ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
Page 459
www.rsisinternational.org
Understanding the Politeness Strategies of Mia Thermopolis in the
Princess Diaries Movie
1
Nuraina Shafina Ahmad Rashidi, *
2
Nurzeti Abdul Ghafar
1,2
Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, UiTM Shah Alam
*Corresponding Author
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.924ILEIID0048
Received: 23 September 2025; Accepted: 30 September 2025; Published: 30 October 2025
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the politeness strategies employed by Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries, aiming
to understand how these strategies reflect identity, social norms, and role adaptation. Grounded in Goffman’s
Face Theory and Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory, the research addresses the problem that
communication involves more than information exchange; it sustains relationships and social harmony. Using
a qualitative content research design, the sample comprised the full movie transcript (1 hour 51 minutes),
analysed through purposive sampling of Mia’s interactions. Data were collected by reviewing the film and
transcript, then coded using Brown and Levinson’s framework and examined through thematic analysis.
Findings reveal that Mia uses all four politeness strategies, with a shift from directness to more nuanced
strategies as her role evolves. Sociolinguistic variables such as power and distance strongly influence her
choices, while her American upbringing initially favours bluntness before royal training introduces tact. These
results suggest that identity development and context jointly shape pragmatic behaviour. The study implies that
politeness theory is still useful for analysing media discourse and recommends future research to integrate
multiple communication modes and cross-cultural comparisons for deeper insights.
Keywords: Politeness strategies, facework, Brown & Levinson, sociolinguistics, film discourse, The Princess
Diaries.
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Communication is not merely a vehicle for transferring information; it is the primary means by which people
build, sustain, and repair relationships in everyday life. Relationship maintenance work, which is often
performed through daily talk, ritual expressions, and small pragmatic moves, stabilises commitment and
reduces friction. Moreover, communication, which extends beyond transactional exchanges, builds trust
through openness and responsiveness. Existing literature show that maintenance behaviours are fundamental to
relational quality and evolve with context and goals (Ogolsky & Stafford, 2023). In tandem with this,
pragmatics highlights that meaning is shaped by context rather than words alone, influencing how speakers
choose to be direct, soften their language, or express attitude (Hu & Zhou, 2024).
Movies, in turn, replicate and stylise such real-life human exchanges, offering a rich, accessible corpus for
analysing pragmatic phenomena. Previous research on films show that Brown and Levinson’s framework
works well for analysing screen dialogue, as it explains how characters handle power, maintain relationships,
and manage conflicts while moving the story forward and shaping audience understanding (Fitria, 2024; Putri,
2022). Accordingly, The Princess Diaries, a coming-of-age narrative in which Mia Thermopolis grows from an
ordinary teen to a princess, provides a good opportunity to study how a character’s evolving identity affects
her use of politeness strategies.
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
Page 460
www.rsisinternational.org
Evidently, relationship maintenance calls for more than just the mere transfer of information. Good
communication should be able foster trust, solve problems and demonstrate a willingness for long-time
commitment. In the meantime, movies often reflect real social situations making them a great tool to help us
learn language in its natural context. This study will, considering the above two aspects, trace the shifts in Mia
's politeness strategies as she develops from an ordinary girl into a princess.
Problem Statement
Communication is not merely a sharing or passing of information. Instead, it is communication that arranges
social connectivity and maintains human relationships. Although few people notice the unspoken rules that
seem to guide interactional expressions such as requests, refusals or gratitude in differing contexts, studies
such as Ogolsky & Stafford’s (2023) have shown that these language use in context support closeness and
stability in relationships. The study of pragmatics then, looks at how meaning depends on how language is
used, focusing on aspects of meaning that rely on context, rather than just the logical and grammatical
structures of sentences (Umeh et al, 2024). It is concerned with the practice of carefully choosing words while
considering their social implications, rather than just their literal meanings. For speakers, overlooking these
contextual considerations may lead to unintentionally offending the listeners, and over time, little
misunderstandings can lead to strained relationships.
