Ms O’Neal : Whats the girl like?
Mrs. Taylor : Miss ONeal, go on, now. I gotta go to work. Next
Datum no. 9 The first pair part of the dialogue shows that Ms. O’Neal asks for more
information about Sabrina to Mrs. Taylor. Since Mrs. Taylor is very busy, she gives a dispreferred response to Ms. O’Neal’s question. In performing her
dispreferred response, she mentions an obligation by using the word “gotta” which is the non-standard form of “have to”. Mrs. Taylor’s statement “I gotta go
to work” is carried out as she wants to make Ms. O’Neal aware of a certain circumstance which prevents the occurrence of preferred response. In this context,
Mrs. Taylor refuses to talk more because she has an obligation to go to work and serve other costumers.
The conversation is performed by Mrs. Taylor and Ms. O’Neal when they are in Mrs. Taylor’s office. Hearing that Jason will get married soon, Ms. O’Neal
asks some questions about Sabrina with an expectation that the questions will be answered by Mrs. Taylor with clear information. Unfortunately, Mrs. Taylor does
not answer the question with relevant information. Instead, she performs a dispreferred response by ordering Ms. O’Neal to leave because the other
costumers have waited to be served.
6. Appealing for Understanding
In this movie, there are some occurrences of the dispreferred social act which are shown by appealing for understanding. The words “look”, “listen”, and
“you know” are generally used by a character in order to grab first speaker’s
sympathy related to his or her dispreferred response. An example of dispreferred social act by appealing for understanding is displayed as follows.
Sabrina : Are you two my parents?
Geneva : Sabrina, honey, listen. I was 16. Honey, your parents
were Honey, they were already married, you know?
It just made sense for them to take you.
Datum no. 49 Sabrina asks a question to Mrs. Watson with an expectation that it will be
answered by an expected answer. Yet, the question is replied by her aunt who unfortunately gives an unexpected answer as a dispreferred response. In
performing the dispreferred response, Geneva performs an expression of appealing for understanding to minimize the effect of dispreferred response. She
uses the clauses “you know” and “listen” in her statement to appeal Sabrina’s sympathy or understanding for her unexpected answer.
This scene takes place in the kitchen, a moment after Mrs. Taylor tells Sabrina that she is Mr. and Mrs. Watson’s adopted daughter. Sabrina asks Mrs.
Watson a question to know the truth about her parents. Unfortunately, Geneva reveals the fact that she is Sabrina’s real mother. Because it is apparently difficult
for Geneva to tell the truth, she performs some delays and appealing for understanding in her explanation.
7. Making a Non-Personal Reason
Several characters in the Jumping the Broom movie perform dispreferred social acts by inviting the first speaker to view other people or things. Thus, they
generally make a non personal reason by giving alternative information or another
choice. For instance, datum 4 shows that Amy makes a non-personal reason as a way to express her dispreferred response.
Sabrina : And I need to have a long table so we can all sit together like
one big, happy family. Amy
: That is gonna be so fun to do at the round tables I was told to order.
Sabrina : Silence
Datum no. 4 In this datum, Sabrina asks Amy to prepare a long table in the rehearsal
dinner and hopes that Amy’s response will be an acceptance. Unfortunately, Amy does not immediately accept the request. Instead, she makes a non personal reason
to show her dispreferred response by saying “that is gonna be so fun to do at the round tables”. From her statement, Amy tries to refuse the request and invite
Sabrina to view another option. In other words, she wants to inform Sabrina that her option is better than Sabrina’s choice by asking Sabrina to replace a long table
with round tables. The conversation occurs when Sabrina and Amy, a wedding organizer,
discuss the preparation of wedding. In their discussion, Sabrina asks Amy to prepare a long table so that all guests can sit together like a big and happy family.
Amy who disagrees with Sabrina’s idea suggests Sabrina to pick round tables instead of the long one. However, this suggestion cannot be accepted by Sabrina
as it is her wedding. It can be seen in Sabrina’s expression when she is suddenly silent as she does not like Amy’s suggestion.
8. Giving an Account
Giving an account is the most common realization of dispreferred social acts used by the characters in this movie. An account is considered as a statement
