International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum Maxims of Politeness on ArthurAos Final Goodbye to John from Red Dead Redemption 2 Tegar Al Fakhrur Razi*.
Retno Purwani Sari** Universitas Komputer Indonesia.
Indonesia Corresponding Email: tegarfakhrur20@gmail.
Abstract.
The point of this research is to identify and analyze how ArthurAos utterances in Red Dead Redemption 2 promote politeness maxims, developing deep emotional This emphasizes languageAos role in enhancing social harmony Ae a significant aspect of inclusivity in the digital era.
Focusing on the significance of building inclusive and sustainable community, this research highlights how LeechAos politeness maxims maintain their impact in fostering social harmony.
Applying a descriptive qualitative method, this research involved extracting and categorizing utterances based on LeechAos politeness maxims, analyzing their frequency and contextual significance.
The findings demonstrate that ArthurAos choice of utterances cultivates emotional bonds in his interaction with John.
These utterances successfully minimize conflict and maximizing Politeness Maxims enhance emotional engagement and contribute to a more immersive narrative experience.
Furthermore, they play a crucial role in deepening character relationships and emotional authenticity in video game storytelling Ae enhancing socially engaging experiences.
Keywords: LeechAos Politeness maxim, language role in digital era.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Introduction Lorem ipsum In the digital era, effective and respectful communication promotes an inclusive and sustainable community.
Choice of utterances strengthens emotional bonds and maintains social harmony both online and offline (Mukhtorova, 2024:.
In online communication, cultural diversity often leads to miscommunication (Varhelahti & Turnquist, 2021:.
, highlighting the importance of politeness in building a respectful interaction.
simulate real-life interactions and serve as a medium for studying digital communication, politeness, and inclusivity.
ArthurAos final goodbye to John in Red Dead Redemption 2 Ae a narrativedriven video game Ae is arguably designed to develop emotional bonds while promoting As a digital innovation, video games reflect common social interaction and model the evolution of today communication (Khan, 2025:.
Politeness is a crucial aspect of linguistics that ensures effective and respectful communication interaction.
Previous research studies have shown the ways in which International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum politeness strategies impact interpersonal interaction in various contexts.
The study on politeness methods by brown and Levinson .
, for example, focused on face-threatening behaviors and the way in which people use mitigation techniques to preserve social harmony.
This research concluded that politeness is universal aspect of human interaction, though its cultural differences.
Similarly.
Holmes .
investigated how politeness varies by gender and discovered that woman typically employ more constructive politeness techniques, which promote unity in society and inclusivity.
These studies support the theory that politeness is crucial for preserving harmony and avoiding conflict in communication.
This concept extends to fictional narratives, including those in video games.
However, alongside technological development and innovation, language usage evolves to some extent.
Bologh & Veszelszki .
claims that the linguistic behaviors change gradually.
Violations of politeness maxims serve as a basic strategy for designing character-specific insults.
Game developers create and use utterances to present social and cooperative gameplay style where the heroes are created with distinct qualities.
As implied, heroesAo qualities completely influence choice of utterances.
In this perspective, players have a choice to decide the plot, shaping character personalities, relationships, and psychological development.
The games conversation shows how characters relationship can change over time and impact the development of character.
CharactersAo attention and respect from one to another are influenced by politeness maxims that are added into game dialogue.
This is specifically important in emotional moments such as farewell where linguistic choices affect the narrative.
The use of politeness strategies can reduce emotional pressure and convince them that separation is shown as a crucial and meaningful transition rather than a cause of conflict in video games where characters separate away.
The study of politeness in video games dialogue offers the new field in pragmatic and discourse analysis.
Most of the politeness researches focus on literature, movies, or real-world communication, but interactive narrative like RDR2 suggests fresh analytical opportunities in pragmatic field.
Different from passive storytelling, video games need playerAos participation, which can make the dialogue feel more personal and impactful.