As important as it is, studying pragmatics, or in particular politeness strategies, is difficult in real life as natural
human interactions are unpredictable. Conversational intentions are often unclear, and factors such as social
distance and power change constantly. These rapid changes during interactions complicate systematic
observation. Evidence shows that communication quality fluctuates between partners over time and across
topics, as it all depends on contexts (Johnson et al., 2022). Researchers found it hard to separate strategy
choices from short-term pressures or personal goals. Therefore, studies in the field require situations where
interaction factors are clear but interactions remain spontaneous, to ensure that interpretations are not based on
guesswork.
A film dialogue, although scripted, provide controlled yet realistic scenarios where intentions, roles, and
outcomes can be observed. Research has shown that instruction using curated movie and TV clips can improve
learners’ performance on speech acts such as making requests and suggestions (Omar & Razi, 2022). However,
previous studies on films often looked at politeness strategies in scenes without considering how character
development may influence a character’s choices of these strategies throughout the movie (Julianti &
Rahmani, 2024; Putri, 2022). Hence, we lack research that tracks changing strategies at key points, which is
important for understanding identity change, status learning, and relationship repair together.
In summary, everyday talk plays an important role in maintaining harmony, but this is often overlooked.
Researchers also face challenges from the complexity of real interactions and the limits of short clip-based
studies. This creates a clear gap, showing a need for detailed analyses that follow one character’s changing
politeness strategies across key events. This study addresses that gap by examining Mia Thermopolis’s
development and how her growth shapes her strategy choices, offering a rich account that links social norms,
situational pressures, and character change.
Research Objective
The general objective of this study is to examine how Mia Thermopolis employs politeness strategies in The
Princess Diaries and to understand the factors influencing her choices as her life and identity change. This
research aims to explore the types of strategies she uses, the sociolinguistic variables shaping these choices,
and the role of her background in her pragmatic behaviour.
Research Questions:
1. What types of politeness strategies are utilised by Mia Thermopolis when interacting with the other
characters in The Princess Diaries?
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
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www.rsisinternational.org
2. How do sociolinguistic variables influence Mia Thermopolis’ choice of politeness strategies used in
different situations in The Princess Diaries?
3. How do Mia Thermopolis’ background and upbringing influence her understanding and practice of
politeness strategies in The Princess Diaries?
LITERATURE REVIEW
The concept of “face” was first introduced by Erving Goffman (1955) in his work on face-work, which
describes how individuals maintain their social image during interactions. Brown and Levinson (1987) later
expanded on this idea, developing a comprehensive politeness theory that explains how speakers use language
strategically to reduce face-threatening acts (FTAs). According to Goffman, ‘face’ refers to the social value
individuals want others to acknowledge, and protecting it is essential to maintain smooth social interactions.
Building on this, Brown and Levinson distinguished between ‘positive face’ – the desire for approval, and
‘negative face’ – the desire for autonomy. This model identifies four main strategies for minimising threats to
‘face’: bald on record, positive politeness, negative politeness, and off record. These theories remain highly
relevant in pragmatics, as they highlight the link between language choices, social norms, and relational goals
(Kalso, 2023; Dewi et al., 2021)
Both theories have been widely applied in studies examining politeness in both real and fictional contexts.
Research on cinematic discourse shows that politeness strategies often reflect real-world social norms and can
be valuable tools for teaching pragmatic competence (Omar & Razi, 2022). For instance, analyses of films
such as Joker and Turning Red reveal that factors like social distance and power dynamics strongly influence
strategy selection, reinforcing the relevance of these theories in media studies (Asheva, 2022; Zahro &
Candraloka, 2025). However, most of these focus on the isolated moments of dialogues rather than the
evolving use of politeness strategies as characters develop over time. Previous research on The Princess
Diaries has identified different strategy types but has rarely explored how Mia’s shift from an ordinary
teenager to royalty shapes her pragmatic choices (Himawati et al., 2022). This highlight the need for an
approach that links politeness strategies to identity transformation by examining the narrative as a whole. Such
an approach not only enriches pragmatic theory and media discourse analysis but also illustrates how language
adapts to changing social roles. Ultimately, this perspective sheds light on the intricate relationship between
linguistic choices, social expectations, and personal growth.
