is that Mahsun Mahsun 2005: 218 does not clearly provide certain area to the data taken from written document since he replaced Oetomo’s the third way of
collecting data with survey. Since my primary data will be analyzed in this thesis are quoted from Kyoko Mori’s novel Polite Lies, I can classify my method of
collecting into the third method. As the first step of collecting the data, I read the novel once through. Then, I
reread the novel by focusing my attention on the verbal interaction, i.e. conversation performed by the characters in the novel. According to the
relationship between the main character, Kyoko Mori, and other characters, I find out that there are two main contexts of conversation, i.e.:
1 The conversation between Kyoko Mori and her Japanese families, relatives,
and friends 2
The conversation between Kyoko Mori and her husband, who is American, and her American friends
As the analysis on my present thesis is limited to the politeness phenomena in Japan, I reread the novel for the third times and focus my attention to the
conversation carried out by Kyoko Mori and her Japanese families, relatives, and friends. These conversations then I list and number so that it is easier to analyze
the data in the process of analyzing the data.
3.3. Method of Analysis
For method of the analysis, Mahsun Mahsun 2005: 230 agrees with and
Ahsen who says that data can be found in two forms: number or also called quantitative data and non-number or also called qualitative data. Quantitative
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data is usually analyzed by the use of quantitative analysis, while qualitative data can be analyzed by the use of qualitative method. As my data primary and
secondary data are language, i.e. conversation quoted from Kyoko Mori’s Polite Lies, I use qualitative analysis to analyze all the data.
Qualitative analysis can be defined as an analysis aimed at recognizing and explaining the phenomena being analyzed. Basically there are two strategies in
qualitative analysis, i.e.: qualitative descriptive analysis and qualitative verificative analysis. For my present thesis, I use qualitative descriptive analysis,
i.e. an analysis used to describe the linguistic utterances produced by the participants in the conversation to express politeness.
Mahsun Mahsun 2005: 235 says, there are a great number of methods used in qualitative analysis, especially in social science. Some of them are: content
analysis, domein analysis, taxonomic analysis, componential analysis, discovering cultural analysis, constant comparative analysis. However, as my present thesis
tries to analyze the data by relating and comparing the extra elements context and meaning of one data to another, I only apply the constant comparative analysis.
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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
…. There is nothing more to understand. All I can do, to go on, is to treat these feelings as aberrations from my otherwise smooth life—to politely and stoically
ignore them in the way I was brought up to do. [Kyoko Mori’s Polite Lies, p. ]
4.1. Analysis
Chapter I Data 1:
Jumpei: “I was wondering if you could spare a week to come here.
PLAY-DOWN INTERPRETED AS POLITE
I know you’re busy with school , but maybe you could make the time if it’s not
FOREWARNING POTENTIALLY INTERPRETED AS POLITE
too inconvenient.
Kyoko : Agree
Jumpei : “It’ll be good to see you.”
POSITIVE FACEWORK INTERPRETED AS POLITE
Kyoko : I’ll call my travel agent right away and then call you back.”
This conversation between Kyoko and her only brother is performed via telephone shortly after their father’s funeral. In score 1, Jumpei is making an
indirect request that Kyoko make a visit to Japan. Through this request, Jumpei
makes use the play down I was wondering if and the forewarning I know you’re busy with school
, but maybe. Both these two utterances are open to the
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interpretation as polite because they provide more values than merely making requests, i.e. Kyoko is given freedom from imposition to fulfil the request.
Through the play-down, Jumpei implicitly shows his expectation that Kyoko will fulfil the request. Meanwhile, through the forewarning, Jumpei express his
solidarity of Kyoko’s being busy. As a response to Kyoko’s agreement score 2,
Jumpei uses the expression It’ll be good to see you, which is also interpreted as
polite way of appreciating Kyoko’s willingness and of ending the formal-like conversation. In score 4, Kyoko agrees to end the conversation by simply saying
that she’ll call her travel agent right away and call Jumpei back Jumpei’s using those linguistic utterances either to make a request or to
appreciate Kyoko’s willingness is his facework that he is consistent with his face without threatening Kyoko’s face. Kyoko herself evaluates those utterances as
polite. However, the evaluation is potentially negative. Kyoko’s preference not mentioning what she says in score 2 and her simple answer in score 4 are
indications of her not feeling comfortable with the atmosphere of the conversation, which is full of polite but ambiguous expressions that Kyoko finds
it difficult to express herself in her own way.
Data 2: Kyoko
: “But how could these people have known what to do?”
CONTRADICTION POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
A Japanese friend : “You didn’t tell them. They should have done it without
being asked. It’s no good if I have to spell things out to them. They should have
SCOPE-STATERS OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
been more sensitive.”
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In score 1, Kyoko’s but tries to show the contradiction between people’s
way of making request and their wish that their request would be fulfilled. As a response to this politic way of asking question, Kyoko’s Japanese friend uses the
scope-stater It’s no good if, which is appropriate to save her face, as part of these
people, without threatening Kyoko’s face. Since this utterance carries out positve face, it is open to interpretation as polite.
Data 3:
1
Michiko : “Hirohata-cho is that near Itami station?”
2
Mariko : “Yes. About ten minutes north, on foot. Please come and visit us. I am
RITUALIZED EXPRESSION OPEN TO THE INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
home every afternoon, except on Wednesday. If you would call from the station,
POLITENESS MARKER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
I would be very happy to come and meet you there.”
3
Michiko : “You are welcome to visit here any time, too.
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
You already know where I live, but here is my address anyway.
APPEALER +
CONTRADICTION + DISOCURSE MARKER
OPEN TO
INTERPRETATION AS
POLITE
4
Mariko : “I will look forward to seeing you.”