Adopting the case study on how politeness maxims affect emotionally in ArthurAos farewell conversation with John.
LeechAos politeness framework is applied.
This study explores how Arthur uses politeness strategies to control, instruct, and encourage John, despite his tragic situation.
Highlighted politeness strategies for managing these conflicts, this research proposes that politeness maxims can potentially reduce emotional tension.
These maxims facilitate a transition to prevent potential conflicts when characters conclude conversations.
In this context, farewell expression Ae such as goodbye Ae is serve as turning point for characters, signifying personal growth, sacrifice, or the reinforcement of relationships.
Focusing on ArthurAos farewell goodbye, this research explores his emotions and intentions during a series of farewell interactions with John, a fellow gang member whom Arthur considers a brother.
These interactions present both emotional tensions and intended utterances that convey politeness values.
Using a descriptive qualitative method, this research examines politeness principles by analyzing ArthurAos goodbye expressions and the associated emotional nuances.
Literature Review As suggested, charactersAo interactions in video games depict not only emotional tension but also language style.
In previous era, video games had least narrative elements, but lately video game developers improve the narrative of the games.
They make the character and the story International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum more complex.
Along with the development of Full Motion Video (FMV) games, storytelling becomes more creative adding video clips where playerAos actions are completely affected to the plot.
In narrative-based games, players also have a choice to decide the plot.
This improvement reflects the importance of narrative in gaming, where dialogue has a crucial role in shaping character personalities, relationships, and phycological development.
Video games make playersAo choices be recognized and honored in the storyline, from an efficient and fair perspective (Budiarta et.
all, 2024:.
The games conversation shows how characters relationship can change over time and impact the development of character.
CharactersAo attention and respect from one to another are influenced by politeness maxims that are added into game dialogue.
This is specifically important in emotional moments such as farewell where linguistic choices affect the narrative.
Generally, the use of politeness strategies can reduce emotional tension (Anugrawati & Syam, 2024:.
In this context, the evolution of video game narratives shows how language plays a crucial role in the creation of exciting and immersive experiences.
Game developers can produce more realistic and emotional dialogues and strengthen the bonds between character and players with LeechAos politeness maxims.
Eventually politeness in digital narratives not only improves the story telling but also the larger idea of societal harmony by confirming that communication remains respectful, inclusive, and meaningful in life.
In pragmatic perspectives.
Leech .
proposed a model to examine politeness.
Leech introduced politeness maxims to explain how speakers maintain social harmony by expressing consideration and respect in conversation.
These maxims Ae tact, generosity, approbation, modesty, agreement, and sympathy Ae serve as a model to encourage positive relationship and accommodate smooth communication (Leech, 1.
They emphasize minimizing imposition, enhancing the listenerAos face, and fostering cooperation in discourse.
These maxims provide speakers with a guideline that helps maintain social harmony and reduce action that might compromise their credibility.
The face theory, put forth by Brown and Levinson .
, which categorize politeness .
uilding solidarit.
and negative politeness .
howing differenc.
These theories offer crucial resources for examining the ways in which politeness is expressed in fictional discourse, such as dialogue in video games.
Culpeper .
suggested that impoliteness and politeness in fictional dialogue function to shape character identities and interpersonal relationships.
Similarly.
Dynel .
1:2.
contends that video games, as an interactive fiction, offer a special environment in which pragmatic rules can improve emotional involvement.
Particular research on dialogue of video games, indicates that characterAos speech is both adapted to fit dramatic storytelling and reflect linguistic convention in the real world.
According to Gee .
, video games are narrative tools that promote player immersion through the dialogue, so the playerAos interpretation of the story is greatly influenced by the language that is used.
In the case of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Arthur final conversation with John Marston is an example of how politeness techniques support emotional narrative and strengthen ArthurAos role as a brother.
While previous study on pragmatics in video games has explored the general aspect of character and player interaction, little attention has been shown to the precise role that politeness maxims play in forming narrative depth.