The discussion of Goffman’s face theory and Brown and Levinson’s politeness framework highlight the close
connection between identity management and linguistic strategies. Both theories stress on the inherently social
nature of communication, and their use in media discourse opens up new ways of examining pragmatic
patterns. While past studies have shown the value of these models in categorising politeness strategies, they
also reveal certain gaps, particularly the tendency to focus on isolated dialogues rather than the progression of
a character’s language over time. This points to a need for research that combines theoretical perspectives a
broader, narrative-level analysis of language use in fictional contexts. In this study, exploring Mia
Thermopoils’ changing politeness strategies provides a way to address these gaps and to better understand how
shifts in identity shape pragmatic choices.
Politeness Strategies Across Discourses
A recent study examines the politeness strategies in the 2024 Indonesian presidential debates using Brown and
Levinson's framework. Taking a qualitative pragmatic approach, the researchers analysed verbatim transcripts
of candidate interactions. Findings showed that positive politeness was most prevalent, especially strategies
aimed at fostering solidarity and inclusivity (Mulyono et al., 2025). Another study focused on online
classrooms, revealing that both instructors and students relied on a mix of positive and negative politeness to
maintain rapport in a virtual setting (Valdellon & Cuarte, 2024). Although these studies demonstrate how
context shapes politeness, both are lacking in fully capturing the dynamic, evolving nature of interactions.
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
Page 462
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Cross-cultural research on speech acts shows that politeness strategies vary across different societies. One
comparative study of intercultural communication found that digital platforms tend to promote more direct
communication, leading to fewer mitigating strategies than those typically used in face-to-face interactions
(Keith, 2025). Similarly, Hu and Zhou (2024) used Systematic Functional Grammar to explore politeness in
interpersonal discourse, demonstrating how choices in modality and mood reflect underlying social
hierarchies. While these studies highlight the flexibility of politeness strategies, they often focus on isolated
interactions, leaving gaps in our understanding of how these strategies can change over time.
Sociolinguistic Variables and Politeness
Research on sociolinguistic factors reveals that power and social distance significantly influence politeness
choices. Al-Natour et al. (2024) studied classroom interactions in Jordan using qualitative observation and
audio recordings. The study found that professors preferred positive politeness to reduce distance and
encourage participation. Similarly, Yuwono and Santoso (2024) examined address forms in multicultural
university settings, finding that gender, age, and status shaped politeness strategies. Another review by
Kulsawang and Ambele (2024) confirmed that cultural norms and social roles strongly affect requests and
apologies. These findings highlight the complexity of politeness, which goes beyond context-specific speech.
Further evidence comes from research on African speech communities, where politeness principles varied by
age, gender, and education level. Ngondombo (2021) analysed interactions in the Lingɔmbe society and found
that younger speakers used more direct strategies, while elders preferred indirectness to maintain harmony.
Similarly, Teibowei (2024) highlighted gender-based differences in language use, linking them to broader
sociocultural norms. These studies affirm the role of sociolinguistic variables in shaping politeness but rarely
explore how these factors interact with personal identity changes, leaving a gap relevant to character-based
analyses in media.
Politeness in Film and Character Development
Several studies have analysed politeness strategies in films, focusing on static dialogue rather than character
growth. Julianti and Rahmani (2024) examined the main character in Wonder, identifying positive politeness
as the most frequent strategy. Similarly, Putri (2022) analysed Yes Day and found bald-on-record strategies
dominated family interactions. Firda (2024) studied Luca, reporting that social distance and payoff influenced
positive politeness choices. While these studies confirm the applicability of Brown and Levinson’s theory in
media, they do not address how evolving roles or identity shifts affect pragmatic behaviour across a narrative.
