violation.doc

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Some Instances of Violation and Flouting of the Maxim of Quantity bythe Main Characters (Barry & Tim in !inner for Schmuc"s

Parvaneh Khosravizadeh and Nikan Sadehvandi1

1, 2 Languages and Linguistics, Sharif University of Technology

#bstract$ The focus of this study is to analyze the e tent to !hich the "a i" of #uantity is either violatedor flouted $y the t!o "ain characters, in a "ovie entitled % Dinner for Schmucks & 'n addition, it seeks to find

if there is any occasion in !hich one (arty o(ts out of the conversation& Dinner for Schmucks is an )"erican"ovie !hich is the second version of ) *rench fil" Le Diner de Cons; +dinner ga"e . The reason for selecting this "ovie is that it has a co"edy genre and as it is co""on in "ost co"edies, one of the charactersfavora$ly and e (ectedly has the "ost lo#uacious trait, and there is a great chance that he-she re(eatedlyeither violates or flouts the conversational "a i"s& Therefore, it is note!orthy to take a close look atconversational e changes in such "ovies& The findings of this study indicate that in five occasions thecharacters violated the "a i" of #uantity& .ased on the findings of the study, it can $e concluded thatalthough coo(erative (rinci(le descri$es the $est (ractices in co""unication in order to facilitate the (rocessof conversation to $e s"oother for $oth the listener and s(eaker, (eo(le fre#uently diso$ey these "a i"s inorder to achieve certain (ur(oses& 'n /inner for Sch"ucks, as de"onstrated in the study, .arry0 an ordinary"an !ho vie!ed the !orld !ith o(ti"is" and si"(licity, either violates or flout the "a i" of #uantity "orethan Ti", an educated "an fro" u((er "iddle class, does& 'n "ost of the instances, .arry !as talkative,redundant, and occasionally uninfor"ative, and these factors !ere in line !ith his genuine character in the

"ovie& The constant violation of the "a i" of #uantity $y .arry see"s to (lace the character in a higher (osition in ter"s of ver$al hu"or& 't can also $e stated that co"edies, "ostly, (ortray a reverse relationshi( $et!een the ver$al hu"or and social status of individuals& This can ustify Ti"3s single flouting of the"a i" of #uantity&

%ey ords' 4ricean "a i"s, 5oo(erative Princi(le, "a i" of #uantity, violation of "a i"s, flouting of "a i"s

$ IntroductionPerha(s, the "ost salient (art of hu"an co""unication is e(ito"ized in a conversation& The

conversation, itself, as a reci(rocal act, retains s(ecific rules and regulations& *or the "ost (art, it

incor(orates to(ic no"ination, turn taking, negotiation of "eaning, etc +6arkee 7 Kas(er, 2889 & :o!ever,to convey the "eaning through the "ediu" of co""unication, interlocutor should follo! certain strategiesor !hat the language (hiloso(her :& P& 4rice +1; /id you study all day long@

1 5orres(onding author Tel&> A ;B 21 CC1C9B180 fa > A;B 21 CC82;1CC E-mail address > KhosravizadehDsharif&edu

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2011 International Conference on Languages Literature and Linguistics I!ED" #ol.2$ %2011& ' %2011& I(CSI) !ress Singa*ore


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Son !ho has $een (laying all day long> Ees, 'Fve $een studying till kno!G

'n this e change, the $oy is not truthful and violates the "a i" of #uality& :e is lies to avoid un(leasantconse#uences such as0 (unish"ent or to $e forced to study for the rest of the day&

Hohn> Ihere have you $een@ ' searched every!here for you during the (ast three "onthsG 6ike> ' !asn3t around& So, !hat3s the $ig deal@

Hohn (oses a #uestion, !hich he needs to $e ans!ered $y 6ike& Ihat 6ike says in return does not lack the truth, ho!ever is still insufficient& This can $e due to the fact that 6ike (refers to refrain fro" (rovidingHohn !ith the ans!er& Hohn3s sentence i"(lies that 6ike has not $een around other!ise he did not have tosearch every!here& Hohn does not say as "uch as it is necessary to "ake his contri$ution coo(erative& :ence,he leaves his listener unsatisfied&

Teacher> Ihy didn3t you do your ho"e!ork@ Student> 6ay ' go and get so"e !ater@ '3" so thirsty&

'n the a$ove e change, the student3s ans!er is $y no "eans relevant to the teacher3s #uestion& Jnereason for this ans!er can $e the fact that the student is trying to evade the interrogation (osed $y the teacher&