By using LeechAos maxim to close that gap by bringing a spotlight on how civility improves character relationship and adds to the general plot structure of the game.
Unlike previous study, this research bridges pragmatic and video International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum game narrative, show how linguistic implied in games and show important choices in scripted dialogue in storytelling, player engagement and emotional resonance.
Methodology This research analyses how politeness maxims are used in ArthurAos farewell goodbye to John using a descriptive qualitative method.
The method allows an in-depth review of the linguistic elements employed in fictional dialogue and how they contribute to meaning, character development, and emotional impact.
It is especially well-suited for this research.
With this method, the politeness can be implied in how to understand the meaning of the dialogue.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR.
developed by Rockstar Games, is a best example of a game that uses dialogue to build emotion and interaction with the players, because the Non-Playable Character (NPC) has their own personality and can be developed.
The game setting is in 19 th century, the game follows Arthur as an outlaw struggling with loyalty, morality, and One of the most memorable moments to analyze is the moment when Arthur expressed his farewell goodbye to John, a fellow gang member whom Arthur considered as a While he nearly encountered the death due to tuberculosis and betrayal, this moment was not only emotionally powerful but had a lot of pragmatic elements, especially politeness strategies that reflect ArthurAos care to JohnAos future.
The data for this research are from Red Dead Redemption 2 .
, especially the final conversation between Arthur and John when the gang is just destroyed in final chapter of the game .
hapter 6 AuRed Dead RedemptionA.
The script was written out exactly like dialogue in the game.
The dialogue was recaptured from recorded gameplay and officially script sources.
To offer detailed pragmatic insights, the analysis also measured non-verbal clues like tone, pauses, and gestures.
The analysis uses LeechAos .
politeness maxims.
Each utterance was categorized based on these maxims.
Tact Maxims focuses on maximizing the benefit of the other and minimizing Generosity Maxim highlights in minimizing benefit to one while maximizing to Then Approbation Maxim aims to minimize dispraise and maximize praise of others, and Modesty Maxim encourages minimizing self-praise while maximizing self-dispraise.
Also, the sympathy Maxim emphasizes the value of understanding as assisting others, while the Agreement Maxim aims to minimize the disagreement and maximize the agreement.
By using these maxims, the study explores how politeness strategies can shape the emotional impact of Arthur MorgansAos dialogue.
A complex interpretation of his last explanations was made by the methodological analysis of each utterance to identify the maxim or maxims that This framework presents a structured method to understand how politeness is used to gain social harmony and carry deep emotional meaning in conversation in games or in reallife.
The analysis began with transcript and breakdown, where the dialogue was broken down into some units based on conversational turns.
Each segment was implied according to the politeness maxim it followed to, with a primary maxim is identified when multiple maxims were present.
This categorization helped to reveal the underlying politeness strategies used in ArthurAos speech.
A contextual analysis was carried out after the enciphering process to see how ArthurAos utterance and narrative impact.
This progress made it easier to understand why he used politeness techniques and how they added the meaning of the overall conversation.
Finally.
International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum the results were compared with other general narrative components.
It shows how ArthurAos growth as a person and his role as JohnAos brother.
Using this methodological style, the study offers a detailed comprehension of how Arthur uses politeness maxim in his farewell interpretations to make a moving and emotionally impactful farewell.
Findings and Discussion The analysis of Arthur farewell goodbye with John in Red Dead Redemption 2 shows the strategic application of many politeness maxims.
All of them convey the emotional depth and narrative impact of the scene.
By analyzing how ArthurAos dialogue aligns with LeechAos framework of politeness, this study gain insight into the subtle ways how language is used to manage interpersonal relationships within the characters, minimize emotional tension, and improve character dynamic.
The politeness maxims such as tact, approbation, modesty, agreement, and sympathy are all included thoughtfully to ensure that ArthurAos farewell gain respectful, emotionally supportive, and focused on the John future.
Table 1 demonstrate the emotional nuances.
Table 1.
