In this datum, Mrs. Watson asks Mr. Watson a question for his disappearing act. In this context, the response of question is expected to be an
explanation or an apology. However, Mr. Watson who recognizes the question as sarcasm immediately replies it by challenging the question. His statement “Your
sarcasm is unattractive” is considered as a statement of challenge used to criticize Mrs. Watson’s impolite or rude question.
Since Mr. Watson does not immediately show up in their house, Mrs. Watson phones him. On the phone, Mr. Watson who is on the way to the airport
promises to reach home soon. Feeling annoyed with his husband, Mrs. Watson tells him off by asking him a question with an expectation that he will arrive as
soon as possible. However, an expected response does not directly appear in the next turn. Instead, he challenges the question by giving statement of criticizing.
g. To Defend the Speaker’s Self Argument
Another function of the dispreferred social acts performed by the characters in this movie is to defend the speaker’s self argument. The following
datum portrays the occurrence of a dispreferred social act performed by Mrs. Watson which is used as a self defense.
Mrs. Taylor : Would a Jewish couple get married without breaking the glass?
Mrs. Watson : Were not Jewish Mrs. Taylor : I didnt say you were Jewish. The slaves were not allowed
to marry. Jumping the broom was the only way that they could show their union. Now, we have done that in this
family for years. It is a tradition. And, as you say, it is a cultural necessity.
Datum no.32
In this conversation, Mrs. Taylor asks Mrs. Watson a yes-no question about Jewish tradition in which ‘yes’ is the expected response of the question. As
the response of Mrs. Taylor’s question, Mrs. Watson gives her challenge by saying that her families are not Jewish. In this context, the challenge appears to
defend the speaker’s self-argument about the topic which is being performed. Furthermore, it is clear that there is a misunderstanding in interpreting the
question meaning. In the second part of dialogue, Mrs. Watson interprets Mrs. Taylor’s question as an assessment to her family. Thus, she performs a challenge
as her disagreement. Whereas, Mrs. Taylor performs the question about Jewish’s wedding tradition to illustrate that jumping the broom is a cultural necessity. For
those reason, Mrs. Taylor obliges Jason and Sabrina to jump the broom in their wedding.
h. To Show Unwillingness or Inability to Perform an Action
Several characters in Jumping the Broom movie perform dispreferred social acts to show their unwillingness or inability to perform preferred actions.
As presented in the following datum, Sabrina refuses Mr. Watson’s request to express her unwillingness to perform the requested act.
Mr. Watson : We should discuss this in private
Sabrina : No, Dad. There’s no more private here.
Datum no. 48 Mr. Watson asks Sabrina to discuss their family problem in a private
place. As the preferred response, he expects that the request will be responded by an acceptance. Unfortunately, Sabrina directly refuses the request by saying “No,
