Analysis of The Non-Observance of The Gricean Maxims That Leads to Humour in The Sitcom 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'.
ABSTRACT
Skripsi ini menyajikan analisis pelanggaran prinsip Grice yang dilakukan
sejumlah penutur dalam serial komedi Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Analisis tersebut
mencakup jenis-jenis maksim yang dilanggar oleh penutur dalam serial komedi
tersebut, implikatur dari kata-kata yang menunjukkan pelanggaran prinsip Grice,
serta bagaimana pelanggaran prinsip tersebut dapat menimbulkan efek humor.
Dalam menganalisis data yang dikumpulkan dari serial komedi tersebut,
saya menggunakan teori pelanggaran prinsip-prinsip maksim Grice (the Gricean
non-observance of maxims) dari buku karangan Jenny Thomas yang berjudul
Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics, dan untuk menganalisis
efek humor yang ditimbulkan dari pelanggaran prinsip maksim tersebut saya
menggunakan tiga teori humor: the Superiority Theory, the Incongruity Theory,
dan Raskin’s Theory of Scriptal Ambiguity.
Salah satu hasil analisis yang saya peroleh menunjukkan bahwa jenis
pelanggaran prinsip maksim yang paling banyak ditemukan adalah flouting of
maxims, sementara pelanggaran yang lain adalah infringing of a maxim dan
suspending a maxim. Teori humor yang paling banyak muncul dalam data yang
saya dapatkan adalah the Superiority Theory, yaitu jenis humor yang
menertawakan kemalangan orang lain.
ii
Maranatha Christian University
Dari hasil analisis yang berhasil saya lakukan, dapat saya simpulkan
bahwa serial komedi ini merupakan serial komedia yang berhasil dalam
menyuguhkan humor dalam bentuk pelanggaran prinsip Maxim.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................. ii
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study .......................................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem ......................................................................... 4
Purpose of the Study ................................................................................ 4
Method of Research ................................................................................. 4
Organization of the Thesis ....................................................................... 5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................. 6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF THE NON-OBSERVANCE
OF THE GRICEAN MAXIMS THAT LEADS TO HUMOR
IN THE SITCOM FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR ........................... 20
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS ............................................................ 55
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 60
APPENDIX ....................................................................................................... 62
iv
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDIX
No
1
2
3
Dialogue
Aunt Vive: Oh, my goodness! Let me
look at you. Turn around!
(Will turns around)
The last time we saw you,
you were this funny little boy,
now look at you. Oh my
goodness you are a man!
Will:
That was the plan.
Hillary:
Dad, I need three hundred
dollars.
Aunt Vive: Hillary, your cousin, Will, is
here.
Hillary:
(reluctantly turns to Will) Hi.
(turns back to Uncle Phil)
Dad, I need three hundred
dollars.
Uncle Phil: That‟s a lot of money,
Hillary. What for?
Hillary:
(sighs and drops all of her
shopping bags) I need a
new hat.
Uncle Phil: For what?! (exclaims)
Will:
(interrupts) Probably her
Head?
Uncle Phill: I'm getting the Urban
Spirit Award.
Aunt Vivian: Philip, we're so proud of
you.
Uncle Phil: The community leaders are
60
Type of nonType of
observance
Theory of
of the
Humor
maxim
Flouting the
The Scriptal
maxim of
Ambiguity
manner
Flouting the
maxim of
quantity
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Superiority
Theory
The Scriptal
Will:
Uncle Phil:
Will:
4
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
5
Will:
Hillary:
Will:
recognizing me for helping
our brothers and sisters on
the streets.
The only time you're on
the streets is when you're
waiting for the valet to
bring your car around.
Is that so, son? Let me tell
you something. The '63
March on Washington, I
was there. The „65
demonstrations at Selma, I
was there. The „65 Watts
Riots, l was there, too.
Seems to me every place
you go, trouble follows
Carlton, all I have to do is
walk in a mall, and I get
any girl I want.
