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The situation above happens at the prison after Caroline visits her father and introduces Max to him. After the conversation, Caroline‟s father asks Max a
favor to accompany his daughter to the estate auction and gets the loving cup Caroline won jumping with Chestnuts. From that request, Max beliefs that
Caroline‟s father must be hiding some money in that loving cup which will be auctioned off to the public at that day.
Max tries to convince Caroline with her belief and also her past experience to hide her stash inside her mother‟s trophy. Max believes that it is
make sense if Caroline‟s father hides the money to make sure his daughter‟s life ahead. By
saying this “and youre telling me the man who invented a way to defraud most of New York isnt as clever as a stoned 12-year-old with a butter
knife? ” actually Max mentions about the negative side from Caroline‟s dad which
is in fact, he is the one who rip off most of pe ople‟s money in New York.
However, Caroline seems can accept the truth said by Max through the sarcasm she uses even it hurtful. That is why as the response, Caroline only listens and
believes with what Max says.
Situation 34
Caroline : So who wants to go in the back and see how amazing our brand new cupcake shop is? smiling happily
Max : Bring down the enthusiasm, Rachael Ray.
Caroline : Right, were not supposed to get all excited about this opening tonight. Last time, we made a big deal, and the shop didnt do so
well.
The conversation happens in the first day Caroline and Max will run their business. Caroline, gets her excitement on the highest level which can be seen
through smiles and bright eyes on her face, intonation while she speaks, and also PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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her gestures since it is her first time to run a business again after her father being prisoned.
Therefore, when Max sees the excessive enthusiasm in Caroline, she suggests Caroline to calm herself by bringing down her enthusiasm with her
sarcastic utterance. Since the sarcastic utterance does not contains any rude words, Caroline prefers to accept it as her reminder for not being too enthusiast.
Situation 40
Caroline : I think its nice of us to add our flowers to the others. Shows respect.
Max : Youre acting like you didnt steal them.
Caroline : Max, its the thought that counts. And I thought itd be cheaper to pull them out of someones garden.
The conversation between two best friends above happens occurs on their way to the diner. During her walk to the diner, Caroline picks up some flower
from someone‟s garden to be placed in front of their cupcakes shop to show respect like what the fans do to their idol. However Max does not focus at
Caroline‟s intention to show respect but more on Caroline‟s act which is happy to bring the flower which she steals from someone‟s garden.
Therefore Max uses her sarcastic utterance to express what she thinks about Caroline.
Max gives her compliment at Caroline‟s best in acting so that she does not look like a woman who just steals flowers and also criticize her act to
steal the flower and it is not a proper reason for her to be happy in bringing the flowers in order to show respect. Knowing that she does something wrong,
Caroline saves her face by saying that it is her concern that is more important than her way to get the flowers.
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Situation 58
Caroline : I just hate that tour guy. Han
: I hate that tour guy too.
Caroline : Han, oh, my God It took us five years but finally we have something in common.
The conversation of Han and Caroline above takes place in the diner in front of Earl‟s cashier table. At first, Caroline shares with Earl about how
annoying the tour guy is which heartlessly says to the whole tour that small business such as Max‟s cupcake shop will not exist any longer in Williamsburg.
Then suddenly Han comes over hearing that tour guy is the subject of the conversation which he also hates lately since he does not bring the tourist to eat at
Han‟s diner. Caroline feels happy hearing Han‟s confession because she founds
something which finally connected her with Han after 5 years she works there. The utterance expresses both positive and negative meaning between Caroline and
Han. However, Han as the hearer does not care about the negative meaning in Caroline‟s utterance. He chooses to take it positive and smiles happily.
Table 3.3. The Hearer’s Response of Sarcastic Utterances Based on Purposes
No Purpose of sarcasm
The Hearer‟s Response 3.
Evaluation a. Laughs
b. Takes as a compliment c. Tells the truth
d. Tries to explain more e. Accepts the truth
f. Accepts the truth g. Protects herself by saving hisher face
h. Takes as a compliment PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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4. Hearer’s Response of Sarcastic Utterances as the Tool for Politeness
Sarcasm as a tool for politeness is a proof that though sarcasm seems aggressive, somehow it is admitted that sarcasm is less
damaging the hearer‟s face than overt aggression
. Through sarcasm, the speaker can save the hearer‟s face when having an open conversation rather than to speak the literal meaning which
comes to mockery. By seeing the an alysis from the hearer‟s response in the
examples below, it can be seen whether sarcasm as a tool for politeness is effective to save the hearer‟s face or not.
Situation 11
Max : Nothing about that sounds wrong to you?
Caroline : It‟s not our fault that the idiot who makes the cupcake doesn‟t
know their worth. Max
: I‟m the idiot who makes the cupcakes. Caroline
: New information. Max
: Thats stupid. No one would pay 7 for one of my cupcakes. Caroline
: Really? Cause... pull out the money from bag
Max : Well, at least we know youre not adopted.
Caroline : smiles
At first, Caroline gives her idea about the cupcakes‟ price in the diner that
should be increased. From her idea, it can be seen that she ever bought cupcakes in Manhattan where she used to live so that she knows the average price for a
cupcake. Max, as the hearer of Caroline‟s idea and also the one who makes the
cupcakes feels that what Caroline says is non-sense because she knows that no one will buy her cupcakes for
7 in Williamsburg. By asking, “Nothing about that sounds wrong to you?” Max as the speaker expects Caroline to see the meaning
beyond what it is said. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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Unfortunately, Caroline does not know the fact that Max is the one who makes the cupcake and sell it in the diner. It is seen from her sarcastic utterance
which says that the idiot who makes the cupcake does not know the worth. If she knows that Max is the one who sells the cupcake, Caroline will obviously not
saying that kind of utterance. This is the example that the hearer is not able to infer the meaning different from what it is said.