Categorization of Politeness Maxims of ArthurAos Final Goodbye Politeness Arthur's Emotional Purpose Effect on John Marston Maxim Dialogue Tact "You go.
Minimizes emotional John feels it's his decision to strain, removes guilt leave without hesitation or Approbation "You better.
Encourages positive John feels motivated and less reinforcement, reduces guilty about leaving Modesty "I think I've Downplays his John doesn't see Arthur as a pushed all I suffering, avoids focus tragic figure and is able to on his heroism move on Agreement "Go.
Now.
Confirms mutual John is assured that leaving is understanding and the right course of action Sympathy "You better.
" Shows empathy, ensures JohnAos emotional burden is (Final remar.
JohnAos emotional lightened, allowing him to leave without feeling Each maxim has a special purpose emotionally.
To make sure that ArthurAos remarks do not execute further guilt or duty on John.
for example, the Tact maxim is in use to reduce any emotional strain on him.
Similar to Tact maxim, the maxim approbation maxim emphasizes making as maximally positive remarks as possible while minimizing negative remarks.
This allows Arthur to bring attention to JohnAos benefits and the good things about their relationship.
That is supported by the Modesty maxim, which Emphasize JohnAos strength while ignoring ArthurAos personal struggle and sacrifice in the background.
In the interim, the Agreement Maxim is key for confirming that both speakers understand and accept each otherAos decisions.
Lastly, the sympathy maxim ensures that Arthur shows empathy for JohnAos emotional condition and shows in depth understanding of how difficult the farewell is.
ArthurAos International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum discourse eliminates face-menacing behaviors while all together encouraging a sense of closure, mutual respect, and emotional connection between the two characters when using these maxims.
This analysis shows how language decisions are important and can influence character interaction.
Also, emotional resonance in video games narrative (Shown in Figure .
Figure 1.
ArthurAos final goodbye John Marston : Aucome on Arthur! LetAos go!Ay Arthur Morgan : AuYou go.
Ay John : Aukeep pushing Arthur!Ay Arthur : AunoA.
I think IAove pushed all I can.
Ay In this dialogue.
Arthur takes this by moving the focus of the discussion from his personal struggle to John life.
Arthur eliminates any change of debate by declaring.
AuYou go.
Ay Which makes JohnAos choice straightforward and quick.
John doesnAot question himself because the phrase is short, clear, and unhesitating.
John might have stayed behind, risking both of them, if Arthur had begged or spoken confusion.
Moreover.
ArthurAos language reduces the intensity of his condition.
He says.
AuI think IAove pushed all I can.
Ay Without making a dramatic statement that he is unable to continue his This phrase gives his statement a more realistic and less tragic feel, as though his body has reached its limit on its own without the help of internal factors.
Because Arthur shows JohnAos problem as a straightforward reality rather than personal failure, this tactful approach makes that John wonAot feel bad about leaving Arthur.
Arthur language also ensures that John benefits emotionally from his words.
John is able to depart without hesitation or regret because Arthur makes his decision seems like the right one.
International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum John internal struggle is reducing thoughtful speech, which increase his capacity to concentrate on his escape than ArthurAos fate.
In these ways.
Arthur follows the Tact Maxim perfectly, sacrificing his on comfort by putting JohnAos comfort.
John Marston Arthur Morgan :Ay We ainAot both gonna make it.
Ay :Ay Go.
Now.
IAoll hold them off.
Ay To achieve Generosity Maxim.
Arthur put JohnAos survival above everything else, utterly ignoring his own suffering.
John canAot try to argue with him otherwise because is words make it apparent that he has already accepted his fate.
Arthur declares AuGo.
Now.
Ay Ruling out the possibility of remaining together and ensuring JohnAos departure.
Arthur choices word demonstrate that John does not believe he is leaving him.
If Arthur said.
AuI can make itAy or AuI have to stayAy, it would make him show his weakness and increased feeling guilty of John.