It's the law of nature. It's
called “the Survival of the
Handsomest.”
Will, I don't even have to
step into the mall. Girls
surround me in the parking
lot and rip the doors off my
car.
Would you like to put your
money where your mouth
is?
A betting man.
I bet you that I get a date
and you don't.
This is a sucker bet, Will.
Within an hour, I'll have a
gorgeous date and a great
Halloween costume.
You better buy the mask
first.
Man! Two hours at the
mall, and I ain‟t get no
girls.
What did you expect? You
went to the mall with girlaway there.
For your information,
Hillary, Jazz here happens
61
Ambiguity
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Superiority
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Superiority
Theory
6
7
8
9
to be the master when it
comes to cracking on the
girls.
The
boy
is
irresistible.
Hillary:
Sure, maybe during a
blackout
Aunt Vivian: Will, I bet you can't wait
till your mom gets here.
Will:
Yeah. Thanks a lot for
flying her out, Aunt Viv.
Aunt Vivian: We had to convince her to
accept it. She never lets us
spend a penny on her.
Uncle Phil: Apparently, that's not a
genetic trait.
Aunt Vivian: Gee…when Janice describe
him, she didn‟t mention that
he was…tall. Not that I
have any problem with
people who are…tall.
Lester:
My cousin used to date a
girl who was…tall.
Uncle Phil: Heck, the boy‟s go to a
predominantly…tall school
Oprah:
(to the Banks family)
Answer me this if you will.
Will:
I‟m Will, Oprah, I can
answer it.
Oprah:
(to Will) Come here.
(Will approaches Oprah)
I‟m the one with the
microphone, and you can‟t
answer a question until I ask
the question. Do you
understand how it works?
Will:
You ask then I answer, it
works like…
Oprah:
(interrupts) Uh hm. Now sit
down.
Uncle Phil: My God. Vivian, is that
Will?!
Aunt Vive: No, Philip. It’s Richard
Nixon wearing a Will
mask.
Will:
How you doing? I'm Will.
Danny :
Danny Mitchell.
Will:
So I guess your husband
62
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
superiority
Theory
Suspending a
maxim.
The Scriptal
Ambiguity
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Superiority
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Incongruity
Theory
10
Danny:
Will:
Danny:
Geoffrey:
Hillary:
Will:
Hillary:
nervous)
11
12
will be showing up any
minute, huh?
No, he's in Mexico.
On vacation?
No, on his secretary.
Telephone, Miss Hillary.
Infringing a
It‟s Mr. Scott Burton.
maxim
(panics) Oh, the mole man!
Tell him I moved.
Hillary…
Oh, alright…(bites lips,
Hello,
spot…I
mean,
Scott.
Geoffrey:
Miss Ashley, ready for
your big date?
Ashley:
Not really.
Uncle Phil: What‟s the matter, honey?
Ashley:
Did you ever have one of
those days when you just
don‟t feel pretty?
Geoffrey:
No.
Ashley:
I don‟t know what to do.
Robert‟s due here at 8 and
I can‟t do anything with
my hair, nothing looks
good on me and I feel fat.
Uncle Phil: Oh, Ashley, you look
adorable.
Ashley:
Oh, that‟s real comforting
coming from my father.
That‟s it. I‟m not going.
Hillary:
Ashley, wait. Look, your
date won‟t be here for
another hour. Let‟s go
upstairs and I‟ll give you
some Hillary Banks beauty
tips. Trust me, I know
exactly what you‟re
feeling.
Ashley:
You mean, you‟ve had
nights where you felt fat
and ugly?
Hillary:
Okay, so I don’t know
exactly what you feel.
Ashley:
Here, Hillary, you take it
out (hands Hillary a trash
63
The Scriptal
Ambiguity
The
Superiority
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
The
Superiority
Hillary:
Ashley:
Hillary:
13
Geoffrey:
Carlton:
Geoffrey:
Carlton:
Ashley:
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
14
Lisa:
Will:
A man:
Will:
Lisa:
Will:
Lisa:
bag)
Out where?!
