Analysis of The Non-Observance of The Gricean Maxims Which Leads To Conflicts in 'Ugly Betty'.

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Maranatha Christian University

ABSTRACT

Dalam skripsi ini, saya menganalisis pelanggaran terhadap bidal yang terjadi dalam sebuah situasi tutur. Pelanggaran tersebut biasanya memiliki implikasi yang dapat memicu terjadinya konflik di antara penutur dan mitra tutur. Sumber data yang digunakan adalah serial TV Amerika yang berjudul Ugly Betty. Saya menganalisis pelanggaran yang dilakukan oleh para penutur dalam serial TV tersebut dan implikasi yang terdapat di dalamnya dengan menggunakan teori dari Paul Grice. Teori ini memberi penjelasan mengenai aturan-aturan yang dapat diterapkan oleh seorang penutur agar percakapan yang dilakukannya berjalan dengan baik dan lancar.

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APPENDIX

No. Data Type of

non-observance of maxim

1. Wilhelmina: Vincent Bianchi? You expect him to do a spread for Mode?

Bradford: You know his story. Your brother couldn’t work with him. Why do

you even try?

Daniel: ‘Cause he’s one of the best and I think I can persuade him to consider it.

Wilhelmina: Daniel, I for one think it is wonderful. You’ve taken such

initiative at the magazine, but some of the changes you’re

suggesting…uh – let me put this

way…uh, sometimes change

is a positive thing, and then

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50 2.

3.

, well they can spin out of control. You start with a simple redesigning and all of a sudden, before you know it, you’re talking

about bold new colors and a daring new look, and the truth is you haven’t really improved on a

thing. I’m just saying, changing is

not always for the better. In some cases, it can make a bad situation even worse. (1)

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51 4.

5.

you were each other’s first lover.

Ignacio: Can you stop with the damn question? (3) (high-toned voice)

I’m going for a walk. It’s okay,

Betty.

Hilda: Dad, Betty and I are not children anymore. Why does the H.M.O say you’re dead? Why do they

say that’s not your social security

number?

Ignacio: Did you come home to help me or to ask questions? (4) Because if you came to help me, hang this on the porch!

Daniel: Nothing will be changing at either Meade or our flagship, Mode. Alexis: There’ll be extensive changes at both Meade and Mode.

Daniel: Naturally, people who aren’t in

flouting the maxims of quantity and relation (4)

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52 6.

power can’t make changes, can

they?

Alexis: And people who are just playing editor-in-chief should go back to throwing football and whoring around.

Daniel: Are you people gonna listen to someone who wet his bed until he was fifteen? (5)

Alexis: (approaching Daniel) Shut up! Daniel: No, you shut up!

Alexis: I had all these ideas of how it would be when I came back but people are kind of awful.

Wilhelmina: Well, don’t forget there are some people that have been good to you.

Alexis: You have…and so has Daniel. (6a)

Wilhelmina: What?

flouting the maxim of quantity (6a)

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53 7.

Alexis: I thought he’d reject me like my father did, but he didn’t.

Wilhelmina: Uh, okay…now you’re making me nervous. You are going to fire Daniel and make me editor-in-chief, right?

Alexis: He’s my brother, Willie. (6b) Wilhelmina: He is the enemy.

Alexis: Look, you’re the best creative editor in the business. We can talk about salary.

Wilhelmina: Stop the car! Alexis: Willie…

Wilhelmina: You know you may be new at being a woman, but you are an old pro at being a bitch!

Ignacio: You really think if we go to court, I’ll be okay?

Leah: I have never lost a single case yet.

flouting the maxim of quantity (7a)

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54 8.

Betty: Oh, really? What about Donna Sparado? (7a)

Hilda: Betty! Leah: Excuse me?

Betty: I’m sorry Hilda, I cannot just sit here and watch her lie to us. Hilda: Leah, I’m so sorry…

Leah: So, Betty…what exactly do you know about Donna Sparado? Betty: That you couldn’t have won her

case because you took her money and disappeared. (7b)

Leah: It’s true that I didn’t win that case because I quit before it ever went to trial. I wasn’t interested in

letting an alcoholic gain custody of her children. Well, I think you should

find another lawyer

Marc: (turning the recording on) Do

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you, Bradford Meade, take Wilhelmina Slater…

Bradford: Wait, wait…

Wilhelmina: What? You’re right?

Bradford: Daniel told me that you slept with your bodyguard.

Wilhelmina: That’s ridiculous. It just doesn’t make any sense. I’ve never slept

with him. Now sweetheart, I just need you to say two words – “I do”…

Bradford: Get out of here! I wanna see my family.