Sarah> /id you en oy the (arty last night@ )nna> There !as (lenty of oriental food on the ta$le, lots of flo!ers all over the (lace, (eo(le

hanging around chatting !ith each other

Sara asked a very si"(le #uestion, ho!ever !hat she receives fro" )nna is a (rotracted descri(tion of !hat !as going on in the (arty& T!o inter(retations can $e "ade fro" )nna3s descri(tion> 1& )nna had sucha good ti"e in the (arty that she is o$viously too e cited and has no idea !here to $egin& 2& )nna had such aterri$le ti"e and she does not kno! ho! to co"(lain a$out it&

'n addition, the afore"entioned e a"(le can also $e a case of a "ulti(le violation& ) "ulti(le violationoccurs !hen the s(eaker violates "ore than one "a i" si"ultaneously& 'n this e a"(le, )nna is not onlya"$iguous +violating the "a i" of "anner $ut also ver$ose +violating the "a i" of #uantity at the sa"e

ti"e&

$)$ Flouting of maximsUnlike the violation of "a i"s, !hich takes (lace to cause "isunderstanding on the (art of the listener,

the flouting of "a i"s takes (lace !hen individuals deli$erately cease to a((ly the "a i"s to (ersuade their listeners to infer the hidden "eaning $ehind the utterances0 that is, the s(eakers e"(loy i"(licature +S& 5&Levinson, 1;B & 'n the case of flouting +e (loitation of coo(erative "a i"s, the s(eaker desires thegreatest understanding in his-her reci(ient $ecause it is e (ected that the interlocutor is a$le to uncover thehidden "eaning $ehind the utterances& Peo(le "ay flout the "a i" of #uality so as to deliver i"(licitly asarcastic tone in !hat they state& )s in>

Teacher to a student !ho arrives late "ore than ten "inutes to the class "eeting> Io!G Eou3re such a (unctual fello!G Ielco"e to the class& Student> Sorry sirG 't !on3t ha((en again&

't is o$vious fro" !hat the teacher says that he is teasing the student and his (ur(ose is, $y no "eans, (raising hi"& :e e (loits the "a i" of #uality +$eing truthful to $e sarcastic& Like!ise, the student see"s tonotice the (ur(ose $ehind the teacher3s co"(li"ent and offers an a(ology in return& *urther"ore, individualscan flout the "a i" of #uantity to $e hu"orous& )s in the "ost fre#uently found e (ression a"ong 'ranianyoungsters>

6a id and )li are talking on the (hone> )li> Ihere are you, 6a id@ 6a id> '3" in "y clothes&

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6a id tells the truth $ecause it is e (ected that (eo(le are al!ays in so"e clothes, yet he flouts the"a i" of #uantity $ecause the infor"ation is insufficient for )li& Ihile it is not !hat )li really tries to findout, he still kno!s that 6a id tries to convey a sense of hu"or, and the rest of the conversation continuesi"ilar to the follo!ing state"ents>

)li> That ' kno!& ' "ean, seriously, !here are you "an@GGG 6a id> Iell, at !ork, $ut '3ll $e finished in t!o hours&

Jr, they "ay flout the "a i" of relevance to avoid hurting the reci(ient3s feelings> .o$> Ihat !ere you and )nna talking a$out@ Eou !ere looking at "e all the ti"eG 6arry> Jh, !ell !hy don3t !e go get so"ething to drink@

6arry ans!ers .o$ #uestion !ith a suggestion in an o$vious atte"(t to evade it (erha(s to avoid hurting.o$3s feelings& :ence, she flouts the "a i" of relevance& )s the rest of the conversation continues, one cannotice the reason for this flouting>

.o$> )re you avoiding this conversation@ There has to $e so"ething going on a$out "eG Ihy aren3tyou $rave enough to tell "e@

6arry> Iell, you kno! they think that you are the one !ho stole that "oney&

So"e individuals can e (loit the "a i" of "anner, as !ell> Iife> /arling && Ihat3s the story !ith that ne! !atch on your !rist@ :us$and> Jh, this !atch you3re talking a$outG ' kne! it ' told "y $oss that "y !ife !ould $e

curious !hen she sees it& Jh, honey you have no idea ho! "uch theyFre satisfied !ith "y (erfor"ance, latelyG

The hus$and !ould $e $etter off if he told his !ife fro" the $eginning of the conversation that his $ossa!arded hi" a (rize& :o!ever, he flouts the "a i" of "anner to assure his !ife that the !atch !as a giftfro" a (erson that she also kne! and there is no need for ealousy&

)$ The *resent studyTu(an and Natalia +288B in their investigation of "ulti(le violations of characters in Des*arate