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE 6
….
6
Kyoko : “Are you really going to have Michiko over to your house?”
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS LINGUISTIC POLITENESS
7
Kenichi : “We didn’t mean to be insincere, but we don’t really expect her to
FOREWARNING INTENSIFIER
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
come to our house.”
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8
Kyoko : “So you were just being polite?”
NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF KENICHI’S STATEMENT NON-POLITIC
POTENTIALLY IMPOLITE
9
Kenichi : “Of course.”
BOOSTER POLITIC BEHAVIOR
This conversation is carried out some minutes before Kyoko and her aunt and uncle, Mariko and Kenichi, leave Michiko’s house. As a host, Michiko opens
the leave-taking conversation by asking Mariko about Hirohatha-cho. In her
response to Michiko’s question, Mariko uses the ritualized expression please,
which is open to interpretation as polite. This attempt to be polite is emphasized
by the politeness marker If you would. As Michiko also evaluates these linguistic
utterances this way, she pays Mariko’s politeness by making use the appealer
You already know
in score 3. It functions to indicate the sense of solidarity that
they have shared knowledge. Michiko’s discourse marker anyway in the end of
her payment turns the politic behavior into an utterance which is open to interpretation as polite. These linguistic utterancesis evaluated positively and thus
paid with polite expression I will look forward to seeing you.
In score 5, Kyoko’s question whether Mariko was really going to have Michiko over to their house is a clue that she knows something wrong about the
relationship between her aunt and uncle and her step mother. She could have
directly said You are not really going to have Michiko come to your house.
Her decision to ask a question is, thus, open to interpretation as polite. As Kenichi realizes that Kyoko is trying to know the truth in a polite way, he pays the
politeness and reveals the truth with the forewarning We didn’t mean to be
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insincere, but . Unfortunately, at this point, Kyoko evaluates this payment
negatively by directly concluding that her uncle and aunt were just being polite. Since this conclusion threatens Kenichi’s face, it is open to interpretation as
impolite. Kenichi’s booster, Of course, in score 9, is the politic behavior and
evidence that Kenichi recognizes the negative evaluation, but cannot deny it.
Chapter II: Data 4:
1
Kenichi : “I was amazed by how much you could remember.”
POSITIVE FACEWORK OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
2
Kyoko : “Of course I remember a lot.”
COMMITER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
3
Kenichi : “There’s one thing I felt really bad about.”
FOMULAIC STRUCTURE INTENSIFIER
POLITIC BEHAVIOR
4
Kyoko : “What was that?”
5
Kenichi : “Remember those diaries your mother kept when she was in high
school? There were many of them, in those glossy, yellow notebooks.”
6
Kyoko : “Yes. I have them.”
7
Kenichi : “But you don’t have all the volumes. Do you know why?”
CONTRADICTION FORMULAIC STRUCTURE
POLITIC BEHAVIOR POLITIC BEHAVIOR
8
Kyoko : shook her head
9
Kenichi : “When your mother finished high school and was in Kobe, working as
a secretary, I was living in that house in the country with your grandparents and your aunt Keiko. We were just kids. Those diaries were already in the attic then.
When I was in grade school, I found them there. The notebooks had such beautiful
white paper—thick and glossy. I was only eight or nine, you have to remember.
GROUNDER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
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I tore the pages out and made paper airplanes. Everyday, I would sit on top of the stairs, tear out page after page of your mother’s diary, and fold paper airplanes. I
watched them flying down the stairs. I got pretty good at folding planes. Some of them went quite long away. That’s how a couple of those notebooks got lost.
When I read your novel, I remembered that and felt so bad.
I can’t believe how stupid I was as a kid.”
SCOPE-STATER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
10
Kyoko : “Don’t worry about it. Your telling me about it now makes for
CAJOLER POLITIC BEHAVIOR
everything.” In score 1, Kenichi notices his interest to Kyoko’s being able to remember
a lot about her mother. Since this utterance carries out positive facework, it is open to interpretation as polite. As a response to this polite utterance, Kyoko uses
the booster Of course. In score 3, Kenichi uses linguistic utterance to express his
feeling of guilty. This expression leads these two participant to a smooth
conversation until, in score 7, Kenichi uses the contradiction but to take Kyoko
closer to the truth that she does not have all the volumes. In score 9, in his a quite long narration about his past when he did something wrong that he regrets now,
Kenichi uses the grounder I was only eight or nine before threatening Kyoko’s
face by asking her to remember this. And, in the end of the narration Kenichi uses
the scope-stater I can’t believe how stupid I was as a kid to illustrate the
intensity of his regret. These two linguistic utterances have been appropriate to express her feeling, but not yet interpreted as polite. however, as Kyoko evaluates
those utterances positively, she tries to restore the harmony and with the cajoler
Don’t worry about it . This utterance is open to interpretation as polite since it
carries out positive facework.
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Chapter III: Data 5:
1
Akiko : “I don’t feel very well this morning. I’m going to lie down for a while.”
INTENSIFIER POLITIC BEHAVIOR
2
Kyoko : “Are you all right? What’s the medicine for?
FORMULAIC STRUCTURE POLITIC BEHAVIOR
3
Akiko : “My liver.”
4
Kyoko : “You still have problems with your liver?”
5
Akiko : nodded
6
Kyoko : “Do you know what’s wrong?”
FORMULAIC STRUCTURE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
7
Akiko : “Oh, nothing much.”
HESITATOR OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
8
Kyoko : “But you said you didn’t feel well.”
CONTRADICTION + REFERENCE POLITIC BEHAVIOR
NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF AKIKO’S UTTERANCE
9
Akiko : “I don’t feel that bad, my doctor doesn’t want me to get too run down.