Instead.
Arthur said AuIAoll hold the offAy reframes his choice as an active one.
This gives the impression that he is staying behind because it is the best option, not because he no longer has an option.
This change in perspective is essential because it lessens John emotional burden by enabling him to see Arthur as a protector rather than a victim.
Furthermore.
ArthurAos selfness reinforces the bond of royalty between the two men.
ensuring John does not carry the guilt of his death.
Arthur leaves him with strength rather than a sorrow.
He satisfies the Generosity Maxim by putting JohnAos safety above his own, even if it means sacrifice his life to ensure JohnAos future.
John Marston Arthur Morgan :Ay Alright.
Arthur.
IAom coming back for you!Ay : AuYou better.
Ay Arthur never makes John feel bad about leaving or putting the blame on him for doing so.
Instead, he responds.
Auyou betterAy making JohnAos statement a challenge.
Although this phrase seems amusing it has a significant emotional meaning and makes sure John doesnAot feel like a coward when he leaves.
Arthur word choices is carefully planes, rather than saying AudonAot come back,Ay which could give John the impression that he is leaving him, he lets john maintain hope while making sure he departs.
John might have been driven to ignore Arthur out of loyalty if he had instructed him not to go back.
By responding in a way uplifting John without making him feel bad.
Arthur keeps the spirit of their brotherhood.
ArthurAos tone also stays firm and unwavering, supporting the notion that he is dying with a purpose rather than in despair.
John mental strength is maintained in this instance, preventing him from experiencing overwhelming sadness.
By reducing JohnAos anxiety and increasing his determination.
Arthur successfully applies the Approbation Maxim once more.
Arthur never makes himself the center of attention or raises his sacrifice in order to uphold the Modesty Maxim.
In order to prevent John from viewing Arthur as a tragic figure but rather as a man who accepts his fate with dignity.
Arthur minimizes his heroism throughout their Arthur shows his difficult situation as a logical conclusion rather than a martyrdom when he states.
AuI think IAove pushed all I canAy this keeps John from being overtaken International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum by grief or considering ArthurAos passing to be a terrible loss.
Rather, it supports the notion that Arthur is basically coming to the end of his journey, which makes it simpler for John to accept and move forward.
Arthur also never looks for approval of his choice.
He does not ask John to remember him as a hero, nor does demand gratitude or acknowledgement for his action.
John have been emotionally burdened and found it more difficult to let go if Arthur said something like.
Autell jack about me" .
ack is JohnAos so.
or Auremember what I did to youAy rather, by keeping quiet about his own sacrifice.
Arthur free John from burden of carrying on his legacy.
ArthurAos last moment will be about JohnAos survival than his own reputation because of this act of humility.
Additionally.
Arthur avoids drowning in his misery.
Despite having every reason to do so, he chooses not to focus on his pain, his regrets, or his wounds.
The idea that John must move forward without looking back is reinforced by ArthurAos emotional control, which spares John from having to console him.
This subtle yet powerful use of modesty Maxim ensures that ArthurAos goodbye is dignified and selfless, rather than sorrowful and dramatic.
Arthur ensures that John does not argue or resist leaving by using direct and decisive According to the Agreement Maxim, speakers should steer clear of pointless conflict, and Arthur does this any removing any chance for discussion.
Arthur strongly says.
AuYou go,Ay as opposed to.
AuI donAot think I canAot make itAy which might encourage John to insist John is unable to negotiate because of the straightforward and conciseness of his statements, which makes it obvious that staying behind is not an option.
Arthur also gently confirms John intuitions rather than challenging them.
When John says.
Auwe ainAot both gonna make itAy Arthur does not deny the reality of the situation or attempt to argue for another solution.
Instead, by saying.
Augo.
Now.
IAoll hold them offAy he instantly confirms JohnAos comprehension.
This moment Is crucial because John might have attempted to defend Arthur or instead on fining different ways to save both of them id he doesnAot show JohnAos moral reluctance to leave is eliminated when Arthur makes sure they are in complete agreement.
