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Conversational implicature and The Dumb Waiter
Task B - Our answers
(1) Turn length
In the table below, we have counted the words using the count facility
within 'Word', which counts words as orthographic units (for example it
counts 'don't' as one word). You may have used a slightly different method
of calculation, but if you use the same method for both characters the
proportions are unlikely to be very different.
|
|
Turns |
Words |
Average |
| Ben |
19
|
162
|
8.53
|
| Gus |
18
|
87
|
4.83
|
Ben has roughly twice the number of words per turn as Gus, reflecting
his power.
(2) Interruptions
Ben interrupts Gus four times (22/23, 24/25, 28/29, 30/31)
and Gus never interrupts Ben. This confirms Ben's power in the conversation and is also
a measure of how impassioned he becomes about the rather trivial topic
that dominates the conversation, whereas Gus 'keeps his cool' much better.
(3) Topic control
Ben begins the first topic with his instruction to Gus, but Gus then
introduces the topic in relation to a particular linguistic propriety,
and the general topic of linguistic propriety then dominates the conversation
as they argue about it. And although Ben argues his linguistic views with
some passion and later attempts to regain control by getting Gus to make
the tea (see turns 33 and 37), in general terms Gus has controlled the
topic most of the time (cf. 20-23, where Gus introduces the sub-topic
of what his mother used to say). So this turn-taking feature pushes somewhat
in the opposite direction when compared with the first two.
(4) Terms of address
| Ben |
'Gus' (23, 27), 'mate' (27), 'YOU FOOL!' (31)
|
| Gus |
None
|
Given that there are only two people in the conversation and they apparently
know one another well, Gus's use of no address terms at all is normal.
Consequently, Ben's use of 'Gus' and 'mate' seems rather condescending
in context. They are all used when Ben is telling Gus that he is helping
him, even though this does not really seem to be the case - he seems mainly
to be trying to assert his more powerful status in their relationship.
'YOU FOOL!' is dramatically different, of course, indicating with its
content and its graphology (the capitalisation and the exclamation mark)
that Ben, the person who sees himself as in control, loses that control,
and his temper, and shouts angrily at Gus. Overall, then, the evidence
of the terms of address that are used patterns with the topic control
data, in opposition to the turn size and interruption data.
(5) Other turn-taking features
Gus clearly tries to control Ben through his use of commands (he uses
6 commands, whereas Gus uses none). He also uses 9 questions, while Gus
has only one. This suggests that he is trying hard to take up the role
of initiator in the conversational changes. But a number of the questions
are actually responses to something Gus has previously said, and Gus also
initiates some of the conversational exchanges. So although Ben seems
to be trying to exert control in these ways, he is not always successful.
There are three occasions when normal turn-taking behaviour breaks down
and there is a fairly long silence (usually silence is avoided, where
possible, in conversation). These silences are indicated by the stage
directions indicating that the characters stare at one another in the
middle of Ben's turns 19 and 23, and 'They look at each other. Gus slowly
exits, left.' at the end of the extract. The fact that turn-taking breaks
down is indicative of the unease between the two characters, and the fact
that they stare at one another also indicates hostile kinesic behaviour,
which would need to be accompanied in performance by appropriate facial
expression and body posture. The fact that the staring takes place in
the middle of Ben's turns suggests that the conversation is more disrupting
for him than Gus, and in general terms a number of the other stage directions
indicate Ben's discomfort and unhappiness. Indeed, apart from the stage
directions in turn 36 concerning Gus's activities with the matchbox, all
the other stage directions concern Ben and make his emotional involvement
(mainly his anger) very clear.
Overall, then, although it appears that Ben is in some sense the dominant
partner, the turn-taking data suggests that Gus is challenging that dominance
and annoying Ben. But the challenge is over something rather trivial,
the meaning of idiomatic expressions in relation to the homely activity
of tea making, which contrasts dramatically with the larger situation,
namely that Ben and Gus are assassins, waiting to be given the identity
of their next 'hit'.
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