5. TOPIC 8 WORKSHEET CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS & IMPLICATURE

conclusions in terms of

cooperation and Grice's maxims? Can we add other maxim(s)

1. 'Have some wine'

'I don't see any wine' she remarked.

'There isn't any', said the March Hare.

'Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it', said Alice angrily.

'It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited', said the March Hare.

'I didn't know it was your table', said Alice: 'It's laid for a great many more than three'.

'Your hair wants cutting', said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time

with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.

'You should learn not to make personal remarks', Alice said with some severity; 'It's very

rude'.

The hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this, but all he said was: 'Why is a raven

like a writing desk?' (W/94-95)

RELATION is constantly flouted here, first when the MH says it wasn’t civil of Alice to

sit down to create the implicature that he might not be the only one being rude, then when

the Hatter changes the topic to talk about Alice’s hair, there’s a violation here as he wants

to talk about something else. Then, it is flouted again at the very end with a dramatic

change of topic. In this case, though, we can’t see whether he is creating implicature or

just being the March Hare.

conclusions in terms of

cooperation and Grice's maxims? Can we add other maxim(s)

(2) 'You!' said the caterpillar contemptuously. 'Who are you?'

Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation. Alice felt a little

irritated at the caterpillar's making such very short remarks, and she drew herself up and

said, very gravely, 'I think you ought to tell me who you are first'.

'Why?' said the caterpillar.

Here was another puzzling question; and, as Alice could not think of any good reason,

and the Caterpillar seemed to be in a very unpleasant state of mind, she turned away.

(W/68)

The caterpillar is violating QUANTITY as his remarks are not enough. Also Alice violated it

when she turns away.

These extracts show that ambiguity and confronting situations in communication are not only

caused by the non-observance of the maxims, but also that they actually arise at that moment.

This kind of situations are very frequent in Alice in Wonderland, especially during her

conversations and interactions with the different characters.

Consider the following exchange

Immigration Officer: Where do you live?

Passenger: Evanston, Illinois.

O: Are you an American citizen?

P: No, I'm a resident.

O: May I see your Green Card?

P: (hands over card)

O: (examines card, punches something into his computer, hands back card) Do you have a driver's

licence?

P: Yes.

O: Ok, pass on.

P: (somewhat astonished) But don't you want to see it?

O: No, just pass on.

• How would you describe this conversation with regard to the following (or not) of the

conversational maxims?

• Why was the passenger astonished?

• What kind of question do you think the officer was 'really' asking?

• What kind of question did he ask?

1.At the beginning, they seem to be following them. However,

towards the end, there is an implicature created (apparently) by the officer asking for the

driver’s licence, not simply asking whether the passenger has one or not. Manner is not

observed.

2.Because he took an implicature when apparently

there was none

3.Different possibilities

here; it could simply be checking whether P has that particular licence, maybe asking

about his ability to drive a car or even own a car… We would need to be in the context

here.

4.Do you have one? (yes/no question)

Consider the following exchange

[A child walks into the kitchen and takes some popcorn]

Father: I thought you were practising violin.

Child: I need to get the violin stand.

Father: Is it under the popcorn?

1.What conversational implicatures are generated in this interchange?

2.Are any conventional implicatures present?

3.Is the child's reply an answer - if so, to what?

1.Why are you in the kitchen

making popcorns when you should be practising violin? The father is being ironic, therefore

flouting quality and also rela.tion

2.“I thought you…” implies he is doing the opposite /

“get” would be one, implying he doesn’t have one yet

3.Yes. But he is saying he can’t practice as he doesn’t

have the stand