Recent research on Turning Red explored politeness strategies of a secondary character, linking assertive
strategies to family dynamics (Zahro & Candraloka, 2025). Another study on Peaky Blinders combined socio-
pragmatic analysis with gender and occupation variables, finding that power hierarchies drove bald-on-record
usage (Narayana et al., 2024). These findings suggest that politeness reflects both situational and relational
factors. However, most studies treat character behaviour as fixed, without considering developmental arcs.
This limitation highlights the need for research that tracks politeness strategies alongside character
transformation, as in the case of Mia Thermopolis.
The review of past studies reveals recurring patterns in how politeness strategies adapt to context,
sociolinguistic variables, and media discourse. Across discourses, researchers consistently note that power,
distance, and cultural norms shape language choices. However, most studies remain confined to static or
context-specific observations. Similarly, film-based analyses confirm the relevance of Brown and Levinson’s
framework but rarely track character development over time. These limitations point to methodological gaps,
particularly the lack of longitudinal analysis within narrative contexts. Addressing this gap is crucial because
character growth often mirrors real-life identity shifts, influencing pragmatic behaviour. Therefore, the present
study addresses these challenges by examining Mia Thermopolis’s evolving politeness strategies, offering
insights into the convergence of language, identity, and social roles.
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
Page 463
www.rsisinternational.org
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The conceptual framework illustrates the relationship between the main variables guiding this research. At the
core, the dependent variable is the types of politeness strategies employed by Mia Thermopolis, which include
Bald on Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, and Off Record. These strategies are shaped by two
major influencing factors: sociolinguistic variables (such as social distance and relative power) and
background and upbringing. The arrows in the diagram indicate directional influence, showing that both
sociolinguistic context and personal background contribute to Mia’s pragmatic choices. This framework
reflects insights from Goffman’s face theory and Brown and Levinson’s politeness model, as well as findings
from past studies that emphasize the interplay between social norms, identity, and language use.
The framework suggests that Mia’s politeness strategies are not random but shaped by situational and personal
factors. Sociolinguistic variables determine the degree of formality and deference, while her upbringing
influences her preference for directness or mitigation. This aligns with the research aim: to analyse how these
factors interact to shape Mia’s evolving politeness strategies throughout The Princess Diaries.
METHODOLOGY
This study employs a qualitative content research design, which focuses on interpreting meaning within social
and cultural contexts. Qualitative research goes for deeper rather than broader analysis, which makes it
possible for researchers to study occurrences or cases in their natural settings, looking at complex patterns of
interaction (Williams, 2024). Studies in language and linguistics often employ a qualitative design as it focuses
on contexts and the participants’ perspectives (Ahmad & Wilkins, 2024). Thus, this design is most appropriate
to examine in detail how Mia Thermopolis’ dialogues may reveal her politeness strategies.
Content analysis is applied to the movie script of The Princess Diaries, an approach often used to discover
implicit messages, values, social cues, and other deeper insights within texts, including media scripts (Rucks-
Ahidiana, 2024). Mia’s speeches are systematically coded based on Brown and Levinson’s politeness
strategies to identify patterns and changes in her language use. The complete transcript of the movie (duration:
1h 51m) provides a comprehensive background to the narrative. Analyses of full movie scripts have been
undertaken in previous studies in politeness (e.g., Putri, 2022; Fitria, 2024) as they provide the contexts for
interpretation.
Next, purposive sampling is employed by selecting the scenes where Mia interacts with other characters. This
helps focus on the parts of the movie that is most significant to the study. Purposive sampling is common in
qualitative studies because it focuses on instances that are most relevant to the research aim (Ahmad &
Wilkins, 2024; Nyimbili & Nyimbili, 2024). In the case of this research, coding of data is limited to Mia’s
dialogues to make it easier to analyse her politeness strategies over the course of the movie, while the scenes
and dialogues by other characters provide overall understanding of the narrative and situational contexts.