Different from the previous situation, Caroline is able to understand the last Max‟s sarcastic utterance with the word „not adopted‟ which is not only
means that Caroline is really the daughter of his father, Martin Channing, but also a sign that what Caroline did is not so diffe
rent with what her father‟s did which makes him in jail and that make sense that Caroline and her father has a family
relationship. Instead of feeling insulted or angry, Caroline chooses to give her smile as
the response of Max‟s sarcastic utterance. Even though the comment from Max is not positive, Caroline can understand Max‟s intention in saying that which also
involved sense of humor. In this case, both Max and Caroline shares the same co- text so that both of them can understand each other‟s message beyond from what
it is said.
Situation 14 Caroline : Going inside
Oh, my God, you’ve been robbed
Max : This is how it always looks.
Caroline : Oh, my God, totally cute
The situation above happens when Caroline enters Max‟s place for the
first time. Caroline sees that the living room is messy so that she thinks Max‟s PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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place has been robbed by the burglar. It is clearly a sarcastic critics for Max since the untidiness in her room makes other thinks that her place has been robbed. As
the hearer, Max succeeds to understand the assumption that Caroline has so that she can answers directly which explains that her place always look like that and is
not being robbed by somebody. Here, Max as the hearer of sarcastic utterance given to her tends to give the real fact with literal meaning as the response so that
the speaker can easily understand. Max‟s answer is not expected by Caroline because she believes that Max
place must have been robbed by looking at the messy things inside which is finally proof wrong because Max‟s place always looks like that every day.
Knowing that her assumption is wrong and the fact of untidiness in Max‟s place,
Caroline suddenly changes her comment of Max‟s room which says that it is totally cute to see the room inside.
Situation 15
Max‟s bf : Hello. Caroline : Oh, hi. Oh, Im so sorry if I woke you up.
Max‟s bf : chuckles Who are you? Caroline : Im Maxs friend. Uh, dont tell her I said that, shed stab me.
Laughs Max‟s bf : What are you doin over there?
Caroline : Just washing my uniform, trying to make it a little more cute and a little less crusty.
Max‟s bf : Oh, watch out pointing out at wastafel Caroline : Oh
Sorry, oh, my… do you have a towel or a rag? Max‟s bf : No, I... I got it. takes off his t-shirt and wiping the floods
Caroline : silent Oh. Okay. Max‟s bf : approaching Caroline and get closer to her I‟m Robbie.
Caroline : I’m uncomfortable. You’re getting me wet.
Max‟s bf : That‟s the point. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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The conversation between Max‟s boyfriend and Caroline happens as the continuance of situation 14. After Max takes Caroline to her place, Max leaves
her for the part time job, baby sit in Manhattan. Max already shows where the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen is and she says that her boyfriend wakes up at 4 p.m.
Being left alone, Caroline decides to wash her waitress uniform which has bad smells and full of stains. Unexpectedly, Max‟s boyfriend wakes up and greets
Caroline. At first, Caroline is a little surprised by Robbie‟s appearing behind her immediately but then she tries to have a normal chat as how two strangers who
have just meet. Later, when Caroline forgets to turns off the faucet, Robbie helps her by
takes of his cloth and uses that moment to flirt Caroline. As Max‟s friend, Caroline chooses to refuse his flirt and pushes him away from her. However, as
the guest in Max‟s place, Caroline still wants to be polite with him that can be seen through her utterance, “I‟m uncomfortable. You‟re getting me wet”. Instead
of steps away and respect Caroline, Robbie prefers to ignore the sarcastic utterance and gets closer to her.
Situation 22
Max : Hi, what can I get you? Hes obviously good drink-wise.
Customer : I‟ll have tea and a turkey club.
Max : Anything for him? Coffee for the milk? Burger? Fries?
The situation above happens when Oleg, Han, Earl and Max are starring at the customer who is a mother and her son who is about 4 years old but her
mother still breast-feeding him. It is clearly seen through the table where Oleg, Han, Earl and Max stand and they stare at how the boy stands beside her mom but
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a half of his body is inside her mother‟s shirt. When the mother finally calls the waitress, Caroline feels that she cannot serves the customer with her saying that
actually she respects it all, but she will throw up at the end. Finally Max with her curiosity goes to her table as the waitress to write
down her order. Nonetheless, Max does not only write the order but she also gives her comment for her son. Both of the utterances said by Max are actually sarcastic
comments for the son as the result for her curiosity. In this situation, Max uses sarcasm as tool for politeness. For this reason, her customers as the hearer do not
get offended considering Max‟s choices of words and politeness she uses.
Situation 44
Han : Hello, Earl. Hello, Caroline. Hello, reason I do two hours of
phone therapy every wednesday before work. So, did you all miss me?
Caroline : You were gone? cause I swear I just saw you yesterday. Wait, maybe that was a cat.
Han : I was gone, people
The situation above takes place in the diner when Han comes back from a convention about the restaurant and diner association at San Fransisco. When he
enters the door, he greets the co-workers in his diner hopes that they are missing him as he gone for several days ago. Meanwhile, his co-workers in the diner does
not realize that he is gone since they seem fine and are not surprised when Han app
ears at the diner‟s door. Caroline, however, chooses to give her sarcastic utterance to say that she
does not realize for Han‟s leaving. Feeling disappointed from his co-workers PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