JUSTIFICATION POLITIC BEHAVIOR
‘Anytime you feel tired,’ he told me, ‘go lie down for a few hour at least.’ He says I can’t expect to be the same as before.”
10
Kyoko : “How do you mean? You can’t be the same as before what?”
FURTHER EVIDENCE OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION POLITIC BEHAVIOR
11
Akiko : “That surgery really took a lot out of me.”
INTENSIFIER POLITIC BEHAVIOR
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12
Kyoko : “But the surgery was three years ago.”
CONTRADICTION FURTHER EVIDENCE OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION
13
Akiko : “At my age and with my problems, I’m lucky if I can be up and active
for a couple of days and then lie down and rest the next day. My doctor tells me to be careful. ‘Either you learn to take it easy at home,’ he threatens me, ‘or I’ll
make you check in and rest in the hospital.”
In score 2, Kyoko’question Are you all right? is a politic behavior
appropriate to respond Akiko’s statement. In score 3, Akiko leaves the question untouched and only answers the second question. In score 6, Kyoko asks Akiko
what’s wrong with her. The answer to this question is initiated with the hesitator
Oh . This utterance is open to interpretation as polite since Kyoko understands that
Akiko is trying to save her face by not giving trouble to Kyoko. This value of the answer, however is doubted by Kyoko as, in score 8, she uses the contradiction
But and referential you said to show her negative evaluation. Akiko’s
justification in score 9 is the evidence of her being aware of Kyoko’s negative evaluation. Still, in score 10, Kyoko keeps showing her negative evaluation of
Akiko’s justification with the expression How do you mean? This question
forces Akiko to tell Kyoko exactly what was wrong with her liver. The intensifier
really functions to upgrade the sense that she indeed has serious problem with her
liver. As Akiko’s two previous answer contradict to her new one and what Kyoko
knows, she uses another but in score 12, which is further evidence of her negative
evaluation of Akiko’s statement.
Data 6:
1
Kazumi : “It seems like a long time since her first surgery, though, that was six
years ago. I thought she was going to die then.”
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2
Kyoko : “She recovered very well after that, right?”
APPEALERS POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
3
Kazumi : “Yes.”
4
Kyoko : “How did you know she had cancer?”
FORMULAIC STRUCTURE POLITIC BEHAVIOR
5
Kazumi : “After the surgery the doctor said to me, ‘Well, it might have been
DISCOURSE MARKER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
cancer, but whatever it was, it’s all gone.’”
6
Kyoko : “Might have been?”
EVIDENCE OF NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF DR’S UTTERANCE
7
Kazumi : “That’s how he put it, anyway. I told my mother what he said, and she
DISCOURSE MARKER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
didn’t say much about it.”
8
….
9
Kazumi : “I’m so glad you were able to see my mother last year when we all had
POSITIVE FACEWORK OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
dinner in Kobe. She was still very healthy then. You were able to see her then.” This conversation is carried out in a restaurant, a year after Kazumi’s
mother, Akiko, died from cancer. In score 2, Kyoko uses the apealer right? to
elicit confirmation of Kazumi’s statement in score 1. In score 5, Kazumi quotes a
statement from the doctor, who used the discourse marker well to tell Kazumi that
her mother might have had cancer. This utterance is open to interpretation as polite because, however, it is is directly criticized by Kyoko as she evaluates this
utterance negatively. In score 7, Kazumi himself uses another discourse marker
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anyway to politically answer Kyoko’s question in score 6. This conversation is
ended with a polite expression from Kazumi that he’s glad Kyoko was able to see her mother before the day she died. This expression is open to interpretation as
polite since it carries out positive facework and indicates solidarity and intimacy between speaker and hearer.
Data 7:
1
Michiko: “I need your signature .”
GROUNDER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
2
….
3
Michiko : “The bank won’t give me any cash until the account’s changed over
into my name. Isn’t that ridiculous? While your father was alive, I was the one
POLITIC BEHAVIOUR INVITING AGREEMENT BY THE ADDRESSEE
who went to the bank to make deposits and withdrawals. They knew who I was and never gave me trouble. But now that he is gone, they froze the account. They
won’t let me withdraw any money until you’ve signed this statement. I can’t even go to the store until I get more money.”
4
….
5
Michiko : “As soon as I get some cash, I’d like to pay for your plane fare.”
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
6
Kyoko : “You don’t have to. I came here because I wanted to, not because I
NON-POLITIC POTENTIALLY IMPOLITE
thought you would give me the money.”
7
….
8
Michiko : “I’m so angry at the people at the bank. They shouldn’t trouble us with
INTENSIFIER
paperwork at a time like this. They called only a day after your father passed away and wanted me to pick up the papers. I was so mad I couldn’t go. Your poor
INTENSIFIER
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brother had to go for me.” In score 1, Michiko uses the grounder without any FTA following the
utterance. In score 3, Michiko uses the appealer to invite Kyoko’s agreement with her low opinion of the bank. However, as her first utterance, her second utterance
does not either receive any response from Kyoko. In score 5, Michiko finally decides to be polite by making Kyoko a promise that she will pay her plane fare.
To Michiko’s surprise, this polite behavior is evaluated negatively by Kyoko, who explicitly refuse Michiko’s idea. The two participants are silent for a while until in
score 8, Michiko is back to the main problem, i.e. about the bank. By the use of
intensifier so, she politically expresses her feeling about the bank. Data 8:
1
Keiko
: “I went to see a doctor about six months ago because I had trouble eating and I was always tired. I thought he was going to say there was nothing wrong
with me except the normal signs of aging—after all, I am almost sixty. But the doctor kept asking me to come back for more tests, and each time I saw him, he
was more vague about what the tests for. So I knew. I knew it was something very serious, anyway.”