Betty: Mr. Bradford wasn’t just the head of the company. He was a father and a husband.

Wilhelmina: (suddenly comes and interrupts) He was almost my husband. Daniel: What the hell are you doing here? Looking for free

flouting the maxim of quality (9a)

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publicity?!

Wilhelmina: I don’t know what you’re talking about, Daniel. I am an emotional wreck. I just came to add a few more words. After all, no one loved or knew Bradford the way I did. (a) (turn her look at Claire who is wearing a prisoner’s suit)

Oh, hello Claire. Decided not to wear black, I see. (b)

(When Wilhelmina is walking, Claire deliberately puts one foot to block the way. Wilhelmina then falls down into Bradford’s empty

grave)

Claire: Motion to terminate, Wilhelmina Slater, as creative director, Mode

Magazine, effective

immediately. The motion carries. Rest in peace, bitch! Daniel: This magazine is not sinking.

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57 11.

Our father built “Mode”. Alexis

and I are gonna continue his legacy.

Wilhelmina: Lovely speech, Daniel. But now that your father’s gone, you

should know he pretty much felt

that you’re an incompetent

buffoon.(a)

Alexis: (coming towards Wilhelmina to kick her) That’s it. Her ass is

getting kicked!

Wilhelmina: And Alexis, what your father thought of you is…a circus

freak! (b) Alexis: That’s it!

Betty: Okay, I’m leaving to work now. Are you still not talking to me? Ignacio: What more is there to say?

You’ve been sneaking out,

seeing a boy who got another

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girl pregnant, who’s moving

across the country in a few months and you’re foolish

enough to think this is some big romance.

Betty: You see, dad. This is exactly why I didn’t tell you. Look, I

love Henry, okay?! I’ve never

felt this way before.

Ignacio: Do you hear yourself? You’re talking like some silly 13-year-old girl. Use your head, Betty.

He’s going to leave you and

you’re gona have your heart

broken. Betty, you’re not seeing

Henry again!

Betty: Dad, I’m 23 years old. You can’t tell me who I can see.

Ignacio: I can if you’re living in this house

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living in this house. Ignacio: Hey, there’s the door! Betty: Fine! (leaving the house)

Wilhelmina: What the hell is this?

Daniel: “Love is Battlefield”. It’s the center spread for our Valentine’s

issue.

Wilhelmina: No, we’re doing puppy love. I don’t like it.

Daniel: Go ahead. We can start.

Wilhelmina: Get the kids and the puppies lose their soldiers. (a)

Daniel: No! I’m not letting you walk over me. This is the shoot I want to do. Kill the puppies! (b) Wilhelmina: (shouting to get people’s

attention) Did you hear that?

Daniel Meade kills puppies! (c) Daniel: Wilhelmina Slater does not support our troops! (d)

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Wilhelmina: In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the editor-in-chief of this magazine. Daniel: In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the editor-in-chief too!

Bradford: You would say anything to poison this relationship, wouldn’t you?

Daniel: I’m not making this up. Betty saw them together.

Bradford: Oh, really? Then how come she’snot here telling me this?

Daniel: She…She’s gone. I’m the only one willing to be honest with you.

Bradford: I’m not gonna throw away something based on some crazy accusation made by some assistant! (a)

Daniel: Stop being ridiculously stubborn, Dad!

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Bradford: You know, you always drive my blood pressure up by the

minute. (b)

Daniel: That woman doesn’t love you at all!

Bradford: Get out of my way!

Daniel: The bad news is our insurance doesn’t cover us for a loss this

month.

Claire: Oh, so what’s the good news? Daniel: There’s no good news.

Wilhelmina: Oh, good God! Do you even know how the good news/bad news setup works?

Daniel: If you’re looking for good news, why don’t you ask your

boyfriend, Connor?

Wilhelmina: Can we just leave that stupid boyfriend-girlfriend thing?! Daniel: I know perhaps you’ll blame me

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‘cause I’m in love with Molly. It

just happened like that. Yes, I’ve

stolen Molly from Connor so

you might think that’s why he

wanted to do a kind of revenge. But look at you, what were you doing with Connor?!

Wilhelmina: Oh, so it’s my fault now?! Claire: Stop! Bickering isn’t going to

solve anything.

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CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.1 Background of the Study

Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics studying the aspects of speaker’s

meaning and other features related to the context of utterance. People usually communicate their ideas through conversation. Conversation used by people is always related to what is in the speaker’s mind and what he or she conveys to the listeners (hearers).

