xxxv {Dad gets a wistful look in his eyes} I thought about running
away and learning how to make tofu. Po
: So why didnt you? Pos Dad
: Oh, because it was a stupid dream. Can you imagine, me making tofu? Laughs at the thought No. We all have our place in this
world. Mine is here. And yours is— Po
: I know. Is here. Pos Dad
: No, its at tables two, five, seven, and twelve. {He loads Pos arms with bowls of soup} Service with a smile
a. Context
Pragmatics is a study of how the linguistic elements interact with the contextual factors to produce the utterance interpretation.
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The contextual factors which are supported the analysis can be identified as below:
1 Character
: Po and Po’s dad.
2 Setting
: In the kitchen in his father’s restaurant
3 Context of situation : The restaurant is crowded. Po goes late to work.
His father, Mr. Ping, asks him what he does until he comes late for working. He tells his father that he has a crazy dream. He lies to his father
by saying that he dreams about noodle but actually he dreams about becoming the kung fu warrior, his obsession. His father is very excited
hearing his dream because his father has been waiting for this moment. His father believes that his dream about noodle is the sign that he is almost
already to be entrusted with the secret ingredient of his grandfather’s secret ingredient soup then he will fulfill his destiny to take the restaurant
from his father.
46
Ira Noveck and Dan Sperber, eds. Experimental Pragmatics. London: Palgrave. Accessed on 20 february, 2009. www.nove.edu.
xxxvi
b. The violation of cooperative principle
Humor is non-cooperative communication because it is created from the
violation of cooperative principle. The violation of cooperative principle in datum
1 to create the humor is identified below:
1 Maxim of quality
In this maxim, the speaker is required to not say what he believes to be false or lack of evidence.
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The maxim of quality in the conversation in datum 1 is seen in the information contributed by Po and his father. Po shares his idea that
his dream is only a dream by saying “Dad Dad Dad, it was just a dream”. He also debates his father why his father did not learn to make tofu. It is reflected by his
statement “But Dad, didnt you ever, I dunno, want to do something else? Something besides noodles?
“ and it is emphasized by his statement “So why didnt you
?” It means that Po believes what he says are true. After hearing Po’s questions, Po’s father answers that when he was young and crazy he thought
about running away and learning how to make tofu. But he did not do it because he thought that it was a stupid dream. He believed that everybody has his own
place in the world. He believed that his place is in the restaurant to make noodles. It is depicted in his statement “Actually...When I was young and crazy... I thought
about running away and learning how to make tofu ”. He shared his reason why he
did not learn to make tofu by saying “Oh, because it was a stupid dream. Can you imagine, me making tofu? No. We all have our place in this world. Mine is here.
And yours is—“. Po assumed that his place is also in the restaurant to make
47
Jacob L. Mey. Pragmatics 2001, loc. cit.
xxxvii noodles but his father says that is wrong. His father says that Po’s place in the
world is at table two, five, seven, and twelve. It is described clearly in his
statement “No, its at tables two, five, seven, and twelve”. It seems that Po’s
father gives information what he believes to be false. He says that Po’s place in the world is at table two, five, seven, and twelve while they talking about the
place of noodle seller. In sum, Po’s father violates the maxim of quality.
2 Maxim of quantity
Po repeats the word “dad” in his statement “Dad Dad Dad, it was just a dream”
to emphasize his speech. It means that he doesn’t violate this maxim. Po utters some questions which elaborated in his questions “But Dad, didnt you ever,
I dunno, want to do something else? Something besides noodles? “ and “So why
didnt you ?”. He utters his question sufficiently. Hearing Po questions, His father,
Mr. Ping, has sent some information for the questions being asked by Po. He says, “Actually... When I was young and crazy... I thought about running away and
learning how to make tofu”. He also answers, “Oh, because it was a stupid dream.
Can you imagine, me making tofu? No. We all have our place in this world. Mine is here. And yours is—“.
The information that has been sent by Po’s father is uttered sufficiently. Based on some facts above, the writer concludes that the
speakers have fulfilled the maxim of quantity all the way
3 Maxim of relevance
Po says that his dream is only a dream but his father doesn’t believe it. He argues that they are noodle folk. Then, Po is curious to ask him. He asks, “didnt
you ever, I dunno, want to do something else? Something besides noodles?” His
xxxviii father answers, “When I was young and crazy... I thought about running away
and learning how to make tofu.” Po asks him any more, “So why didnt you?” his
father answers, “Oh, because it was a stupid dream. Can you imagine, me making tofu? No. We all have our place in this world. Mine is here.”
Based on the conversation above, both Po and his father have sent the relevant statement. Po’s
father always sends the relevant answer for some questions being asked by Po. Hearing his father’s answers, Po also sends the relevant statements and questions
to represent his feelings. In conclusion, all the speakers involved in conversation have accorded the maxim of relevance.
4 Maxim of manner
In datum 1, there are two questions that asked by Po. He asked did his father ever want to do something else beside noodle and he asks why his father
did not learn to make tofu. Po asked his questions straightforwardly. His father answers that actually, when he was young and crazy he thought about running
away and learning how to make tofu but he thought that it was a stupid dream. His
father answers his questions clearly. All speakers have evoked their ideas clearly.
All statements are understood well by them. This fact is real evidence that this maxim has been satisfied in the conversation.
From the explanation above, the writer concludes that the maxim of quality is violated in the dialog in datum 1.
xxxix
c. Humor
