calls John by his doctor title instead of John’s name. In addition, Sherlock
employs unpalatable questions by asking “What for?” when John asks him to save the woman’s life, and “Why don’t you go and cry by their beside and see what
good it does them?” which shows that he is being unsympathetic about the woman’s condition and challenges John with his question.
c. Negative Impoliteness
Negative impoliteness strategy is used in order to harm the addressee’s negative face Culpeper, 2005: 41. If positive impoliteness strategy is designed to
attack the addressee’s will or need to be accepted by others, negative impoliteness is designed to attack the addressee’s need to be independent or to have freedom of
action. However, as well as positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness also has some output strategies which can be used in employing the strategy. The output
strategies of negative impoliteness strategy are frightening the other, condescending, scorning or ridiculing, being contemptuous, not treating the other
seriously, b elittling the other, invading the other’s space, explicitly associating the
other with a negative aspect, and putting the other’s indebtedness on record. The first example of negative impoliteness strategy is a conversation which
happens when Sherlock brings John to a crime scene and they meet Agent Donovan.
Donovan : Er, who is this? Sherlock
: Colleague of mine, Doctor Watson. Doctor Watson, Sergeant Sally Donovan. His voice drips with sarcasm Old friend.
Donovan : A colleague? How do you get a colleague? What, did he follow you home?
Sherlock : Silent
14-1NIENNR
Sherlock and Agent Donovan do not have a good relationship because Agent Donovan thinks that Sherlock is very weird since he loves to solve cases without
being paid. In the example, Donovan employs the negative impoliteness strategy by asking an unpalatable question, “How do you get a colleague?” She uses one
of the negative impoliteness output strategies, condescending, to attack Sherlock’s negative face. Furthermore, she goes further by asking John whether Sherlock
follows him home. She makes fun of Sherlock for coming to the crime scene with John and introduces John as his colleague.
Another example of negative impoliteness strategy is a negotiation between Jim Moriarty and John Watson. Moriarty forces John to meet Sherlock
after he put a jacket filled with bomb on John. After Sherlock comes out, Moriarty shows himself to John and Sherlock. Sherlock then points his gun at Moriarty.
However, it turns out that Moriarty has a sniper who aims his gun at John from afar. John then seizes Moriarty from behind so the sniper’s aim is targeted at him.
John : If your sniper pulls that trigger Mr. Moriarty, then we
both go up. Moriarty
:
Isn’t he sweet? I can see why you like having him around. But then people do get so sentimental about
their pets. They’re so touchingly loyal. But, oops
You’ve rather shown your hand there, doctor Watson. John
: Silent
74-3NICRNR
Moriarty performs negative impoliteness strategies because he wants to ridicule Sherlock. He believes that Sherlock and him have the same level of intelligence,
thus he thinks that Sherlock’s relationship with John is not a friendship. He also does not tak
e John’s words seriously when John says that both of them will go up
if Moriarty’s sniper pulls the trigger. Moreover, he also performs one kind of negative impoliteness output strategies which is associating other with negative
aspect. In this case, Moriarty associates John with pet because John is very loyal to Sherlock.
The last example of negative impoliteness strategy can be seen in the conversation between Moriarty and Sherlock. Moriarty threats Sherlock because
he wants Sherlock to stop intervening with his business. Moriarty
: Kill you? N- no, don’t be obvious. I mean, I’m gonna
kill you anyway someday. I don’t wanna rush it, though. I’m saving it up for something special. No-no-
no-no-
no. If you don’t stop prying, I’ll burn you. I’ll burn the heart out of you.
Sherlock :
I have been reliably informed that I don’t have one. 76-3NICRDE
Moriarty performs the negative impoliteness strategy using three kinds of output strategies. He uses the condescending, scorning or ridiculing, and being
contemptuous output strategies at the same time when he says that he is going to kill Sherlock someday. His utterances indicate that killing Sherlock is not a
difficult thing that he does not want to rush it. Another negative impoliteness output strategy that he uses is frightening the other. Moriarty threats Sherlock that
he will burn Sherlock if Sherlock does not stop prying.
d. Off-record Impoliteness
