Mentioning an Obligation Discussion

choice. For instance, datum 4 shows that Amy makes a non-personal reason as a way to express her dispreferred response. Sabrina : And I need to have a long table so we can all sit together like one big, happy family. Amy : That is gonna be so fun to do at the round tables I was told to order. Sabrina : Silence Datum no. 4 In this datum, Sabrina asks Amy to prepare a long table in the rehearsal dinner and hopes that Amy’s response will be an acceptance. Unfortunately, Amy does not immediately accept the request. Instead, she makes a non personal reason to show her dispreferred response by saying “that is gonna be so fun to do at the round tables”. From her statement, Amy tries to refuse the request and invite Sabrina to view another option. In other words, she wants to inform Sabrina that her option is better than Sabrina’s choice by asking Sabrina to replace a long table with round tables. The conversation occurs when Sabrina and Amy, a wedding organizer, discuss the preparation of wedding. In their discussion, Sabrina asks Amy to prepare a long table so that all guests can sit together like a big and happy family. Amy who disagrees with Sabrina’s idea suggests Sabrina to pick round tables instead of the long one. However, this suggestion cannot be accepted by Sabrina as it is her wedding. It can be seen in Sabrina’s expression when she is suddenly silent as she does not like Amy’s suggestion.

8. Giving an Account

Giving an account is the most common realization of dispreferred social acts used by the characters in this movie. An account is considered as a statement containing an excuse or a reason which prevents a speaker to give his or her preferred response. In the datum 43, for example, Sabrina provides an account why she cannot perform an action requested by Jason. Jason : Babe, open the door. I wanna look at you. Sabrina : I can’t. You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. Datum no. 41 The statement “You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding” is considered as an account or a reason which against Sabrina to perform the preferred social act; that is to open the door. In this context, she refuses to fulfill Jason’s request because her culture does not allow a bride and broom to see each other at night before the wedding. At night before the wedding, Sabrina and Jason argue in the bar. Getting annoyed with Jason, Sabrina leaves Jason alone and locks herself in her room. Jason who feels guilty tries to ask Sabrina to open the door and talk to him. Yet, Sabrina refuses his request with an excuse that their culture does not allow the couples who will get married to see each other at night before their wedding. Finally, Jason understands it and talks to her from the behind of the door.

9. Using Mitigators

The characters in this movie sometimes use mitigators in their disagreement or refusal. Mitigators are markers used to make the speaker’s dispreferred social act sounds less challenging to the hearer. The words “really” and “kind of” are the examples of mitigators performed by Jason when he refuses Sabrina’s request.