Nghiên cứu về vi phạm nguyên tắc hội thoại nhằm che giấu sự thật của các nhân vật thông qua một số tập phim “Những bà nội trợ kiểu Mỹ”

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES BÙI THỊ THU TRANG A STUDY ON THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS IN DECEPTION USED BY CHARACTERS IN SOME EPISODES OF “DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES” NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VI PHẠM NGUYÊN TẮC HỘI THOẠI NHẰM CHE GIẤU SỰ THẬT CỦA CÁC NHÂN VẬT THÔNG QUA MỘT SỐ TẬP PHIM “NHỮNG BÀ NỘI TRỢ KIỂU MỸ” M.A Minor Thesis Field: English linguistics Code: 60220201 HANOI - 2017 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES BÙI THỊ THU TRANG A STUDY ON THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS IN DECEPTION USED BY CHARACTERS IN SOME EPISODES OF “DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES” NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VI PHẠM NGUYÊN TẮC HỘI THOẠI NHẰM CHE GIẤU SỰ THẬT CỦA CÁC NHÂN VẬT THÔNG QUA MỘT SỐ TẬP PHIM “NHỮNG BÀ NỘI TRỢ KIỂU MỸ” M.A Minor Thesis Field: English linguistics Code: 60220201 Supervisor: Prof Nguyễn Hòa HANOI - 2017 CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT ***** -I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled A STUDY ON THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS IN DECEPTION USED BY CHARACTERS IN SOME EPISODES OF “DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES” submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master Degree at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and that this thesis has not been submitted to any degree at any other universities or institutions Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis Hanoi, 2017 Bui Thi Thu Trang Approved by SUPERVISOR Prof Nguyễn Hòa Date: ……………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT On completing this study, I owe a profound indebtedness to many people for their invaluable help during the conduct of my research First of all, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to Prof Nguyen Hoa, my supervisor for his useful and critical comments and continual guidance My appreciation is also offered to my lecturers and my friends of Postgraduate studies for their valuable lessons and precious helps Finally, I would like to express my profound gratitude towards my parents and my husband for their continual encouragement and immeasurable support ii ABSTRACT This study aims to explore how American movie series characters violate Grice‟s conversational maxims by means of rhetorical strategies in their daily conversation for the purpose of deception Data were collected from 23 episodes of Season of “Desperate Housewives”, a famous American movie series The writer employed a descriptive qualitative research together with content analysis in analysing and discussing utterances containing the violation of maxims under the light of Grice‟s theory of Cooperative Principle The findings of this study indicated that for the purpose of deception, mostly for hiding the truth, all four conversational maxims were violated Besides, it could be found that violations of these maxims lead to the usage of rhetorical strategies, in which the mostly used by the speaker are Understatement, Ellipsis, Repetition, Topic changed and Overstatement while Rhetorical question, Irony, Ambiguity and Metaphor are not employed much Hopefully, this study would contribute to a better understanding about the realization of conversational maxim violation by means of rhetorical strategies iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Objective of the Study Research Questions About “Desperate Housewives” Scope of the Study Design of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND & LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Theoretical Background 1.1.1 Pragmatics 1.1.2 Grice‟s Theory of Cooperative Principles 1.1.3 Grice‟s Theory of Conversational Maxims 1.1.3.1 The Fulfilment of Maxims 1.1.3.2 Non-observance of Conversational Maxims 10 1.1.3.2.1 Violating 11 1.1.3.2.2 Flouting 12 1.1.3.2.3 Opting out 14 1.1.3.2.4 Infringing a maxim 14 1.1.3.2.5 Suspending 14 1.1.4 Violation of Conversational Maxims and Rhetorical Strategies 15 1.1.4.1 Characteristics of Conversational Maxims Violation 15 1.1.4.2 