When we build a conversation with others, we intend to convey our thoughts, feelings, and desires through language. And yet, sometimes, we speak more than we actually want to say. In pragmatics, the term implicature is used to show an implied meaning or additional meaning which comes out in our speech.

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Maranatha Christian University cooperative principles. He also presents four kinds of maxim (Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner) to be observed by people in having their conversation.

Grice (1975) has noted that people very often fail to observe the maxims, which may brings effect to the atmosphere of the conversation. In this case, he states five ways of people’s failure to observe the maxims: (1) flouting a maxim, (2) violating a maxim, (3) infringing a maxim, (4) opting out of a maxim, and (5) suspending a maxim. In this thesis, these five ways are applied to the analysis of Ugly Betty.

Ugly Betty is an American TV series that was firstly released in 2006. The story is based on a Columbian telenovella “Yo Soy Betty La Fea.” It tells about Betty Suarez, a new secretary in Mode, a high-fashion magazine. Betty is sweet, smart, and hardworking. Yet, unlike her co-workers, she is neither slim nor beautiful. The only reason for the publisher to hire her to be his son’s secretary is that he thinks Betty is someone whom Daniel will never sleep with. Betty’s hard work and determination later could earn Daniel’s respect as she helps him find his way in becoming the leader of a fashion magazine company and also in dealing with people who try to block his way (IMDb).

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Maranatha Christian University father’s authority; Bradford, Daniel’s father; Alexis, Daniel’s brother who tries to take over the company along with Wilhelmina; Ignacio, Betty’s father; and Hilda, Betty’s sister. They are selected because they are mostly involved in the conversation and their utterances which contain non-observance of the maxims lead to the conflicts of the story.

Like movies, TV series is one media that can also reflect human social life and is played by some actors and actresses. When I watch a TV series, I am interested in one important aspect that mostly occurs in a movie, which is the dialogue (conversation) between the characters. The actors or the actresses speak to one another and there will be the case of non-observance of the maxims which lead to the atmosphere of the whole story. All of this is the reason why I took a TV series as the data of my analysis.

This TV series is chosen because there are many conflicts and intricacies in the story. Some major conflicts are also caused by the characters’ failing to cooperatively give “appropriate” response towards one’s questions or statements. Besides, the events and conflicts that appear in this TV series can also happen in our real life. In other words, the stories are mostly related to people’s everyday

life in general. The conversations usually take place in the office, house, neighborhood, and other public places so they enable us to understand more about the use of maxims in daily conversation and how it can lead to conflicts.

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Maranatha Christian University leader of Mode Magazine. This characteristic of Wilhelmina’s often causes conflicts between Meade’s family members (Bradford, Claire, Daniel, Alexis) and her. The second conflict happens in Betty’s family. Conflicts involving Betty, Hilda, and Ignacio often raise since there is a clash related to the characteristics of these characters. Betty, who is outspoken and always curious about things, sometimes argues with his father, who is a bit strict and harsh to his children. Betty’s characteristics sometimes also lead to the third major conflict, which

involves the minor characters and her. The last major conflict happens among Meade’s family members, due to their characteristics as well.

I hope this study will be significant and will give contribution to the area of Pragmatics, particularly on conversational analysis. The readers will understand more about the types of maxim used in the drama comedy TV series and show that people usually fail to observe the maxims in their daily conversation regardless they realize it or not; and one of which may result in conflicts. In the future, it is hoped that this study can be useful for other researchers who carry out studies on similar topics.

Word Count: 1074

1.2. Statement of the Problems

To analyze the utterances in the dialogues taken from Ugly Betty, I try to formulate the research problems into the following research questions:

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Maranatha Christian University 3. What is the implicature of each of the utterances?

4. How does the non-observance of the maxim lead to a conflict?

1.3. Purpose of the Study

In line with the problems mentioned above, this thesis intends

1. to find out the type of non-observance of maxims found in each of the utterances in the dialogues.

2. to find out the maxim which is not observed by the characters in their conversation.

3. to clarify the implicature within each of the characters’ utterances.

4. to clarify the way the non-observance of the maxims leads to the conflict in the TV series Ugly Betty.

1.4. Method of Research

There are six steps taken in doing this thesis. First, I collected certain information and theory related to the topic of this thesis. Second, I chose TV series Ugly Betty as the source of the data as it is suitable for the topic. Third, I

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Maranatha Christian University 1.5. Organization of the Thesis

This thesis is divided into four chapters. The outline of this research is arranged systematically as follows:

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CHAPTER FOUR

CONCLUSION

This chapter presents the conclusion based on the analysis in the previous chapter. After conducting research and analyzing the data, it is concluded that the chosen characters in Ugly Betty break the cooperative principles of maxims by flouting most of the time. From all data collected, there are nine cases of flouting the maxim of quantity, nine cases of flouting the maxim of manner, four cases of flouting the maxim of relation, and three cases of flouting the maxim of quality.

