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In this analysis of adjacency pairs the writer finds 89 comic strips that contain dispreferred response. From the conversation most of the characters tend
to disagree or give a refusal as the response to the first part. From the 89 comic strips, there are 42 comic strips that contain dispreferred responses, those are
produced by Brutus. From all the characters, Brutus is the one who gives more a disagreement or a refusal as the response.
3. Sequences
They are pre-sequences that contain pre-request and pre-announcement, insertions sequence, and opening sequence. Below are the examples of each part:
a. Pre-sequences
There are 2 pre-sequences, they are pre-request and pre-announcement. The following are the examples:
i. Pre-request Brutus: What would you recommend for me, tonight?
→ pre-request Waiter: Without question, our house specialty
– chateaubriand for two Brutus: Would I have to share?
The conversation 1111vii takes place in a restaurant where Brutus wants to have his dinner with Gladys. Brutus then asks the waiter What would you
recommend for me, tonight? That question is a pre-request. Brutus asks the waiter
before he chooses the food for the dinner. Brutus: What do you recommend?
→ pre-request The waiter: Today’s special – twin lobsters
Brutus: Twins? How do you know they’re related?
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Brutus begins the conversation 997x by asking the waiter what do you recommend?
That question is a pre-request. Brutus asks him about menu that the waiter recommended for him. By asking the waiter Brutus indicates that he does
not yet choose the menu. ii. Pre-announcement
Brutus: My mother-in-law is driving me nuts → pre- announcement
Brutus’ friend: What’s new? Brutus: She is certifiable neat freak
Brutus’ friend: How so? Brutus: She insists I scrub out our garbage cans before I put trash in them
The conversation above 2929vii happens between Brutus and his friend. Brutus then begins the conversation by saying that My mother-in-law is
driving me nuts This statement then responds by his friend by asking
What’s new?
This question leads the conversation to the next turn that Brutus answers the question but this answer is not clear yet so Brutus’ friend asks him again How so?
Finally Brutus answers the question by explaining what happens. Brutus: I think I just had a senior moment
→ pre-announcement Wilberforce: What’s that?
Brutus: That’s when an older person has a temporary memory lapse. Gladys: Of course, daddy has been having those moments since his twenties
The conversation 1822912 begins when Brutus says I think I just had a senior moment
. This statement is a pre-announcement. Wilberforce who does not know about that asks him a question. Brutus answered the question. He explains
to Wilberforce what it means. Gladys then comments on Brutus’ answer as she talks to Wilberforce.
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b. Insertion Sequence
Brutus: Switch your shoes, Wilberforce. → order
Wilberforce: Why? → question
Brutus: The shoe on your right side should be on your left side and vice versa →
answer Wilberforce: There How’s that? → accept
The conversation 99vii happens between Brutus and Wilberforce. Brutus who sees Wilberforce use his shoes in the wrong way tells him to switch
his shoes. Wilberforce gives his respond by asking why. Brutus answers the question. He explains to Wilberforce that he uses the shoes incorrect place.
Wilberforce then tries to make it right by crossing his feet. In this conversation, the turn is order
– question – answer – accept. This sequence becomes an insertion sequence because between the sequence order and accept, there is a question
– answer sequence.
Wilberforce: What have you got there, pop? → Q1
Brutus: I’m making s’mores on the charcoal grill → A1 Wilberforce:
Oh, I love s’mores We made them in camp Can I help you make them?
→ Q2 Brutus: Are you sure you know what to do?
→ Q3 Wilberforce: Absolutely
– I’m an expert I’m the best s’more maker in town → A3
Brutus: Well, I guess that makes you the good s’more-itan → A2 The conversation 8018ix happens between Wilberforce and Brutus.
Wilberforce begins the conversation by asking Brutus What have you got there, pop?
. Brutus answers the question by telling him that he makes s’mores.
Wilberforce then asks Brutus whether he can help him. Brutus makes sure whether Wilberforce really wants to help him. Wilberforce tells him that he wants
to help, he even tries convincing Brutus that he is good at it. Brutus then allows him to help.
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There are three question – answer sequences. The turn is Q1 – A1 – Q2
Q3 – A3 – A2. Between the second sequence Q2 – Q3 there is another sequence
Q3 – A3. Sequence Q3 – A3 is the insertion sequence because it inserts between
Q2 and A2.
c. Opening Sequence
Brutus: Hi, Wilberforce Wilberforce: Hi, pop How was golf?
Brutus: I played eighteen holes, and shot one hundred twenty Wilberforce: Is that good?
Brutus: It is when you play twenty seven holes
The conversation 8624ix happens between Brutus and Wilberforce. Brutus begins the conversation by greeting Hi, Wilberforce. Wilberforce returns
the greeting by saying Hi, pop to Brutus. The word Hi indicates the beginning of the conversation and also as the opening sequence.
From the three parts of the conversation analysis, the adjacency pairs with dispreferred response is the first dominant part and follow by turn-taking A
– B pattern in the second place. There are 89 comic strips that contain dispreferred
response and 39 comic strips which contain turn-taking A – B pattern. The
complete result of the analysis can be seen in the table Analysis of Conversation Structure in the appendices.
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B. The Patterns of Dispreferred Response that Brutus Uses as the Response to the First Part
The Born Loser is one of the comic strips published in The Jakarta Post
every day. The comic strips told about a man named Brutus Thornapple. In the comic strips, there are conversations between Brutus and the other characters.
Sometimes there is no conversation just some pictures of Brutus doing something or talks with no listener.
In this analysis, the writer studies the conversation between Brutus and other characters. From the first analysis, the writer finds that the most dominant
part of conversation structure that occurs in the comic strips are turn-taking A- B pattern and adjacency pairs: dispreferred response or the unexpected response.
From 121 comic strips there are 39 comic strips that contain turn-taking A – B
pattern and 89 comic strips that contain dispreferred response. From 89 comic strips there are 42 comic strips that contain dispreferred response produced by
Brutus. The comic strips that will be analyzed are the one which has at least two
speakers. Yule in his book Pragmatics 1996:81 writes about some elements of second part that are considered as dispreferred response. This list of elements also
becomes guidance for the write to analyze the patterns of dispreferred response that Brutus uses in the comic strips.
How to do a dispreferred Example
a. delayhesitate pause; er; em; ah
b. preface well; oh
c. express doubt I’m not sure; I don’t know
d. token Yes that’s great; I’d love to
e. apology I’m sorry; what a pity