Rhetorical Strategies 16 1.1.5 Discussion on Grice‟s Theory 19 1.2 Violation of Conversational Maxims and Deception 20 1.2.1 Definition of Deception 21 1.2.2 Reasons of Deception 21 1.3 Related Studies 23 iv CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 27 2.1 Research Hypothesis 27 2.2 Data Source 27 2.3 Research Approach 27 2.4 Data Collection Method 28 2.5 Data Analysis Technique 29 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 30 3.1 Realization of Violation of Conversational Maxims 30 3.1.1 Occurrence of Violated Conversational Maxims 30 3.1.2 Distribution of Rhetorical Strategies 32 3.2 Analysis on Situations Which Violate the Conversational Maxims 35 3.2.1 Analysis on Situations Which Violate the Maxim of Quality 35 3.2.2 Analysis on Situations Which Violate the Maxim of Quantity 37 3.2.3 Analysis on Situations Which Violate the Maxim of Manner 39 3.2.4 Analysis on Situations Which Violate the Maxim of Relevance 41 3.3 Discussion 42 PART C: CONCLUSION 43 Recapitulation 43 1.1 Occurrence of Violated Conversational Maxims 43 1.2 Realization of Rhetorical strategies 43 Conclusion 45 Implications 45 Limitations and Suggestion for Further Research 46 REFERENCES 47 v LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS List of tables Page Table Differences between Flouting and Violating Maxims 13 Table Characteristics of Conversational Maxims Violation 15 Table Table Table Violation of Conversational Maxims and Rhetorical Strategies Relation of Violated Maxims and Their Reasons Distribution of Rhetorical Strategies in Violation of Conversational Maxims List of charts 28 31 34 Page Chart Percentage of Violation of Conversational Maxims 30 Chart Percentage of Rhetorical Strategies 33 vi PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale In a conversation, a speaker and a hearer are supposed to respond to each other in their turn and exchange with the needed information that benefits both of them (Crowley & Mitchell, 1994, p.140) The speaker and the hearer are said to have fulfilled the Cooperative Principle (CP) when they manage to achieve a successful conversation According to Grice (1975, p 45), the CP which consists of four maxims are the suggested principles for the speaker and the hearer to show their cooperation by giving appropriate contribution in their conversation Despite Grice's claims of ideal exchange, he suggests that there are cases when these rules may be violated Speakers who violate a maxim cause the hearer not to know the truth and only understand the surface meaning of the speaker‟s words For some purposes, people tend to use deception In connection with the CP, deception occurs when people act like they are following the rules of the CP, while trying to secretly break them The violation of Grice‟s conversational maxims can perform different functions such as creating humour or telling lies This study draws on a pragmatics approach in which deception is considered as one of the products of violating Grice‟s conversational maxims The violations for deception are well pictured in an American movie series on television entitled “Desperate Housewives” The show followed the lives of a group of women as seen through the eyes of a dead neighbour They worked through domestic struggles and family life, facing the secrets, crimes and mysteries In their lives, they often deceive each other for different purposes For all reasons above, in analysing the scripts of the “Desperate Housewives” from episode to episode 23 - the whole Season 6, this study aims to unpack the relationship between deception and the violation of Grice‟s conversational maxims and to discover what violation of maxims occurs for the purpose of deception and how the violation of conversational maxims is realized by rhetorical strategies Objective of the Study Based on the CP, it could be seen that people are naturally directed towards cooperation In other words, the CP describes best practices in a conversation in order to facilitate the process of conversation to be smoother for both the listener and the speaker It suggests that a communication can be a failure when maxims are broken Nevertheless, in reality, sometimes the purpose of the interlocutors is to fail the conversation, or to miscommunicate People could frequently disobey these maxims in