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
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www.rsisinternational.org
The instrument for this study is Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory (1987), used as the coding scheme to
categorise Mia’s utterances into four strategies: Bald on Record, Positive Politeness, Negative Politeness, and
Off Record. The same framework has been used in previous studies such as Fitria (2024) on Encanto and
Zahro and Candraloka (2025) on Turning Red, to analyse pragmatic behaviour in films. The coding scheme
ensures that Mia’s utterances are categorised consistently, to identify possible shift in her politeness strategies.
To collect data, the movie is viewed carefully, accompanied by the methodical reading of the script. This
process simulates similar research by Putri (2022) and Firda (2024) who combined watching the movie and
analysing the text for accuracy and context. The downloaded transcript is reviewed, noting the lines that
involved Mia. These lines were then checked against actual scenes in the movie before her utterances were
categorised according to the coding scheme. This approach ensures that only valid and contextually relevant
utterances are included, to enable a reliable examination of politeness strategies in Mia’s interactions.
This study employed peer debriefing and inter-coder agreement to ensure reliability. This involved an
experienced qualitative researcher who reviewed the coding decisions to minimize bias and ensure
interpretations were guided by data (McLeod, 2024). For inter-coder agreement, two coders independently
applied Brown and Levinson’s politeness strategy codes to a subset of Mia’s dialogues, resolving any
differences through discussion and refining the codes. This process improved coding consistency and reduced
bias in interpretation, ensuring a systematic and credible analysis (Halpin, 2024).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This section presents the findings and analyses taken from the movie The Princess Diaries that illustrates the
politeness strategies employed by the main character Mia Thermopolis. The analysis was conducted based on
the selected scenes that best showcase the strategies used by Mia and also how the sociolinguistics variables
and her upbringing influence her choices. Understanding these factors will provide better understanding on
human’s communication adaptability in order to meet social roles and expectations. The Brown and Levinson
politeness theory is used as the coding scheme.
Mia Thermopolis’ Politeness Strategies
RQ1: What types of politeness strategies are utilised by Mia Thermopolis when interacting with the other
characters in The Princess Diaries?
Table 1. Examples of Mia’s politeness strategies (coded instances)
Category
Code
Timestamp
Example text
Bald on Record (BOR)
BOR1
00:13:10
“No.”
BOR2
00:15:41
“I don’t want to be a princess!”
BOR3
00:16:50
“Living with a mother who lied to me for 15 years scares
me.”
Positive Politeness (PP)
PP1
00:11:27
“You’ve got a great place.”
PP2
01:02:46
“Do you want a bite of this?”
PP3
01:09:27
“I have to go, but thank you so much.”
Negative Politeness
(NP)
NP1
00:08:33
“All right, I’ll… I’ll go.”
NP2
00:14:21
“Why on earth would you pick me to be your princess?”
NP3
00:36:41
“Sorry, I can’t do it today.”
Off Record (OR)
OR1
00:17:34
“Just in case I’m not enough of a freak already, let’s add a
tiara!”
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
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OR2
00:15:31
“I’m still waiting for normal body parts to arrive.”
OR3
00:59:46
“Fun? You’re not busy for something like that?”
Table 1 shows the analysed utterances coded with Brown and Levinson’s strategies and subcodes (BOR1–
BOR3; PP1–PP3; NP1–NP3; OR1–OR3). The data comprise timestamped lines taken from the full movie
transcript and verified against the film’s audio. Overall, Mia’s speech uses all four main strategies, showing
more directness at the start, and more politeness adjustments as the story develops. Her direct refusals and
statements reflect Bald on Record, while compliments, offers, hedges, and apologies show Positive and
Negative Politeness. Overall, she moves from direct honesty to more considerate and tactful speech, indicating
growing awareness of social expectations and roles.
