the novel entitled “The Perfect American
Family” written by Michael Murphy.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

In English there are three articles: a, an, and the. Articles are used before
nouns or noun equivalents and are a type of adjective. The definite article (the) is
used before a noun to indicate that the identity of the noun is known to the reader.
The indefinite article (a, an) is used before a noun that is general or when its
identity is not known. There are certain situations in which a noun takes no article.
Definite article
Definiteness is a category concerned with the grammaticalization of
identifiability and nonidentifiability of referents on the part of
a speaker or addressee. Hawkins (1978) initially based his location theory on
previous article studies and subsequently revised his theory (Hawkins, 1991).
Hawkins identified eight different types of definite articles. By using the, a writer
or speaker asks the reader/listener to locate the referent using knowledge that is
available in the text (anaphoric and associative anaphoric use), can be sensed in
the vicinity (visible and immediate situation use), or is available from local or
general knowledge (immediate and local situation use). The other types of use-
what Hawkins (1978) called ’structural information,’ which refers to prepositional
phrases, relative clauses, or adjectives-help locate the referent.

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 In 1991, Hawkins revised his location theory based on theories of
pragmatics developed by Grice (1989). According to Hawkins, the referents are
located in pragmatic sets (p-sets) that are available to the speaker/hearer via
discourse sets that contain information about a certain situation or event. These p-
sets are associated knowledge shared by the discourse participants and can be
accessed from present or prior discourse, the local environment, shared
knowledge, or general knowledge. The main point of the p-sets is that they allow
the hearer or reader to accept information as definite.
The (before a singular or plural noun)
English articles are definite-based. According to Ionin (in Guella et al.,
2008:58), there are two different settings underlying article-based languages:
definiteness, where articles lexicalize a [±definite] distinction, and specificity,
where articles lexicalize a [±specific] distinction. In addition, Moore as quoted in
Barret and Chen (2011:3) mentions that „English has three articles (definite,
indefinite, and zero article), which have a wide range of semantic and syntactic
functions in discourse.‟
Many theories are proposed to give a clear definition about definiteness in
English articles. Russel (in Barret and Chen, 2011:58) states that „a definite
description is an expression of the form the x, where x is a noun or a nominal
phrase which describes a unique individual or object.‟
In short, definiteness is based on the reference from the hearer. Definite
article is used when the hearer can refer to the NP being talked (+HK) about while
indefinite article is used when the hearer cannot refer the NP being talked (-HK)
about.
Indefinite article
The article a / an is used when we don't specify the things or people we are
talking about, The indefinite article a is used before a consonant sound, The
indefinite article an is used before a vowel sound. In addition, This is used when
the noun that we wish to refer to is unknown to our listener/reader or is not part of
the common ground that we share. It is most often used to introduce new
information.

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"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member
of a group. For example:
 "My daughter really wants a dog for Christmas." This refers to any dog. We

don't know which dog because we haven't found the dog yet.
 "Somebody call a policeman!" This refers to any policeman. We don't need a

specific policeman; we need any policeman who is available.

 "When I was at the zoo, I saw an elephant!" Here, we're talking about a single,

non-specific thing, in this case an elephant. There are probably several

elephants at the zoo, but there's only one we're talking about here.
Chicken Soup Novel
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection
of short, inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first
book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack
Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. In this research, the reseracher wants to
analyze one of the stories in those novel. The story entitled “The Perfect
American Family” written by Michael Murphy.

METHOD
1. Research Design
This research aims to analyze the definiteness and indefiniteness in
chicken soup novel entitled “The Perfect American Family” written by Michael
Murphy. This research uses descriptive qualitative method. Creswell (1994:
145) states that qualitative research is descriptive in that the researcher is
interested in process, meaning, and understanding gained through word or
picture. In addition, the researcher uses descriptive qualitative research because
in doing this research, the researcher collects the data, makes an analysis, and
finally makes conclusion in conducting the research. Moleong (2010) in
Muhammad (2014: 30) defines qualitative research as a research procedure that
produces descriptive data in the form of written or oral words of people and
behavior available to be examined.

