AN ANALYSIS OF PRESUPPOSITION USED BY JOSEPHINE IN LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S NOVEL LITTLE WOMEN

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research explores the use of presupposition by Josephine March, the main character in Little Women, a novel written by Louisa May Alcott. The objectives of this study are to describe the types of presupposition employed by Josephine and to interpret the implied meanings within her utterances throughout the novel. This study adopts a qualitative descriptive method and applies George Yule’s classification of presupposition, which includes six types: existential, factive, lexical, structural, non factive, and counterfactual. The data were collected from selected dialogues spoken by Josephine in the novel. All six types of presupposition were found, with the following distribution: existential (29%), factive (23%), lexical (14%), structural (17%), non-factive (8.5%), and counterfactual (8.5%). The findings indicate that existential and factive presuppositions are the most frequently used, reflecting Josephine’s dynamic environment, strong personality, emotional depth, and complex relationships with others. Her language reveals her values, inner conflicts, and character development. This study demonstrates that presupposition plays a vital role in literary character portrayal and deepens the reader’s understanding of the narrative. The implied meanings within Josephine’s utterances are interpreted through contextual analysis, as context is a crucial element in pragmatic studies. The conversational context in Little Women is analyzed based on four key factors: (1) participants, (2) setting or social context, (3) topic of conversation, and (4) function of the interaction. Keywords: Presupposition, Pragmatics, Josephine March, Little Women, Implied Meaning