To the trash cans. You
know those things you hit
every time you back out
the car.
Thank God, I thought it
was the neighbor‟s kids.
Mail call! Wall Street
Journal for Mr. Carlton
(hands a newspaper to
Carlton).
Thank you, Geoffrey.
A statement from the Bank
of Bel-Air for Miss Ashley
(hands a letter to Ashley),
and a plain brown package
for me…
Bank
of
Bel-Air?!
(suspicious)
Yeah…well, bye!
See you later, Ash!
Something‟s afoot.
And something’s a foot
and a half (looking at
Carlton from top to
bottom).
Will…Will, just let it go.
No, no, baby. He started
this. Now, I‟m gonna
finish it.
(the man punches Will in
the face, Will slowly
staggers and falls on the
floor. Lisa performs martial
arts and knock the big guy
down)
(helps Will get up) Lisa just
saved your butt.
Where did that come
from?
Will, I‟ve been meaning to
tell you that I‟m a –
A what?! A power
ranger?!?
I‟ve studied a couple of
self-defences. Did I do
64
quantity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
relation
The
Superiority
Theory
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Incongruity
Theory
15
16
something wrong?
Guys, we have to do
something about dad. We
have to try to discourage
his whole early retirement
thing.
Carlton:
I thought you are all for it.
Ashley:
I was, but I‟ve been
thinking. If dad has more
time around the house, I‟m
the one who‟s going to
spend most of his time
with.
Carlton:
why you?
Ashley:
I‟m his favorite.
Hillary:
His favorite what?
Ashley:
His favorite child. I‟m his
little girl. I thought it was
obvious.
Carlton:
Whoa, think again, little
sister. You are not that
favorite.
Hillary:
That‟s right, Ashley. I am.
Carlton:
You?! Bbbfff…
Hillary:
Hey, it‟s a known fact that
the oldest is always the
favorite. Mom and dad got
it right at the first time.
Ashley:
Then why did they keep
trying?
Will:
Hey,
Ash!
Guess
what…me and Lisa finally
set the date…we‟re getting
married in September!
Ashley:
(excited) Oh, great!!
(Ashley and Will hug each other)
Will:
Hey, listen. I‟ve bought the
ring too.
Ashley:
Really? How many carats?
Will:
Well, it’s not the size that
counts.
Ashley:
65
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Superiority
Theory
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
In daily conversation, people do not always say what they mean directly.
Sometimes, they say less or more than they actually mean or they even utter
something that is totally irrelevant to what they actually want to say. If this
situation occurs, it is possible that the hearer(s) will misunderstand the message
sent by the speaker because the speaker’s utterance is not presented in explicit
language. For example, while having a long conversation, one says, ”It’s eleven
o’clock” to his friend to imply that the time has been late and it is time to end the
conversation. In this example, the hearers will have to infer what the speaker
means in saying the utterance. In linguistics, the speaker’s meaning is studied in
Pragmatics, which is “the study of how more gets communicated than is said …”
(Yule 3). H.P. Grice (in Thomas 57) calls the speaker’s implied meaning
implicature.
1
Maranatha Christian University
To avoid the hearers’ misunderstanding of the speaker’s implicature, Grice
suggests Cooperative Principles, which state that speakers “make [their]
contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted
purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which [they] are engaged” (Thomas
62). When a speaker fails to conform to these Cooperative Principles, his/her
utterance will not be considered informative, truthful, relevant, and brief (Thomas
63). Therefore, he/she can be said to have performed non-observance of the
Gricean maxims (Thomas 64). These maxims will be discussed further in the next
chapter of this thesis.