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2. Object of the Study
The object of the study is chicken soup novel entitled “The Perfect
American Family” written by Michael Murphy.
3. Unit of analysis
The unit of analysis is the definiteness and indefiniteness used in chicken
soup novel entitled “The Perfect American Family” written by Michael
Murphy.
4. Procedures of doing the research
This research used descriptive qualitative method with number of
procedures as follows:
a. The researcher reads Chicken Soup novel entitled “The Perfect American
Family” by Michael Murphy.
b. After that, the researcher analyzes the data.
c. In addition, he identifies and classifying the data usage of definiteness and
indefiniteness in chicken soup novel.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Based on data analysis, Chicken Soup novel entitled “The Perfect American
Family” written by Michael Murphy included a number of definiteness and
indefinitenessarticle. The followings were the finding of them:
Table 1. The finding of definiteness and indefiniteness article
No Definite No Indefinite
1 The moment 1 A perfect Sunday morning
2 The Perfect American Family 2 A Sunday morning
3 The four year old 3 A buddha
4 The other room 4 A limited economy
5 The kitchen table 5 A resource
6 The newspaper 6 A beginning
7 The cartoon carnage 7 An end
8 The considerable personal power 8 A trajectory

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 9 The television’s remote control 9 An ethnical decision
10 The center of my newspaper 10 A shell
11 The dinosaurs 11 An anxious existentialist
12 The cavemen 12 A very important moment
13 The celtics 13 A moment
14 The way 14 An illusion
15 The table 15 An army guy
16 The nuns and priensts 16 An end
17 The soup 17 A solid sense of structure
18 The neurotic 18 A sense of performance
19 The presentness of a person 19 A good job
20 The guys 20 A strong frame
21 The arcade 21 A sense

No Indefinite No Indefinite
22 A person 27 A video game
23 An act 28 A very violent game
24 A slight 29 A killing game
25 An attitude of drama 30 A perfect family
26 A professional tone

In this result, there are 21 definite articles found in the story and 30
indefinite articles. The indefinite article consist of 22 indefinite “a” and 8
indefinite “an” , on the other hand, there are 21 definite article “the” in the story
novel.

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 Table 2. The analysis of definite and indefinite article
Article
No NP/NC Definite Indefinite Explanation
“the” “a/an”
1 It is 10:30 on a perfect The indefinite article
Saturday morning “a” for a singular
A
noun. This case,
Saturday is singular.
2 for the moment The writer is waiting
The for the moment in a
specific time.
3 The perfect American The writer said to his
family The son that they are the
perfect family.
4 The four-year-old watches It is specific that the
The
tiny age is four year.
5 one another from cliffs in The room is clear
the other room enough, so that it is
The
used “the” in the
other room
6 I sit at the kitchen table The set of the place is
kitchen table. It is
The
clear. So, it uses “the”
article.
7 reading the newspaper The man on that story
wants to read the
newspaper. He does
The
not read magazines,
education book, etc. It
is specific.

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8 The cartoon carnage It is specific that the
The son watch the
cartoon.
9 The considerable personal Defite article “the” in
power obtained by holding this NC is used to
The
the television's remote indicate something
control specific
10 The television's remote It is specific
control “television’s remote
The control”. So, it uses
“the” article before
the noun phrase.
11 it is wrong to have ice The indefinite article
cream at 10:45 on a “a” for a singular
A
Saturday morning. noun. This case,
Saturday is singular
12 The people die The people in the
The story is specific. So it
uses “the” article.
13 The Dinosaurs come back The dinosaurs are
The specific. They came
back.
14 Aaron sits down on the table The place is specific
“on the table”. It is
The
necessary if the article
uses “the”
15 cross-legged like a Buddha The speaker does not
know Buddha is.
A
Then, it is necessary
if he uses “a”

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16 In the center of my It is specific place,
newspaper center of my
The
newspaper. So, it uses
“the” article.
17 The cavemen lived in caves Defite article “the” in
this NC is used to
The
indicate something
specific.
18 Aaron life is a limited It does not need
economy A specific economy. So,
it uses “a” article
19 A resource with It does not need
A specific resource. So,
it uses “a” article
20 a beginning A It uses singular noun.
21 and an end It uses singular noun
and after the article is
An
vowel. So, it uses
“an” article.
22 He envisions himself and us It uses singular noun
somewhere along that “a trajectory”. Then,
A
trajectory, a trajectory that it has not specific. So,
ends in uncertainty and loss. it uses “a”
23 I am faced with an ethical It uses singular noun
decision and after the article is
An
vowel. So, it uses
“an” article.
24 Your body is just a shell It does not need
and after you die A specific resource. So,
it uses “a” article

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25 Should I try to make him an It uses singular noun
anxious existentialist or and after the article is
An
should I try to make him vowel. So, it uses
feel better? “an” article.
26 I stare at the newspaper The speaker reads
The newspaper. It is
specific.
27 The Celtics are consistently It is used to discuss
losing on Friday nights. something that is
already known by the
The
speaker. In this part,
the speaker has
known the celtics.
28 this is a very important It does not need
moment A specific moment. So,
it uses “a” article
29 A moment when Aaron's It does not need
ways of constructing his A specific moment. So,
world are being formed it uses “a” article
30 If life and death are an The speaker does not
illusion, then why should I know which kind of
An
trifle with how someone illusion. So, he uses
else understands them? “an” article
31 On the table The place is specific
“on the table”. It is
The
necessary if the article
uses “the”
32 Aaron plays wit an "army Aaron does not know
guy” An the army guy. So, he
uses “an” article.