The findings of RQ1 indicates range and development, as Mia’s utterances shift from blunt refusals to
mitigation, consideration and humour. This pattern adds to and refines earlier film studies. For instance,
Encanto emphasised positive politeness within a family discourse, while Yes Day showed frequent
bald-on-record requests in lively domestic scenes (Fitria, 2024; Putri, 2022). The differences suggest that genre
and relational stakes influence strategy choice. Moreover, the mixed presence of hedges, gratitude, offers, and
apologies supports research on context-sensitive language (Kulsawang & Ambele, 2024). Finally, the growing
variety of Mia’s utterances shows progress in managing her social identity without losing clarity. Her style
shifts from bluntness to tact as she grows into her role as a princess, balancing directness with considerations
when needed.
Sociolinguistics Variables Influencing Mia Thermopolis’ Politeness Strategies
RQ2. How do sociolinguistic variables influence Mia Thermopolis’ choice of politeness strategies used in
different situations in The Princess Diaries?
Table 2. Politeness strategy by sociolinguistic context
Social
Distance
Relative Power
Code
Timestamp
Example text
Low
Helen > Mia
NP1
00:08:33
“All right, I’ll… I’ll go.”
High
(initial)
Queen > Mia
NP2
00:14:21
“Why on earth would you pick
me to be your princess?”
Lowering
Queen > Mia
PP2
01:02:46
“Do you want a bite of this?”
Low
≈ Equal
NP3
00:36:41
“Sorry, I can’t do it today.”
Table 2 displays examples grouped by relationship context, with social distance and relative power noted for
each case. The analysed utterances show that lower distance with intimates (e.g., Helen, Lilly) coincides with
hedging and apologies, whereas higher or formal power (e.g., Queen Clarisse, early scenes) elicits deference
and indirect questions. As Mia’s relationship with the Queen warms, her strategies soften from respectful
questioning toward friendly offers, signalling reduced distance. With her mother, hesitating compliance shows
Mia’s respect for parental authority despite their closeness. With Lilly, apologies help maintain their closeness
while acknowledging that their plans have been disrupted. In short, shifts in distance and power align with
predictable strategy choices. Therefore, the findings support a context-sensitive pragmatics in which role, rank,
and familiarity contour Mia’s linguistic expressions.
The findings of RQ2 reiterates context-sensitive language use. The data show that politeness strategy choice
depends on social distance and relative power. It can be seen that Mia uses direct language with Queen
Clarisse but relies on hedges and short apologies with Helen and Lilly. These findings match studies showing
that politeness shifts with gender, age, and status in multicultural settings (Yuwono & Santoso, 2024), and with
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
Page 466
www.rsisinternational.org
classroom research in Jordan, where instructors used positive politeness to reduce distance and encourage
participation (Al-Natour et al., 2024). Film analyses also confirm that politeness strategies shift with the
contexts of the scenes (Asheva, 2022). Overall, it can be seen that changes in distance and power can result in
changes in politeness, as the closer or less powerful Mia feels, the more she softens her speech to manage
social risk.
Background and Upbringing Factors Shaping Mia Thermopolis’ Politeness Strategies
RQ3. How do background and upbringing shape Mia’s understanding and practice of politeness?
Table 3. Background/upbringing and developmental trajectory
Phase
Pragmatic tendency
Code
Timestamp
Example text
Pre-training / teen baseline
Direct assertion
BOR2
00:15:41
“I don’t want to be a princess!”
Early adjustment
Hesitating compliance
NP1
00:08:33
“All right, I’ll… I’ll go.”
Post-training / emerging tact
Offer of inclusion
PP2
01:02:46
“Do you want a bite of this?”
Post-training / courtesy routine
Gratitude
PP3
01:09:27
“I have to go, but thank you so much.”
Table 3 summarises utterances arranged along the narrative timeline to reflect development from a direct,
informal upbringing toward more calibrated speech after training. Early scenes show Mia’s preference for
Bald-on-Record assertions consistent with the norms of a plain-spoken American teen. Towards the middle of
the film, Mia uses cautious language that temper her commitment while keeping her independence. Later, she
adds Positive Politeness through offers and thanks, signalling attentiveness to ceremonial roles and her
considerations of other people. The observed sequential development from BOR to NP and PP marks Mia’s
growing sensitivity to face. Thus, the findings imply that upbringing provides a basic foundation, while royal
socialisation broadens her practical skills and ensures that she matches royal decorum.