2
Kyoko : “You know right away?”
3
Keiko : “Everyone knows. It’s silly to pretend.”
AGENT AVOIDER +
SCOPE-STATER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
4
Kenichi : “Your aunt is brave.”
POSITIVE FACEWORK OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
5
Keiko : “I don’t think so. If anything I was a coward. I made the doctor explain
HEDGE POLITIC BEHAVIOR
exactly what was wrong with me. I told him it was no use trying to keep a secret from me since I had already made my husband promise that he would tell me
everything.”
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6
Mr. Maeshiba : “Keiko and I made a promise to each other a long time ago. If
she had a terminal disease and the doctor told me, I would tell her—and she would do the same for me. We wouldn’t keep a secret from each other. The doctor
told me that I had cancer and it had spread quite a lot.
7
Akiko : “I made him explain the various types of surgery and medication that
were available to remove or slow down the cancer. I found out that if he performed the surgery—which was what he wanted to do—he would be removing
a large portion of my stomach and liver. More than likely, the cancer would keep growing, so the doctor would have to remove more later. I didn’t want to be
slowly chopped to death like that. I said, ‘No surgery,’ even though the doctor was shocked by my choice. My decision has nothing to do with being brave. I
couldn’t stand the idea of someone cutting me up just to prolong my life by a few months.”
8
Kyoko : Couldn’t say anything
9
Akiko : “I don’t want to be tired and forgetful, the way people get with pain pills.
I don’t want to be all drugged up. I want to be able to think clearly till the end.
Let’s stop this depressing talk. I have said enough.”
GROUNDER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
10
Mr. Maeshiba : “Yes. We don’t want you to visit our house and feel sad.”
11
….
12
Kenichi : “I don’t think I could face my death so easily. Maybe I’ve been too
COMMITER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
unkind about Keiko’s religion . Her faith must give her courage—but she was
FOREWARNING CONTRADICTION
POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
always a courageous person anyway. It isn’t just the religion.”
DISCOURSE MARKER + INTENSIFIER POTENTIALLY OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS LINGUISTIC POLITENESS
In score 3, Keiko uses the agent avoider everyone and the scope-stater it’s silly
to implicitly acknowledges that she knows about her illness right away. In score 4, Kenichi makes an utterance noticing her interest to Keiko. This utterance
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is open to interpretation as polite because it carries out positve facework. However, this polite utterance is denied by Keiko. In score 9, Keiko uses the
grounder to asks all the participants in the conversation to stop talking about what she call depressing talk.
In score 12, Kenichi uses the committer I don’t think, which is the politic behavior appropriate to the situation, before he politely express his positive
opinion about Keiko’s faith. Here, the forewarning, which is actually politic
behavior, is open to interpretation as polite because the discourse marker anyway,
provides extra value that enables Kenichi to acknowledges Keiko’s bravery to face her death.
Chapter IV: Data 9:
1
Akiko : “We need flower for hotoke-sama. We want something with pretty
GROUNDER GROUNDER
POLITIC BEHAVIOR POLITIC BEHAVIOR
colors. Give me a few of those roses to begin with.”
FTA
2
The man : “Are you sure? You said this was for hotoke-sama.”
FORMULAIC STRUCUCTURE + REFERENTIAL OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
3
Akiko : “Oh, it’s been a long time. Not a recent death.”
HESITATOR OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
4
Kyoko : “It’s for someone who loved pretty flowers.”
In score 1, Akiko uses two grounders We need flower …. We want something
… before she asks the man to give the flower. These two linguistic utterances, which function to minimize the threat that might arise from the FTA
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give me, have been appropriate to the situation. In score 2, the man uses the
formulaic linguisitic structure and the referential you said to politely give a clue
that Akiko might have made mistake in choosing the flower. This attempt is understood by Kyoko. However, he denies the doubt and through the hesitator in
score 3, she pays the politeness tells the man that that she is not making mistake and she has reason why she chooses that flower. As Kyoko realizes the reason is
vague she, in score 4, says that the flower is for someone who loves pretty colors.
Chapter V: Data 10:
1
Akiko : “Oh, no. Okiyo-san was his lover long before Michiko. She was the
HESITATOR POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
woman who lived in Mizushima.
2
Kyoko
: She lived in Mizushima? Is that the woman who used to send us peaches?”
3
Akiko : nodded
4
Kyoko : “I remember those peaches. I had no idea that they were from my
COMMITER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
father’s lover.”
5
Akiko : “Your father was seeing Okiyo-san long before you two were born. She
lived in Mizushima and owned a bar your father went to when he was in town on business. That’s how he met her. Pretty soon, he was telling all his friends from
work to visit the bar when they were in Mizushima. ‘She’s a special friend of mine,’ he told them, making no secret of their affair. After your mother was gone,
he would have married Okiyo-san if she hadn’t already been married. She had a husband, though he was seldom in town because he was a sailor. Okiyo-san
wanted to divorce him and marry your father, but your father couldn’t risk his reputation by marrying a divorced woman. He married Michiko even though she
had only been his lover for two or three years instead of fifteen or sixteen.
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So I guess for a while before your mother’s death, your father had two lovers.
HEDGE + COMMITER OPEN TO INTERPREATATION AS POLITE
mother said that both of them called the house and got upset if he was gone—your mother was laughing and crying at the same time when she told me. ‘Now I’ve
got two women looking for him,’ she said.”