order to achieve certain purposes In this case, whether the communication will always breakdown? Thus, this study is carried out specifically to aims at investigating how the CP really plays out in a specific social context Research Questions In accordance with this aim, the research is conducted to find out answers to the following research questions: What violation of conversational maxims occurs for the purpose of deception in Desperate Housewives from Episode to Episode 23, Season 6? How is the violation of conversational maxims realized by rhetorical strategies of characters for the purpose of deception in Desperate Housewives from Episode to Episode 23, Season 6? About “Desperate Housewives” For many purposes, many people tend to make deception and violate Grice‟s Conversational maxims (1975, p 45) when they communicate This is apparent in an American movie series on television entitled “Desperate Housewives” It is an interesting film since it combines elements of drama, comedy, mystery, thriller, farce, soap opera and satire (Desperate Housewives, n.d.) “Desperate Housewives” was aired for eight seasons on ABC, from October 3, 2004 to May 13, 2012 This film was well received by both viewers and critics It won multiple Primetime APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode Son: At the wedding? We had chicken Lynette: I mean after that I went out to get gas and I had clams I don't even remember where I ate them I 11 just remember seeing the sign that said "clams," and I thought, "I haven't had clams for a while," so I went in and had clams But they were bad, which is why I was throwing up Carlos: We're past all that, right? Gabby: Of course we are It's just… The whole thing 602 12 makes me uncomfortable I'm sorry, I'm going to have to say no Orson: Bree, would you care to dance? Bree: Sorry, my shoes are killing me Ask Candace 13 She's the pro QL M x x x x x x x x x Angie: Everything okay out here? 19 Nick: Yeah Just having a little father-son chat 605 Bree: I had a very irksome encounter myself today Orson: Really? Where? 20 Bree: At a café I was having lunch and this waitress was rude and superior R 9 8 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n x x 18 Save face Feel jealous Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer 18 Build one's belief 12 Convice the hearer x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x II Satisfy the hearer x x x 10 x x Danny: A lot of people here, but you pick a couple of 20year-old girls? 17 Nick: Danny, come on I'm saying hello to a couple of your friends Bree: He did mention it, didn't he? 18 Susan: Of course, yeah We laugh about it all the time Oh, and look, there's Mike now, and I could use a good laugh Would you excuse me? 14 x Carlos: Aren't you going to check your jacket? 16 Lynette: Well, it's a little chilly in here 604 15 QN Businessman: Yeah, that's why I insisted on this restaurant They carry my label I love business, but wine is my passion 14 Lynette: Oh, none for me tonight Businessman: Why not? Lynette: Well, I want to keep my head clear for business Businessman: You liked it, huh? 15 Lynette: It was delicious 95 APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode QN 95 QL 15 M 14 R 9 8 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n 18 Save face Orson: This is nice, isn't it? Sharing a meal, talking about our days Why don't you pass on that café tomorrow, and let me make you a nice salad or an omelet? 21 Bree: Thank you, dear, but tomorrow, I'm planning on having something a bit spicier x x Susan: Where did you get it, Bree? Karl: She bought it, I'm assuming 22 Bree: Oh, yes, at that little antique store down on Pearl Street x x x Suan: Remember how mad you got when I lost it? He really yelled at me 23 Bree: You yelled at her? Karl: I don't recall yelling x x x x x x Katherine: When we see each other on the street, I want us to wave, not dive behind a garbage can 24 Susan: Oh, I didn't dive I just dropped my keys Katherine: Aren't you glad I'm not crazy anymore? 