In addition.
Arthur final response Auyou betterAy to John pledge to come back is a challenge disguised as an agreement.
By putting it in this way.
Arthur accepts JohnAos feelings without completely dismissing them.
Jogn might have felt conflicted or guilty if he had said.
AuNo, donAot come back.
Ay However.
Arthur makes sure that John doesnAot feel betrayed by his decisions to go by using a lighthearted yet serious tone.
JohnAos resolve is strengthened by this nuance implementation of the Agreement Maxim, which enables him to leave without feeling hesitant.
ArthurAos entire farewell is structured around the Sympathy Maxim, as he does everything in his power to reduce JohnAos emotional pain.
Arthur never shows regret, anger, or resentment toward John or anyone else, despite the fact that he is dying, worn out, and betrayed.
doesnAot blame Duct.
Micah, or even himself about what happened to him.
What He only worried is ensuring that John leave and lives a better life.
By controlling his emotions.
Arthur keeps John from experiencing feeling grief or guilt, make him to focus on his future.
One of the most important aspects of ArthurAos final words is his rejection to express fear or John would have been stunned with guilt if Arthur had cried or pleaded for help.
Rather.
Arthur maintains his calmness, allowing John emotional freedom to leave him without Arthur choice word that can make John does not bear the emotional scars of being abandoned, so he making his death seem more like a natural sacrifice than tragedy.
ArthurAos International Journal of Computer in Humanities 5.
49-57 Journal homepage: https://ojs.
id/index.
php/injuchum rational decision, which minimizes negative feelings and maximizes faith, is in perfect harmony with the Sympathy Maxim.
The final act of emotional bonding between the two brother is when ArthurAos said his final remark AuYou better.
Ay Arthur keeps away, making the conversation too sentimental or tragic, even though it is his final moments.
Instead, he declares their relationship by using a positive yet lighthearted word that confirms that their brotherhood will continue beyond this instance.
This confirms that John now has a courage rather than sadness, explaining how ArthurAos implementation of the Sympathy Maxim influences the complete farewell.
Conclusion The good and powerful example for a use of politeness maxim in narrative discourse is ArthurAos final goodbye in Red Dead Redemption 2.
In this gameAos narrative Arthur MorganAos final words to John are more important than a simple goodbye.
That is a statement of loyalty, sacrifice, and unspoken brotherhood.
Using LeechAos framework for politeness, this analysis shows Arthur purpose to minimize face threatening action, strengthened their brotherhood, and support John emotionally with a construct of politeness maxim.
To maximize Agreement, sympathy, and approbation, the other three important politeness maxims.
Arthur carefully avoids doing criticizing John during their farewell, instead emphasizing, praising, empathy, and shared understanding for each other.
By doing that.
ArthurAos words not only provide emotional comfort but also preserve the self-respect of both characters during a moment of deep emotional solace.
This study underlines the importance of language choices in video game narrative, showing good dialogue can improve character development and increase player emotional involvement.
Every word that is said in the game for the playerAos emotional experience and feelings of connection to the characters.
The scenes of Arthur final goodbye take emotional interests and raised by the usage of politeness technique situation, making it an emotional moment that players find quite painful.
Future research could widen this topic by analyzing how politeness maxims in various video games plots and how other characters speech technique to deal with interpersonal and emotional situations.
A more thorough understanding of how linguistic choices is really important in narrative experience and have a great affect, that also could be demonstrate by a more research in Red Dead Redemption 2 Game.
Additionally, researching how the strategies function in different kinds of game or genre may help clarify the role of pragmatic in interactive storytelling and how its influence player emotional and immersion.
Future research can be expanding the analysis of politeness maxims across various video games and genre to understand their impact on character devolvement, player immuration, and emotional engagement.
This could inform better story telling technique, improve interactive narrative, and deepening understanding of languageAos role in gaming experience.
References