In score 1, Kyoko uses the hesitator oh before she reject Kyoko’s perception about her father’s affair. Rather different from the no in data 9 score 3,
the hesitator here is not open to interpretation as polite since it is not aimed at
protecting or saving anyone’s face. In score 4, Kyoko uses the committer I had no idea
to express that she still doubts the fact that the peaches are from her father’s lover. This doubt is immediately responded by Akiko who makes a short narration
about her father’s affair. This narration is closed with the committer I guess to
politely say that she knows that Kyoko’s father had two lovers. Her decision not to directly says that Kyoko’s father had two lover is aimed at minimizing the
threat that might arise from the utterance. Therefore, this utterance is open to
interpretation as polite. Chapter VI:
Data 11:
1
Hiroko : “Did you know that Nobuko has gotten married? About a year ago.
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
Nobuko decided to get married.”
2
Kyoko : “To whom?”
3
Hiroko : “She had no one in mind. But she quit her job so she could put all her
efforts into finding a suitable husband. She and her mother looked at stacks of resumes from older men looking for a wife.
4
….
5
Hiroko : “Nobuko and her mother didn’t find anyone by asking their family
friends, so they consulted an omiai-arranging service. They must have looked at
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hundred of resumes. They were looking for a well-to-do older man in Kobe or Osaka.”
6
Kyoko : “What do you mean older?”
INTERRUPTION NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF HIROKO’S UTTERANCE NON-POLITIC
POTENTIALLY IMPOLITE
7
Hiroko : “Late forties, fifties, sixties. There are not many young men younger
than forty-five who are widowers.”
8
Kyoko : “But there must have been some men our ages who were single because
CONTRADICTION POLITIC BEHAVIOR
they’d never married.”
9
Hiroko : “Sure, but those men who have never been married because they have
BOOSTER + CONTRADICTION OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
health problems, or they aren’t settling down type, or their mothers are too domineering. Men like those don’t make a lot of money, and they don’t make
good husbands. Nobuko and her mother were looking for reliable men who had been married once and then widowed. She didn’t quit her job only to marry a
playboy, a mommy’s boy, or an invalid. Anyway, Nobuko got lucky. She found a
DISCOURSE MARKER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
business executive of a trading company whose wife had passed away a couple of years ago. He was younger than most—in his late forties—and both of his kids
were already in college, so she doesn’t have to raise someone else’s kids. It was by fat the best situation.”
10
Kyoko : “Have you met her husband?”
11
Hiroko : “No. My husband and I were still in Chicago when they got married.
Soon afterward, Nobuko’s husband got transferred to New York, so they moved there. I didn’t get a chance to meet him or to say goodbye to Nobuko.”
12
Kyoko : “Have you heard from her? Is she happy?”
13
Hiroko : didn’t answer
14
Kyoko : “At least she’ll get use to her English.”
HEDGE POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
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15
Hiroko : “I know. That’s one of the reasons the man wanted to marry her. Even
COMMITTER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
when he was stationed in Osaka, he worked mostly with Americans and Europeans. … She’s mart. She can talk about anything.”
16
….
17
Hiroko : “Nobuko had to hurry because it was the last chance for her to be
married. Time was running out.”
18
Kyoko : “Why? You said she was only looking to be a second wife to someone
REFERENTIAL POLITIC BEHAVIOR
older. A second wife almost never has her own kids. She could have waited ten, fifteen years to be an old man’s wife.”
19
Hiroko : “Oh, come on. Nobody marries a woman over forty, even if he doesn’t
HESITATOR + APPEALER + AGENT AVOIDER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
plan to have a child with her. Nobuko didn’t have that much time.”
20
Kyoko : “All right. So let’s say she was getting too old and didn’t have much
HEDGE +
APPEALER INTENSIFIER
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
time. But I still don’t understand. Why did she want to get married at all?
CONTRADICTION +
COMMITER POLITIC BEHAVIOR OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
I thought she was happy working for Hilton.”
COMMITER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
21
Hiroko : “It was a good job, I’m sure. But Nobuko worked so hard everyday
COMMITER + CONTRADICTION INTENSIFIER
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
All she did was work—even her travels for work. That must have been such an empty feeling—to have nothing but your work.”
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This informal conversation is between Kyoko and her another Japanese friend, Hiroko. In score 1, Hiroko invites Kyoko to the conversation by asking
Kyoko whether or not she knows that Nobuko has gotten married. Since Hiroko
could have said Nobuko has gotten married, which is still appropriate to open an
informal conversation, Hiroko’s question is open to interpretation as polite. The conversation goes smoothly until, in score 6, Kyoko makes an interruption, asking
Hiroko what she means by the word older. This interruption is evidence of her negative evaluation of Hiroko’s utterance. In score 8, Kyoko makes another
interruption showing contradiction between her idea and Hiroko’s statement. This
interruption is politely responded by the booster sure and the contradiction but. At this point it is Hiroko’s sure which makes the utterance interpreted as polite.
Before she comes to the statement showing the fact which is contradictory to Kyoko’s idea and thus might threaten her face, Hiroko first supports Kyoko’s
idea. Meanwhile the discourse marker anyway is the politic behavior to say that
Nobuko is lucky that she got a business executive to be her husband. In score 13,
Kyoko makes uses the hedge at least to express her wish for Nobuko’s lucky.
This utterance is open to interpretation as polite since it is possibly used as supportive facework to restore the harmony between her and Hiroko, who decides
not to answer Kyoko’s questions in score 12. This wish, again, is supported by
Hiroko by the committer I know. In score 17, Kyoko uses the referential you said to make the question why,
appropriate to the situation. This negative evaluation is politely responded by
Hiroko’s by the hesitator oh, the appealer come one and agent avoider Nobody to
say that Nobuko also does not want to marry a man over forty. Here, it is the
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combination of the hesitator and the appealer which make the interpretation open to interpretation as polite since, if only Hiroko does not use these two EPMs, the
utterance is still appropriate to the situation. In score 19, Kyoko uses the hedge all right
to agrees with Hiroko’s statement. This is immediately followed by the
appealer claiming for common ground let’s say and the intensifier too old before
she politely shows the contradiction between the fact and her perception that Nobuko enjoyed her job. Here, it is the combination between the contradiction
and the committer which makes the utterance interpreted as polite since, even without these EPMs, the utterance is still appropriate to the situation. However,
this perception is politely denied by Hiroko as in score 20, she uses the committer
I’m sure to say that she agrees with Kyoko that the job is good before she shows
that Nobuko did not really enjoy the job.