25 Susan: Oh, yeah, this is so much better Gabby: Well, I wasn't going to bring it up, but you have been getting a little rounder lately 26 Lynette: Well, what can I tell you, Gabby? I'm working long hours; I'm not exercising, eating a bunch of junk at work x x x x Mike: Hey, why don't we take a look at this leaky faucet? Katherine: Uh, no, actually, it's the garbage disposal in 27 the kitchen Susan: I knew I never should've trusted you You just 28 wanted Mike over here to try to seduce him Katherine: Really, Susan, you have the most suspicious mind Susan: Please, look at this place Katherine: Even I'm getting turned on So, I lit a few 29 candles and sprinkled some rose petals I that every night 606 30 Susan: Really? Do you also drink an entire bottle of champagne? Katherine: Maybe I have a little problem, okay? x x x x x Feel jealous 10 Satisfy the hearer Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer 18 Build one's belief x x x x x x x x x x III x x x x 12 Convice the hearer x x x x x APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode QN Katherine: Hey, Nick's not Italian, is he? 31 Angie: No Why? x Angie: Now, look at them They're wishing they hadn't come 34 Bree: No! We're having a lovely time Lynette: No, no, no! You can't send Terrence to Florida Carlos: You should take it as a compliment You trained 39 him well Lynette: Exactly! You can't send him away! What if you need him here? Carlos: Why would I? I've got you Lynette: But what if I was hit by a bus and I was put on 40 bed rest for, say, three months? Who Who would cover for me? Carlos: That's not going to happen R 9 8 x x x x x x x Feel jealous 10 Satisfy the hearer Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer 18 Build one's belief 12 Convice the hearer x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Save face x x x x x 18 x x x 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n x Angie: You sure got a lot of sauce here, a lot of potatoes, too.This is all for three people? 37 Bree: Well, with food like yours, who wouldn't want leftovers? Angie: First tell me this, why don't you like me? 38 Bree: I like you I find you colorful, and… M 14 x Carlos: What were they fleeing from, cleanliness? Gaby: Well, I didn't want to just throw work at her the 35 first day We needed time to bond Angie: You cooking my food for your friend? 36 Bree: Yes, and I am way behind, so… QL 15 x Katherine: Because you were talking to his mother in Italian Angie: Oh, she likes it It makes her feel sophisticated I 32 have a doctor's appointment in 40 minutes I really should get dressed, but thank you for the cake Lynette: Everything okay? Julie: Yeah, everything's fine Mr Bolen was just 33 leaving 95 x x x x x x IV x x APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode Lynette: I think it's great how you're concentrating on the upside of this 608 Terrence: There's a downside? 41 Lynette: No! Not really Forget I mentioned it It's just Do you remember Tim Baker who was sent to head up our Chicago office? QL M x x x Katherine: What a sweet gift I didn't even think I'd see you here 45 Susan: Well, I was concerned about you, Katherine A lot of people are Susan: Oh, my God, am I that undesirable? Mike: No! You're very desirable In a big way 611 46 Susan: Did you just call me fat? Mike: No, no, I I think you're very beautiful It's just… You know, you're married Lynette: But that's putting Carlos in an awkward position Carlos: I think it's a great idea 47 Gabby: Me, too Lynette: No, no I think it's a great idea in theory But it's such a complicated job Tom: You don't think I can handle it? Lynette: No, no, I think you'd be wonderful Tom: What's wrong? 612 49 Lynette: Nothing It's just …That's quite a compliment 48 Eddie: So, what you think? 50 Julia: I never realized there were so many differences between dogs and cats Carlos: I know exactly what is going on here Gabby: What? 51 Carlos: You are ashamed of being Mexican Gabby: That's insane 14 R 9 8 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n x 18 Save face Feel jealous 10 Satisfy the hearer Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer 18 Build one's belief x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Nurse: Yes, you did Twice You were still a little groggy, but you definitely said your name was Tyler 44 Danny: Maybe I was dreaming My name's Danny 610 15 QN Angie: Bree, you got to get that man out of your bedroom right now! 42 Bree: What? There's no man in my room! Orson: You were here tonight? Angie: Well, yeah, just tossing back a little vino and 43 gossiping 95 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x V x 12 Convice the hearer APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode 14 9 8 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n M x x x x x Therapist: Well, why didn't you come backstage and say hello? 