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Maranatha Christian University On the whole, it can be concluded that the characters in Ugly Betty flout the maxim of quantity in order to avoid talking about certain topics, such as past events (particularly which are considered bad); to show power or competence; and to avoid being cornered or pushed into unpleasant situations.

Although by flouting the maxim of quantity the characters intend to put themselves in a “safe” situation, this do not completely work as it is expected. The flouting of maxim leads to conflicts instead. The conflicts occur since the hearers of the utterances are offended or disappointed as they do not get the precise information which they expect to hear. Therefore, I conclude that the frequent occurrences of flouting the maxim of quantity are effective ways to expose the main conflicts in this TV series.

The effort of showing power and competence is implied by means of the maxim of manner. Daniel and Wilhelmina often use prolix utterances containing many unnecessary words to indicate their capability in leading the company. In data (1), Wilhelmina uses a wordy utterance as a “tool” to ridicule Betty and convince

people that she is smarter than Daniel and has more power over him.

It can be summed up that sensitive issues in the story of Ugly Betty are also avoided by flouting the maxim of relation. Ignacio and Bradford avert the discussion about their past by asking a question back. When the characters do not want to talk about certain topic, they flout the maxim of quantity or relation.

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Maranatha Christian University order to gain people’s supports and to get what she wants. When the hearers know that Wilhelmina does not speak the truth, conflicts rise among the participants of the conversation.

Related to the finding of the research, it is found that there is no case of violating, suspending, and infringing the maxim in all the data collection. Violating the maxim takes place when a speaker intentionally refrains to apply certain maxims in their conversation to cause misunderstanding on their participants’ part

or to achieve some other purposes. Considering the characters in Ugly Betty who are mostly well- educated, intelligent, and outspoken, the violating maxim does not happen much. It is because the characters are “smart” enough not to be misled by people’s utterances.

Infringing the maxim which usually occurs when a speaker fails to cooperate due to imperfect linguistic performance caused by nervousness, drunkenness, excitement, or disability happens a few times. However, it is not analyzed because it creates a funny atmosphere rather than a conflict.

The case of suspending the maxim is also not found as the characters are modern people and they rarely use initials or taboo words in their speech. Besides, the characters are mostly extroverted. They usually talk about things openly so there are no events in the story that require the characters to suspend the maxim.

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Maranatha Christian University portray the characteristics of one character. For example, Wilhelmina’s characteristics are often revealed in her way of humiliating and deceiving others using needlessly long, trivial sentences (flouting the maxim of manner) and dishonesty (flouting the maxim of quality). Through the non-observance of maxims, the audience will be able to assume that Wilhelmina is arrogant and cunning.

To sum up, the non-observance of maxims are important elements in Ugly Betty because they can trigger conflicts between the characters. The characteristics,

life style, and atmosphere of the story determine which types of non-observance of maxim are used by each character.

As the writer of this thesis, I am fully aware that this research is still far from excellence and perfection on its methodology, theories compositions, procedures of analyzing, and data interpretation. Therefore, critics and other constructive suggestions are expected to make this thesis better. Even though it may not be a complete one, I hope this research will give more understanding about Pragmatics, especially the conversational implicature.

In addition, it is recommended that the next researchers use Grice’s maxims to conduct research on the other areas. The future researchers are also invited to conduct further research concerning the study of non-observance of maxims used not only in the TV series but also in other literary works, and employ more theories about cooperative principles. Hopefully, this study is also useful as the additional references for those who want to conduct studies in the same field.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary Text

Thomas, Jenny. Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics. Longman, 1995. Print.

Ugly Betty Season 1-3. James Hayman. 2006. ABC Studios, 2007. DVD.

References

“Conflict.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online, 2010.

Web. 7 Jan. 2013.

Grice, Paul. Logic and Conversation. Berkeley: University of California, 2004. Print.

---. Studies in the Way of Words. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989. Print.

Leech, G. N. Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman, 1983. Print.

Levinson, Stephen. Presumptive Meanings: The Theory of Generalized Conversational Implicature. MIT Press, 2000. Print.

Mooney, Annabelle. Co-operation, Violation and Making Sense. Journal of Pragmatics vol. 36, pp. 899-920, 2004. Print.