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33 Jerry Sichting is no longer The celtics is
with the Celtics. The unknown by the
speaker.
34 everything comes to an end. The speaker does not
know when it will be
An
end. So, it uses “an”
article.
35 I want him to have a solid The indefinite article
sense of structure. “a” for a singular
A noun. This case, a
solid sense of
structure
36 A sense of the permanence It is unknown or
of things A unspecific sense. So,
the speaker uses “a”
37 It's obvious what a good It is unknown or
job. A unspecific sense. So,
the speaker uses “a”
38 The nuns and priests did Defite article “the” in
with me. this NPs is used to
The
indicate something
specific.
39 The soup was hot. The The soup is specific.
40 I want him to have a strong It uses singular noun.
frame. A On the other hand, it
is not specific.
41 The neurotic but The neurotic is
unavoidable anxiety can specifi.In addition,
The
come later. the speaker also
known about it.

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42 It is possible to have a sense It can be used to
introduce a noun. In
A
this case, a case is
singular noun.
43 Y*H*W*H, something—is Defite article “the” in
transcendent, without this NC is used to
The
traumatizing the presentness indicate something
of a person, specific
44 a person It is not specific.
A Then, it uses singular
noun.
45 Or is their fragile The speaker does not
sensibility, their "there- know which act does
An
ness," sundered by such an the son will do.
act?
46 Sensing a slight increase in The speaker does not
agitation know how much
A slight increase on that
time. So, the speaker
uses “a” article.
47 "Dad," Aaron interrupts, After article, it uses
"could we play a video singular noun. In
game? A addition , the video
game had not
specific.
48 It's not a very violent game. It is already known by
A the speaker. So, the
article uses “a”
49 It's not like a killing game. It is already known by
A
the speaker. So, the

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 article uses “a”
50 Aaron stops and turns from The place that is
where he has run, already The specific. So, it uses
halfway to the arcade. “the” article.
51 Another perfect Saturday It is used for singular
for a perfect family. A noun. family is
singular.

The percentage of
the definiteness and indefiniteness

definite
43%

indefinite
57%

After finding the definiteness and indefiniteness on the novel, the researcher
found the percentage of those analysis. The first percentage is from definite
article. In this case, the definite article “the” is 43%. On the other hand, the
percentage of indefinite article is 57%.

CONCLUSION
The researcher concludes that there are 51 definite and indefinite articles. In
this case, there are 21 definite articles found in the story and 30 indefinite articles.
The indefinite article consist of 22 indefinite “a” and 8 indefinite “an” , on the
other hand, there are 21 definite article “the” in the story novel. Then, the

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researcher also analyzed the percentage of the definite and indefinite article found
in the novel entitled “The Perfect American Family” written by Michael Murphy.
The first percentage is from definite article. In this case, the definite article “the”
is 43%. On the other hand, the percentage of indefinite article is 57%.

REFERENCES
Al-Johani, M. (1982). English and Arabic articles: A contrastive analysis in
definiteness and indefiniteness. (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University.
Bloomington, IN.)

Egli, Urs (1991): (In)definite Nominalphrase und Typentheorie. Arbeitspapier 27.

– Fachgruppe Sprachwissenschaft Universität Konstanz.

Heim, Irene (1982): The Semantics of Definite and Indefinite Noun Phrases. PhD
University of Massachusetts, Amherst. – Ann Arbor, University
Microfilms.

Hilbert, David & Bernays, Paul ([1939] 1970): Grundlagen der Mathematik. Bd.
II. 2. Aufl. – Berlin; Heidelberg; New York: Springer.

Kharma, N. (1981). Analysis of the errors committed by Arab university students

in the use of the English definite/indefinite articles. International Review
of Applied Linguistics, 19(3), 333-345.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/iral.1981.19.1-4.333

Miller, J. (2006). An investigation into the effect of English learners’ dictionaries

on international students’ acquisition of the English article system.
International Education Journal, 7(4), 435-445.

Von Heusinger, Klaus (1992): Epsilon-Ausdrücke als Semanteme für definite und
indefinite Nominalphrasen und anaphorische Pronomen. Dissertation. –
Konstanz.