54 Lynette: Well, the truth is, I didn't know what to say, because I didn't really like it x x x x Therapist: I know Our Antony was dreadful You weren't the only one who thought so 55 Lynette: No, actually, I was talking about you You were really not very good, and now I've sort of lost confidence in you as a therapist x x x x Therapist: What did you think? Tom: I thought you were great Mike: Is there a problem, babe? Susan: No No problem It looks like you're in good 57 hands Or feet So, I'll just go make dinner Happy trails Mike: Susan, you have a problem with Robin working on me? 58 Susan: Of course not But she's not here and you're in pain, so why don't you let me take a shot at it? Robin: So, what was it like being in a mental hospital? 59 Katherine: You know, about as much fun as one would expect Penny: But I always get pancakes on my birthday 60 Lynette: That's right, you But We have an even bigger treat planned for you this year Carlos: A stomach virus? Gabby: Yeah When you called earlier I was throwing 616 63 up x 18 Save face Feel jealous x x x x Satisfy the hearer Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer 18 Build one's belief Convice the hearer x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 12 x x x 10 x x Penny: What? Lynette: Like I'm gonna tell you and ruin the big 61 surprise Penny: What's my surprise? (What the hell are we gonna do? - Cover me, I'm going in.) Lynette: Birthday breakfasts are for kids Now that 62 you're 11, I was planning to make you the best birthday dinner ever with decorations, tons of presents, pin the tail on the… R QL 56 615 15 QN Lynette: What is that? 613 52 Tom: It's nothing It's… It's personal Therapist: Is something bothering you, Lynette? 53 Tom: It's the pregnancy This morning she got mad at me over the way I drank my orange juice 614 95 x x x x x VI APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode Carlos: What's that noise? Gabby: My teeth are chattering Anyhow, I'll be home 64 as soon as I can The doctor says it's a 24-hour thing (Don't forget the hangover) Or a 36-hour thing Got to go QN QL x x Angie: Where's Danny? He said you guys were going camping 65 Eddie: Oh, yeah, no It turned out I couldn't go So, he just went by himself Police: Any idea why she would run away? Problems at home? 66 Lynette: No, no, everything's fine 95 15 M 14 R 9 8 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n x x x x Danny: All right, Grandma wants me to stay 617 67 Danny’s grandma: No I don't 67 18 Save face x x x x Lynette: I thought I made that bed this morning 69 Irina: I take nap x x x x x Bree: But you don't even play 72 Andrew: I so I took lessons, okay? Tom: Lynette, you want to take this one? Lynette: I think it's a terrific idea They're not kids 73 anymore They're old enough to make this decision Lynette: Who was that? 74 Irina: Wrong number x x Avoid to hurt the hearer x Lynette: Irina? I'm sorry, I need to get the laundry 68 Irina: Hold one second I have yet to get decent Bree: Andrew, you've never shown any interest in that thing 71 Andrew: It's my dad's guitar I'm plenty interested Cheer the hearer 11 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x VII 18 Build one's belief x x x Satisfy the hearer x x x Feel jealous 10 x x Irina: Why don't you just speak truth? I mean, if Preston was seeing another girl, you would not much care You just don't like me 70 Lynette: That is not true I'm still getting to know you, and I am sure that, over time, I will come to think of you as a valued member of our… Here's what I was 618 looking for x x 12 Convice the hearer APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode Mike: Hey, guess what I found? Susan: Oh My earring I've been looking all over for that Where'd you find it? 619 Mike: Gabby's bathtub drain 75 Susan: Oh Oh Of course Gabby and I went jogging, and then I hugged her, so my earring probably got caught in her sports bra, and when she went to take a bath Hey, you want to have sex? 76 Bree: Who was that woman? Sam: Nobody Someone I used to know Bree: Oh Is everything all right? 