The findings of RQ3 demonstrates that Mia’s American, informal upbringing supplies a baseline of blunt
utterances, but socialisation (training and role learning) refines her pragmatics, while not entirely erasing her
authentic self. This pattern aligns with research showing that language choices reflect social hierarchy and that
politeness is shaped by institutional roles (Hu & Zhou, 2024). It also supports findings that cultural norms and
social distance influence requests and apologies, and that training or immersion can shift these preferences
over time (Kulsawang & Ambele, 2024). Similar film studies note that characters often maintain positive
politeness as they develop caring relationships, which parallels Mia’s attentiveness in the later part of the
movie (Julianti & Rahmani, 2024). Thus, it can be said that socialisation refines but does not remove
directness, as Mia learns to combine clarity with formality, blending American openness with royal etiquette.
CONCLUSION
Across the film, Mia Thermopolis deploys all four main politeness strategies, with her choices shifting as her
role identity settles and relationships change. Strategy choice is reliably predicted by sociolinguistic
variables—distance and power—and refined by socialisation or role training. Mia’s story illustrates a
pragmatic path from blunt honesty to careful considerations, keeping authenticity while promoting harmony
and togetherness. In terms of theory, the case confirms the durability and adaptability of facework models; in
terms of practice, it supplies definitive guidance for teaching, writing, and leadership during transitions.
The findings carry theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, the findings show that politeness
depends on context, where distance, power, and role learning shape strategy choice. They also support
combining interpersonal meanings (such as mood, modality, offers, apologies) with facework in one
framework (Hu & Zhou, 2024). Moreover, the shift from directness to careful adjustments also reflect
ILEIID 2025 | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
ISSN: 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS
Special Issue | Volume IX Issue XXIV October 2025
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www.rsisinternational.org
evidence that cultural norms and social distance systematically affect requests and apologies across settings
(Kulsawang & Ambele, 2024). Practically, the results offer guidance for teaching pragmatics (e.g., linking
strategies to relationships), for scriptwriting that tracks character growth through language, and for leadership
or etiquette training during role transitions. Consequently, Mia’s journey illustrates how explicit attention to
face needs can maintain relationships while retaining speaker authenticity, a balance that audiences and
learners can recognise and reuse.
Future studies can include refinements in methods, practice, and theory. Methodologically, researchers could
adopt planned inter-coder agreement on a stratified subset and report thresholds and resolution steps to
strengthen reliability in qualitative coding (Halpin, 2024). Likewise, studies should follow transparent,
values-aligned reporting with reflexive notes and audit trails to enhance credibility (Braun & Clarke, 2024).
Practically, researchers can expand to multimodal evidence (intonation, gaze), compare genres and cultures,
and triangulate film audio with scripts and subtitles to test robustness. Theoretically, longitudinal,
narrative-level models that blend Brown-and-Levinson pragmatics with interpersonal resources (e.g., stance)
can capture how identity change and power recalibration co-drive politeness. In short, advancing design
quality and multimodal scope will clarify when directness helps, when mitigation heals, and why character
growth sounds the way it does.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A special appreciation goes to Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia.
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APPENDIX: CODING GUIDELINES
Category
Code
Bald on Record (BOR)
BOR1(bare refusal/command)
BOR2(explicit stance/claim)
BOR3(direct evaluative assertion)
Positive Politeness (PP)
PP1(compliments/approbation)
PP2(offers/inclusion)
PP3(gratitude/solidarity moves)
Negative Politeness (NP)
NP1(hedges/hesitation)
NP2(conventional indirectness/questioning)
NP3(apologies)
Off Record (OR)
OR1(sarcasm/irony)
OR2(jokes)
OR3(hints/implicature)
.