Chapter VII: Data 12:
1
Kazumi : “When I took my first class from a Dutch teacher in Osaka, I had to
learn about colors. … We had never been taught about the color wheel or the complementary colors.”
2
Kyoko : “Colors aren’t important in ikebana?”
NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF KAZUMI’S UTTERANCE
3
Kazumi : “Not really.”
COMMITER SUPPORTIVE FACEWORK
POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
Kyoko’s question in score 2 is evidence of her negative evaluation of
Kazumi’s statement. Since Kyoko could have said Are colors not important in ikebana?
, her decision not to ask in this way is less appropriate and thus potentially impolite. As a response to this negative evaluation, Kazumi uses the
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committer Not really, which is the politic behavior appropriate to save his face
that he has given a low appreciation over his own culture.
Data 13:
1
Kazumi : “Well, everyone has faults. Faults and regrets—they are big parts of
DISCOURSE MARKER + AGENT AVOIDER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
everyone’s life.
2
Kyoko : “That’s true. We all regret something in our lives.”
POSITIVE FACEWORK + AGENT AVOIDER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS LINGUISTIC POLITENESS
In score 1, Kazumi successes in using two linguistic utterances open to interpretation as polite. They are open to interpretation as polite because both the
discourse marker Well and the agent avoider everyone are more than needed to respond Kyoko’s previous statement Kazumi could have only said Everyone has
faults and regrets without threatening Kyoko’s face. In score 2, Kyoko manages
to pays the politeness with positive facework That’s true. The agent avoider We all
has the same function with Kazumi’s everyone, i.e. to avoid Kyoko from
threatening Kazumi’s face. As these two linguistic utterances are also more than needed to make an appropriate response, they are also open to interpretation as
polite.
Data 14:
1
Michiko : “So I suppose you will be staying at Akiko’s house.”
COMMITERS OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
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2
Kyoko : “Of course I will stay at aunt Akiko’s. Listen, I called because I want to
BOOSTER APPEALER
POLITIC BEHAVIOR POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
speak to my brother. When will he be home?” This conversation is carried out via telephone before Kyoko makes a visit
to Japan. In score 1, Michiko’s committer I suppose functions to modify her
statement that Kyoko will be staying at Akiko’s house. Since this utterance
Kyoko’s response in score 2 uses the committer Of course to emphasize that she indeed will stay at her aunt’s house. Meanwhile, the appealer Listen functions to
invite and lead Michiko to the point of the conversation that she calls because she wants to speak to her brother. These three linguistic utterances have been
appropriate to the situation. However, as they are the least appropriate not to threaten another’s face, it is not interpreted as polite.
Chapter VIII: Data 15:
1
Michiko : “I can’t believe that you don’t know how to do this.
SCOPE-STATER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
2
Kyoko : “What do you mean? What am I doing wrong?”
NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF MICHIKO’S UTTERANCE NON-POLITIC
POTENTIALLY IMPOLITE
3
Michiko : “If I have to tell you, then it’s no good. I can’t show you something
SCOPE-STATER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
you should already know.
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4
Kyoko : “Do you mean the way I am holding the broom or are you saying that I
CAJOLER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
should start over there instead of here?” This short conversation is carried out in Michiko’s house when Kyoko is
sweeping the floor. Michiko’s first scope-stater I can’t believe that, which is the
least appropriate linguistic utterance to express her disappointment is evaluated
negatively by Kyoko. Kyoko’s impolite question What do you mean in score 2 is
evidence of this negative evaluation. As Michiko realizes the negative evaluation
she another scope-stater it’s no good to make excuse for not telling Kyoko what
exactly she should do. This utterance is then open to interpretation as polite because it is aimed at avoiding conflict between Kyoko and her so that she does
not fail the line during the conversation. In score for Kyoko pays the politeness
and tries to restore the harmony with the cajoler Do you mean which is open to
interpretation as polite.
Chapter IX: Data 16:
1
Mrs. Kuzuha : “You came running to me every time you and Tadashi had a fight.
You’d say, ‘Obachan, Tadashi said a mean thing to me, Tadashi won’t let me read his book,’ and you’d cry. I always took your side and told Tadashi to be more
considerate. You were cute. I envied your mother for having a daughter as well as a son.
2
Kyoko : “You envied her for having a couple of crybabies as kids?”
NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF MRS KUZUHA’S UTTERANCE POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
3
Mrs. Kuzuha : “No. You were both such nice children.”
DENIAL SUPPORTIVE FACEWORK POLITIC BEHAVIOR OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
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In score 1, Mrs. Kuzuha tells Kyoko about the past when Kyoko, Jumpei and Tadashi were children. Mrs. Kuzuha said that Kyoko and Jumpei used to run
to her every time Tadashi made them cry. In the end of her story, Mrs. Kuzuha states that she envies Kyoko’s mother for having children like them. In score 2,
Kyoko asks a question whether Mrs. Kuzuha envies her mother for having crybabies. This question indicates Kyoko’s negative evaluation of Mrs. Kuzuha
statement, which is ambiguous. In score 3, this negative evaluation is immediately
denied by Mrs. Kuzuha with No, which is followed by a justification that both
Kyoko and Jumpei were such nice children. The denial is politic behavior appropriate to respond Kyoko’s negative evaluation. Meanwhile, the justification
is supportive facework aimed at saving Mrs. Kuzuha’s face. Since this utterance carries out positive facework to Kyoko, it is open to interpretation as polite.