77 Sam: I was telling her that it doesn't make sense for a store this big to run out of a major herb I think we should check out Hudson's market 621 Susan: Gabby, hi Gabby: Hi, Susan I just got back from the supermarket and realized I bought way too much I'm afraid some of 78 it's going to go bad, so I thought, "Who could I give this to?" And I randomly thought of you Susan: You're afraid that canned peaches and condensed milk are going to go bad? 79 Gabby: Well, it's just, my cupboards are cluttered, and you'd be doing me a huge favor Lynette:Actually, she wasn't there I don't want to worry you, but her neighbor said no one has seen her for days Eddie: Look, I'm sure that must sound like a big deal to 80 you, but this has been going on my whole life She's off on another bender And in a week or two, she'll come back, like nothing ever happened 95 QN QL x x x x x x x x x x x x Lynette:So we don't need to call anyone? You think she's okay? 81 Eddie: Yeah It's only a matter of time before she turns up x Gabby: And don't worry I'll have your favorite dinner waiting Carlos: That's okay, babe We can just go out to dinner and 82 celebrate Gabby: But I make you lasagna every year Carlos: I know, I just don't want you to have to go through all the trouble, that's all I've got to go x 15 M 14 R 9 8 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n x x x 18 Save face Feel jealous 10 Satisfy the hearer Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer x 18 Build one's belief 12 Convice the hearer x x x x x x x x x x x x x x VIII x x APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode QN Gabby: Hi 83 Patrick: Hi I'm Anthony Angie's brother Angie: Gabby, I got to hand it to you You did a great job Gabby: Really? You're not just saying that? 87 Angie: Fantastic But would you mind taking the rest back? I'm just trying to watch my weight Lynette: Eddie? Eddie: Mrs Scavo What are you doing here? Lynette: Sweetie, it's about your mom 88 Eddie: Look, I know you're worried she's passed out drunk somewhere in an alley, but you can relax I just spoke to her Lynette: You just spoke to her? Eddie: Yeah, like, a half-hour ago She's at my Uncle 89 Pete's in Florida Gabby: Hey, you with the ponytail! I got to see Nick Bolen 90 Nurse: Are you family? Gabby: Forget about it I'm his wife, Angie Nurse: Really? Well, then who's that blonde lady who has been here? 91 Gabby: His whore? She was here? I'm having her whacked! Nurse: No, no I could be wrong Maybe I should get my supervisor 92 Gabby: Do I look like I got time for supervisors? I got sauce on the stove, ziti in the oven, and a mustache that 623 needs to get bleached QL 15 M 14 R 9 8 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n 18 Save face Feel jealous 10 Satisfy the hearer Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer 18 Build one's belief 12 Convice the hearer x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Eddie: Hey, Mrs Scavo? Lynette: What's with the backpack? 84 Eddie: Yeah, I've been thinking that it might be good if I moved back home for a little while 622 Lynette:Why? Eddie: Irina's dead Your family needs time to deal 85 with that You don't need me hanging around, getting in the way Lynette: I think you should stay Eddie: I want to But my mom's going to be back from 86 her bender any day now, and I should be there Lynette: That's so sweet of you Your mom's lucky to have a son like you 95 x x x x x IX APPENDIX: CONVERSATIONS CONTAINING THE VIOLATION OF CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS AND RHETORICAL STRATEGIES DISTRIBUTION 58 Total Epis No Utterance ode Gabby: Susan! I'm sorry, I'm just so choked up about you leaving, I just couldn't deal with it 93 Susan: Really? Gabby: You know who else is going to be devastated? Angie Susan: Angie Bolen? 94 Gabby: Yes! She's totally broken up about this You've got to say goodbye Susan: Seriously? I mean, I like her and everything I 95 just We've had our problems 95 15 M 14 R 9 8 67 Overst Rhetor Unders Topic Metap atemen Ambig Repetit Tautol Hide the ical tateme change Irony Ellipsis hor t/Hyer uity ion ogy truth questio nt d bole n 18 Save face Feel jealous 10 Satisfy the hearer Cheer the hearer 11 Avoid to hurt the hearer 18 Build one's belief QN QL x x x x x x x x x x x x X 12 Convice the hearer