EVA RAHMATUNNISA 0203517060 Page 14

APPENDIX
THE PERFECT AMERICAN FAMILY
It is 10:30 on (1) a perfect Saturday morning and we are, for (1a) the moment, (2)
the perfect American family. My wife has taken our six-year-old to his first piano
lesson. Our 14-year-old has not yet roused from his slumber. (3a) The four-year-
old watches tiny, anthropomorphic beings hurl one another from cliffs in (4) the
other room. I sit at (5) the kitchen table reading (6) the newspaper.
Aaron Malachi, (3b) the four-year -old, apparently bored by (7) the cartoon
carnage and (8) the considerable personal power obtained by holding (9) the
television's remote control, enters my space. "I'm hungry," he says.
"Want some more cereal?"
"No."
"Want some yogurt?"
"No."
"Want some eggs?"
"No. Can I have some ice cream?"
"No."
For all I know, ice cream may be far more nourishing than processed cereal or
antibiotic-laden eggs but according to my cultural values, it is wrong to have ice
cream at 10:45 on (2) a Saturday morning.
Silence. About four seconds. "Daddy, we have very much of life left, don't we?"
"Yes, we have lots of life left, Aaron."
"Me and you and Mommy?"
"That's right."
"And Isaac?"
"Yes."
"And Ben?"
"Yes. You and me and Mommy and Isaac and Ben."
"We have very much of life left. Until all (10a) the people die."
"What do you mean?"
"Until all (10b) the people die and (11a) the dinosaurs come back."

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Aaron sits down on (12) the table, cross-legged like (3) a Buddha, in (13) the
center of my newspaper.
"What do you mean, Aaron, 'until all (10c) the people die'?"
"You said everybody dies. When everybody dies, then (11b) the dinosaurs will
come back. (14) The cavemen lived in caves, dinosaur caves. Then (11c) the
dinosaurs came back and squished 'em."
I realize that already for Aaron life is (4) a limited economy, (5) a resource with
(6) a beginning and (7) an end. He envisions himself and us somewhere along that
trajectory, (8) a trajectory that ends in uncertainty and loss.
I am faced with (9) an ethical decision. What should I do now? Should I attempt
to give him God, salvation, eternity? Should I toss him some spiel like, "Your
body is just (10) a shell and after you die, we will all be together in spirit
forever"?
Or should I leave him with his uncertainty and his anxiety because I think it's
real? Should I try to make him (11) an anxious existentialist or should I try to
make him feel better?
I don't know. I stare at (14) the newspaper. (15a) The Celtics are consistently
losing on Friday nights. Larry Bird is angry at somebody, but I can's see who,
because Aaron's foot is in the way. I don't know but my neurotic, addictive,
middle-class sensibility is telling me that this is (12) a very important moment,
(13) a moment when Aaron's ways of constructing his world are being formed. Or
maybe my neurotic, addictive, middle-class sensibility is just making me think
that. If life and death are (14) an illusion, then why should I trifle with how
someone else understands them?

On (16a) the table Aaron plays with (15) an "army guy," raising his arms and
balancing him on his shaky legs. It was Kevin McHale that Larry Bird was angry
at. No, not Kevin McHale, it was Jerry Sichting. But Jerry Sichting is no longer
with (15b) the Celtics. Whatever happened to Jerry Sichting? Everything dies,
everything comes to (16) an end. Jerry Sichting is playing for Sacramento or
Orlando or he has disappeared.

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I should not trifle with how Aaron understands life and death because I want him
to have (17) a solid sense of structure, (18) a sense of the permanence of things.
It's obvious what (19) a good job (17) the nuns and priests did with me. It was
agony or bliss. Heaven and hell were not connected by long distance service. You
were on God's team or you were in the soup, and (18) the soup was hot. I don't
want Aaron to get burned, but I want him to have (20) a strong frame. (19) The
neurotic but unavoidable anxiety can come later.
Is that possible? It is possible to have (21) a sense that God, spirit, karma,
Y*H*W*H, something—is transcendent, without traumatizing (20) the
presentness of (22) a person,
without beating it into them? Can we have our cake and eat it too, ontologically
speaking? Or is their fragile sensibility, their "there-ness," sundered by such (23)
an act? Sensing (24) a slight increase in agitation on (16b) the table, I know that
Aaron is becoming bored with his guy. With (25) an attitude of drama benefiting
(1b) the moment, I clear my throat and begin with (26) a professional tone.
"Aaron, death is something that some people believe ..."
"Dad," Aaron interrupts, "could we play (27) a video game? It's not (28) a very
violent game," he explains, hands gesticulating. "It's not like (29) a killing game.
The guys just kind of flop over."
"Yes," I say with some relief, "let's play video games but first there's something
else we have to do."
"What?" Aaron stops and turns from where he has run, already halfway to (21) the
arcade.
"First, let's have some ice cream."
Another perfect Saturday for (30) a perfect family. For now.

Michael Murphy

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