Data 17:
1
Mrs. Kuzuha : “Kyoko has become a vegetarian. She doesn’t eat any meat or
fish. If she didn’t look so healthy, I would be worried about her eating habits.”
2
Tadashi : “I’m not surprised. Kyoko, you were always such a picky eater.”
RITUALIZED EXPRESSION INTERPRETED AS POLITE
3
Kyoko : “You remember my being a picky eater?”
4
Tadashi : “How can I forget? You were terrible at meals. You’d sit there and
NEGATIVE FACEWORK NON-POLITIC
POTENTIALLY IMPOLITE
picking at your food and whimpering. I used to think, ‘Wow, my mother would make me sit at the table until I finished. How does she get away with being so
spoiled?’”
5
Kyoko : “Yes, but you’re the total opposite. You could eat anything.”
CONTRADICTION
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6
Tadashi : “You made fun of Jumpei for being a crybaby. But you were ten
FOREWARNING POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
times worse at meals
.
In score 1, Mrs. Kuzuha tells Tadashi that Kyoko has become a vegetarian. This news, however, does not make Tadashi surprised. In score 2, Tadashi uses
Kyoko’s first name to call her before making comment on Kyoko’s being a picky eater. The use of the first name is open to interpretation as polite since it indicates
intimacy between speaker and hearer. In score 4, Tadashi makes further comment which threatens Kyoko’s face and thus open to interpretation as impolite. In score
5, Kyoko first supports this comment before pays Tadashi’s negative facework with a contradicition which shows that Tadashi was the total opposite who could
eat anything. In score 6, Tadashi uses forewarning You made fun of Jumpei for being a crybaby. But
…. before carrying out another negative facework. Data 18:
1
Keiko : “You always have such a cold hand, just like your mother.”
INTENSIFIER INTENSIFIER
2
Mariko
: “It’s a sign of a warm heart.”
3
…..
4
Kyoko : “It was good to see you.”
RITUALIZED EXPRESSION OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
5
Keiko : “Be well”
SEMI-FORMULAIC EXPRESSION OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
5
Kyoko : “I’ll be thinking of you.”
SEMI-FORMULAIC EXPRESSION OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
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6
….
7
Keiko : “Thank you for coming to see me.”
RITUALIZED EXPRESSION OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
8
….
9
Kenichi : “That’s all right. You were always such a sensitive kid. Your mother
CAJOLER INTENSIFIER
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
used to worry about you.”
10
Kyoko : “I’m not like that anymore.”
JUSTIFICATION POLITIC BEHAVIOR
11
Kenichi : “You want to listen to some music?”
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
12
Kyoko : “Sure.”
BOOSTER OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
In score 1, Keiko uses two intensifiers such a and just to emphasize her
notice of interest and compare Kyoko to her late mother. In score 2, these linguistic utterances are supported by Mariko who says that a cold hand is a sign
of warm heart. In score 3, all the participants are silent for a while until Kyoko
makes a leave-taking expression by saying it was good to see you. This polite expression is paid with Keiko’s another polite expression Be well. In score 6,
Kyoko says that she will be thinking of Keiko. As this linguistic utterance is more than just an answer to Keiko’s politeness, it is interpreted as polite. There is
another silent in score 7. This silence ends when Keiko manages to use the
ritualized expression thank you to appreciate Kyoko’s visit.
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In score 9, Kenichi says that’s all right which is appropriate to break the
silence occurs as they leave Keiko’s house. This politic behavior is followed by a
statement containing the intensifier such a to make his opinion of Kyoko’s being
sensitive stronger. However, this statement is denied by Kyoko. As Kenichi recognize this denial, he tries not to destroy the harmony by offering Kyoko to
listen to music. Kenichi decision to ask Kyoko whether or not she wants to listen
to some music is the polite behavior. Meanwhile, Kyoko’s sure is open to
interpretation as polite since besides to say yes, she implies that she agrees not to continue the conversation and just listen to some music..
Chapter X: Data 19:
1
Michiko : “You won’t believe what happened this afternoon. Mrs. Kuzuha called
FOREWARNING POLITIC BEHAVIOR
and she is furious with all of us.”
2
Kyoko : “What?”
NON-POLITIC
3
Michiko : “Mrs. Kuzuha was upset at your father for yelling at her son’s friend,
but she wasn’t too happy with you, either. She kept saying that you used to be such a nice girl and now you aren’t because I must not be doing a good job.”
In score 1, the forewarning You won’t believe is the politic behavior
appropriate to the situation, before Michiko tells something that may threaten
Kyoko’s face. Kyoko’s reflexive response what? is evidence of offense arises
either from Michiko’s impoliteness or the information.
Data 20:
1
Mrs. Kuzuha : “Can you come to visit me? I’ll come and get you in my car.
CONSULTATIVE DEVICE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
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We should have dinner.”
GROUNDER OPEN TO INTERPRATATION AS POLITE
2
Kyoko : “Of course.”
COMMITER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
This conversation between Kyoko and Mrs. Kuzuha is performed via telephone and intended to end the misunderstanding between them. In score 1,
Mrs. Kuzuha uses the consultative device can you to ask Kyoko to visit her. This
utterance is open to interpretation as polite since through this utterance Mrs. Kazumi does not directly ask Kyoko to come. Instead, she asks Kyoko first
whether or not she could come. The grounder We should have dinner is also interpreted as polite since it could have been replaced by I want to have dinner
with you, which is still appropriate to the situation. In score 2, this polite
invitation is replied by Kyoko with the committer of course, which is also open to
interpretation as polite. Through this utterance, Kyoko does not only give an answer to Mrs. Kuzuha’s question, but also shows the fact that there is not any
reason for her not to come and visit Mrs. Kuzuha.