+ouse,i#es T? series, e (loited 4rice3s coo(erative (rinci(le and criteria of lying develo(ed $y5hristoffersen 288= +cited in Tu(an and Natalia, 288B to investigate the (ur(ose of violating "a i"s $ydifferent characters& The findings of their study revealed that the (ur(ose of violating "a i"s !as, "ainly,to eli"inate the chance of s(eakers to res(ond& Si"ilarly, other researchers +e&g> Kallio"aki, 288= 7 iaohong, 288< further e a"ined conversational e changes in different "ovies and ca"e u( !ith interestingresults& 'n the light of the afore"entioned studies, the (resent (a(er is a descri(tive #uantitative analysis of a"ovie entitled Dinner for Schmucks. The o$ ective is to e (lor the e tent to !hich the "a i" of #uantity iseither violated or flouted $y t!o characters of this "ovie& 'n addition, it sought to find if there is anyoccasion in !hich one (arty o(ts out of the conversation&

)$ $ Mo+ie analysis

)$ $ $ ,lot Dinner for Schmucks is an )"erican "ovie and the second version of ) *rench fil" Le Diner de Cons

+dinner ga"e . The )"erican "ovie is the account of Ti"othy 5onrad +the "ain character of the storystarring Paul Mudd !ho seeks a (ro"otion fro" his $oss to "arry the girl he loves& Ti" is (ro"ised ahigher (osition u(on attending the so called %(arty for !inners only if he $rings along an eccentric (erson!ith so"e (eculiarities& Ti", later, realizes the evil intention $ehind the cere"ony, !hich is "ocking the"ost talented guest and e (lains everything to his fiancOe& Thus, she asks Ti" not to attend it& The follo!ingday, Ti" hits a "an na"ed .arry S(eck +starring Steve 5arell !ith his car& Ihen .arry offers to give Ti"

so"e "oney so that he can co"(ensate for hitting his car, Ti" decides to invite the "an to the (arty,irres(ective of the (ro"ise he has "ade to her fiancOe& )t the end of the "ovie, Ti" $eco"es asha"ed of the

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!ay he has $een treating .arry& :e confesses everything $efore the guests and ackno!ledges that .arry is ane ce(tional (erson !ho should $e treated !ith res(ect&

)$ $)$ -hy dinner for Schmuc"s.The reason for selecting this "ovie for the (ur(ose of analysis !as its co"edy genre& *ro" the author3s

(ers(ective, as it is co""on in "ost co"edies, one (erson is favora$ly and e (ectedly to have the "ost

lo#uacious character and there is a great chance that he-she re(eatedly either violates or floats theconversational "a i"s& Thus, it is !orth!hile to take a close look at conversational e changes in this ty(e of "ovies&

/$ MethodologyThis study (rovides a descri(tive account of selected utterances $y the t!o "ain characters of Dinner for

Schmucks , na"ely, Ti" 5onrad and .arry S(eck& The researcher sorted the utterances and collected those in!hich the "a i" of #uantity is either flouted or violated& The criterion for this collection is $ased on t!osu$categories of the 4ricean "a i" of #uantity +the #uantity of infor"ation to $e (rovided &

6ake your contri$ution as infor"ative as is re#uired +for the current (ur(ose of e change &

/o not "ake your contri$ution "ore infor"ative than is re#uired& +4rice, 2882, (& 2C 2

Setting> after Ti"3s hitting .arry !ith his car Ti"> Eou said you are fine, $ut !hat !ould it take to kee( the la!yers out@ .arry> *ive *ive dollarsG Ti" +!ith sur(rise > ' don3t !hat@ Ihat do you "ean@ .arry> Ten dollarsG Ti"> Seriously, !hat@ 5o"e onG .arry> :o! "uch do you !ant@ Jne hundred dollarsG Ti"> ' don3t !ant anythingG

.arry does not understand the !hole (ur(ose of Ti"3s #uestion0 that is, the $ri$e Ti" (ro(oses to hi"&

Scared of Ti"3s #uestion, .arry finds hi"self guilty for hitting Ti"e3s elegant Porsche and thinks of $ri$inghi" so as not to face udicial (ersecution& Thus, he starts offering Ti" so"e "oney, !hich in turn, (uzzlesTi"& :ence, .arry violates the "a i" of #uantity $y asking several short #uestions, such as, %five dollars@%Ten dollars@ that are not are uninfor"ative and "o"entarily "akes Ti" think that it is $ig su" that .arryis after& Ti"3s violation of the "a i" of #uantity, on the other hand, occurs !hen he asks .arry toacco"(any hi" to a cere"ony after he finds out that .arry has the (eculiar character he is searchingfor+!hich .arry acce(ts un#uestiona$ly & :ence, Ti" is $eing truthful $ecause there is a dinner (arty on thefollo!ing day, $ut he still is not as infor"ative as is necessary to "ake .arry a!are of the !hole (ur(ose

$ehind the (arty& Thus, fro" researchers3 (ers(ective, he violates the "a i" of #uantity +See the follo!inge cer(t fro" the "ovie &

Ti"> Eou kno!, .arry, this !as a very strange !ay to "eet, $ut ' think everything ha((ens for areason&

.arry> Io!G Io!G /id you ust "ake that u(@ Ti"> EeahG

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.arry +re(eating Ti"3s utterance > F verything ha((ens for a reasonG3 ' like that& Ti"> Thanks, )ny!ayG To"orro!, 'F" having dinner !ith so"e friends& .arry> )re you@ Jh, that3s incredi$le& 5ongratulationsG Ti"> ' !as !ondering& Iould you like to oin us@

0$)$ Flouting of the maxim of 1uantity by Barry and TimThe follo!ing e cer(t fro" the "ovie indicates one of the occasions in !hich the "a i" of #uantity is

flouted $y Ti">

Setting> Ti"3s house> .arry and Ti" are sitting at the ta$le& Ti"e is u(set $ecause .arry has "et Hulie inthe hall!ay and "istakenly told her everything a$out Ti"3s story !ith another girl and no! Hulie has leftTi"&

Ti" +resentfully > ' think you need to get out of "y house in the ne t thirty seconds $efore ' ust, ' $eat you to death !ith the chair you3re sitting in&

.arry> Ihat@ Ti"> Eou have to go& ' !ant you to goG .arry> Iho3s gonna hel( you !ith Hulie@G

Ti" +re(eating .arry3s utterance > Iho3s gonna hel( "e !ith Hulie@G Jh, you didn3t ust say that,did you@

'n this e cer(t, Ti" is $eing $oth talkative and redundant& ) good reason is that he is (ro$a$ly e tre"elyangry at .arry $ecause of !hat he has done to hi"& The ne t e cer(t is also one of the occasions in !hich.arry flouts the "a i" of #uantity>

Setting> Ti" arrives at the (arty and is sur(rised to find .arry there& Ti"> Ihy Ihy are you here@G .arry> .ecause that3s !hat friend3s do& ' kno!, ' kno!, ' chose so"e !ords carelesslyG ' kno! that

you !ere in a dark (lace, $ut ' also kno! that you need to sho! your $oss that you are friend of the

!inner&

'n the a$ove e change, .arry could have si"(ly told Ti" that he is there to hel( hi" and !in the contestso that Ti" could gain the (ro"otion, $ut his (ur(ose of su((lying "ore e (lanation is to cheer Ti"& .arryis $eing too talkative in the last lines of the e change, $ut he does not cause any "isunderstanding for Ti" ashis addressee&

2$ ConclusionThe study !as set to reveal the instances of the violation or flouting of the "a i" of #uantity $y t!o

"ain characters of Dinner for Schmucks & 'n addition, the researcher !as eager to find out !hether there !asany occasion in !hich one (arty o(ts out of the conversation& .ased on the findings of the study, it can $e

concluded that although coo(erative (rinci(le descri$es $est (ractices in a conversation in order to facilitatethe (rocess of conversation to $e s"oother for $oth the listener and the s(eaker, (eo(le fre#uently diso$eythese "a i"s in order to achieve certain (ur(oses& 'n Dinner for Schmucks as de"onstrated in the study,.arry, an ordinary "an !ith a si"(listic vie! of all life, violates the "a i" of #uantity, "ostly throughredundancy, talkativeness, and circu"locution, "ore than does Ti", an educated serious "inded character fro" the u((er "iddle class& 'n "ost of the instances, as antici(ated earlier in this study, .arry !as talkative,redundant, and occasionally uninfor"ative, and these factors !ere in line !ith his genuine character in the"ovie& The constant violation of the "a i" of #uantity $y .arry see"s to (lace the character in a higher

(osition in ter"s of ver$al hu"or& 't can also $e stated that co"edies, "ostly, (ortray a reverse relationshi( $et!een the ver$al hu"or and social status of individuals& This can ustify Ti"3s single flouting of the"a i" of #uantity&

3$ 4eferencesQ1R M& 5arston& ) note on (rag"atic (rinci(les of least effort& CL orking !a*ers in Linguistics. 288=, 5 > 2


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Q2R :& P& 4rice& Logic and con#ersation. 'n P& 5ole, 7 H& 6organ +eds& , S/nta and semantics S*eech acts. 1; )cade"ic Press&

Q R :& P& 4rice&Studies in the ,a/ of ,ords & .ei ing> *oreign Language Teaching and Mesearch Press, 2882&

Q9R L& Kallio"aki& %'nk and inca(a$ility & ?er$al hu"or in T?sitco" .lackadder a (rag"atic and rhetorical analysis&Un(u$lished 6&)& thesis, University of Hyvaskyla, 288=&

Q=R S& 5& Levinson& !ragmatics & 5a"$ridge University Press, 1;B &QCR N& 6arkee, and 4& Kas(er& +2889 & 5lassroo" talks> )n introduction& 3odern Language 4ournal. 2889, 66> 9;1

=88&

Q 18 C

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