Data 21:
1
Kyoko : “Why would my father say nothing about meeting the Kuzuhas when I
POLITIC BEHAVIOR
especially asked him about them?”
2
Akiko : “I don’t know why your father was rude, but in a way, I understand.
POLITIC BEHAVIOR CONTRADICTION + DISCOURSE MARKER
SUPPORTIVE FACEWORK OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
Mrs. Kuzuha hasn’t always been fair to you. Your father told me what happened.”
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….
3
Kyoko : “But I never wrote any letters.”
CONTRADICTION + JUSTIFICATION
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
4
Akiko : “You didn’t?”
5
Kyoko : I can’t even remember that boy’s name. I only met him that one time
INTENSIFIER
with Mrs. Kuzuha and never thought of him.”
6
Akiko : “You never sent him one postcard?
7
Kyoko : “Why would I? I had nothing to say to him. Think about it, Aunt
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE APPEALER +
DEFERENTIAL OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
Akiko. Why would I write love letters to a boy I only met once? Especially when that boy was Makoto’s roommate. How embarrassing.”
NON-POLITIC
8
Akiko : “I didn’t think it was odd. I was a little surprised when your father told
COMMITER UNDERSTATER
POLITIC BEHAVIOR
me.”
9
Kyoko : “Believe me. I never even thought about that boy, much less wrote to
APPEALER POLITIC BEHAVIOR
him.”
10
Akiko : “I believe you. I feel bad now that I was so foolish.”
COMMITTER INTENSIFIER
POLITIC BEHAVIOUR POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
11
Kyoko : Don’t blame yourself, Aunt Akiko. Michiko is a pretty good liar.”
CAJOLER +
RITUALIZED EXPRESSION UNDERSTATER
OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
This conversation is between Kyoko and her aunt Akiko. In score 1, Kyoko way of asking question is the politic behavior appropriate to the situation.
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In score 2, this politic question is answered with I don’t know why…, but in a way…
to politely claim that Kyoko’s father was rude. This utterance is open to interpretation as polite because, through this utterance, Akiko does not explicitly
express her low opinion of Kyoko’s father. In order to save her face, Akiko combines the contradiction and the dicourse marker. In score 3, Kyoko makes a
polite justification that she never wrote any letter. In score 5, she uses the
intensifier only when she talks about her meeting with the boy. In score 7, the utterance why would I is open to interpretation as polite since it gives more
information than another answer like never. Through this utterance, Kyoko
invites her aunt to think that there is not any reason for her to write such a letter. She further tries to restore the harmony by seeking agreement with her non-politic
expression How embarrassing through the appealer think about it and the ritualized expression Aunt Akiko, which are open to interpretation as polite. This
attempt is understood by Akiko as, in score 8, she uses the committer I didn’t think so
. to say that writing a love letter is not an embarrassing thing. The
understater a little is evidence that she never thought that far—she was just
surprised. In score 9, Kyoko uses another appealer to make sure that she gets Akiko’s trust back. Finally, in score 10, Akiko says that that she believes in
Kyoko and that she regrets for being so foolish. The intensifier so functions to emphasize the sense of regret. In score 11, Kyoko uses the cajoler don’t blame
yourself and the ritualized expression Aunt Akiko to restore the harmony
politely. In the end of the conversation, Kyoko uses the understater a pretty to
soften her negative evaluation of Michiko’s behavior. It is the politic behavior appropriate to the situation.
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Chapter XI: Data 22:
1
A man : “The guy came to her apartment at midnight. He claimed that she
didn’t own her apartment, the damage that her boyfriend caused was against her landlord, not against her—because of this, the policeman said, she would not be
able to press charges. She went home in tears and called me.”
2
Kyoko : “What did you tell her?”
POLITIC BEHAVIOR
3
A man : “I didn’t know what to say. I gave her the number of the counselors at
POLITIC BEHAVIOR
The Tokyo Women’s Center. She hasn’t called yet.”
4
Mori : “Can’t she go back to the police station and report this policeman to his
PLAY-DOWN OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AS POLITE
supervisor?”
5
A man : “No. Policemen always stick together. She is afraid of getting on the
REJECTION
wrong side of them. The best solution for her is to go to the
FORMULAIC CLAUSE STRUCTURES POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
media. The media are usually sympathetic to the plight of women.
But I’m not sure if she can stand the publicity.”
CONTRADICTION + COMMITER POLITIC BEHAVIOUR
This conversation is between Kyoko and a Japanese man. They are talking about a woman who has been treated unfairly by the police. Kyoko’s question in
score 2 is the politic behavior appropriate to ask the man what he told the woman when she came to him. This politic way of asking question is paid with a politic
way of answering a question , as in score 3, the man uses the utterances I didn’t know
what to say. In score 4, Kyoko uses the negative interrogative play-down
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containing modal verb can’t she to tone-down the perlocutionary effect of the
utterance is likely to have on the addressee. Since this utterance provides more value than merely giving an idea, it is open to interpretation as polite. In score 5
the man directly rejects Kyoko’s idea with no. This rejection is followed by the formulaic clause structure The best solution for her is, which is appropriate to
the situation. Then, he closed the conversation with but and the committer I’m not sure,
through which he expresses his doubt that the woman can stand the publicity. The last three utterances are not open to interpretataion to polite because
they do not provide more values than answering a question or proposing idea.
4.2. Findings