Utterances that show non-observance of the Gricean maxims may lead to
different results, such as puzzlement, annoyance, misunderstanding or humor. In
relation to the speakers’ language in a sitcom (situation comedy), which is “A
humorous radio or television series featuring the reactions of a regular cast of
characters to unusual situations, such as misunderstandings or embarrassing
coincidences” (“What Is A Sitcom?”), the speakers’ non-observance of Gricean
maxims frequently leads to humor. Basically, humor in a sitcom is an important
element to produce laughter.
The title of my thesis is “Non-Observance of the Gricean Maxims that
Leads to Humor in the Sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” I choose this topic for
my thesis because in daily life, people often say something different to what they
mean, which may generate an implicature. At other times, how they say their
utterances may create humorous effect. For that reason, I think it is interesting to
analyze people’s utterances and their implicatures and how they lead to a
2
Maranatha Christian University
humorous atmosphere. I choose this particular TV show as my data source
because the utterances of the characters in this sitcom often fail to observe the
maxims and their utterances produce implicatures that can lead to the emergence
of humor.
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a famous sitcom in 1990s era in the USA. It is
proven with a number of awards that this sitcom won, which is an indicator that
this sitcom is a favorite show for the viewers in the USA at that time. Moreover,
the sitcom “had been nominated for 2 Golden Globe Awards for best performance
by an actor in a TV series in comedy/musical in 1993 and 1994, and won 13
awards from 21 nominations” (Internet Movie Database). This fact proves that the
sitcom is well appreciated. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired from 1990 until
1996, is a story about a 17-year-old young man from Philadelphia named William
Smith, played by the famous Hollywood actor Will Smith, who moves in with his
wealthy relatives, The Banks, in a luxurious residential, in Bel-Air, California,
Los Angeles.
The analysis of non-observance of the Gricean maxims that leads to humor
in the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is significant as it can make the readers
more aware that in the society people tend to generate implicature in their
utterance. Therefore, this analysis may make the readers more critical in
producing and perceiving an utterance, that by doing such things, the hearers may
not misunderstand the speakers’ implicature. Furthermore, I hope this thesis will
be of benefit to the readers in general and also students of the English Department
of Maranatha Christian University, especially for the students who are interested
in similar topics, as an additional reference for their papers or theses.
3
Maranatha Christian University
(709 words)
Statement of the Problem
Based on the topic I choose, the problem of my study is formulated as
follows:
1. What types of non-observance of the Gricean maxims can be found in the
utterances of the characters in the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
2. What is the implicature of each of those utterances?
3. How does each of the non-observance of the maxims in the utterances lead
to the emergence of humor?
Purpose of the Study
In this thesis, I would like to analyze
1. the types of non-observance of the Gricean maxims found in the utterances
of the characters in the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
2. the implicature of each of those utterances.
3. the way each of the non-observance of the maxims in the utterances lead to
the emergence of humor.
Method of Research
This study has been conducted in several steps. First, after choosing a
particular topic, I did a search in the library and on the Internet to find relevant
theories for my analysis. Second, after I watched the sitcom Fresh Prince of BelAir and gathered the data from the dialogues in it, I analyzed my data using the
4
Maranatha Christian University
theory of non-observance of Gricean maxims. The analysis was conducted to
reveal the types of the maxims that are being non-observed in the analyzed
utterances, the implicature of each of the utterances, and the humorous effects of
the non-observance of the maxims in the utterances. Finally, I wrote the research
report.
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter One contains the Background
of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of
Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two contains the Theoretical
Framework, which presents the theories used to analyze the data. Chapter Three
contains the analysis of the non-observance of the Gricean maxims in the
dialogues of the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Finally, Chapter Four contains
the conclusion of the discussion and the results of the analysis. The thesis ends
with the Bibliography and the Appendix.
5
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Source:
Jensen, Shelley, dir. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. NBC Production, 1990. DVD.
References:
“Afoot.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
Cook, Guy. Language Play, Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2000. Print.
“Foot.” Entry 5. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
McGhee, Paul E. and Jeffrey H. Goldstein. Handbook of Humor Research. New
York: Springer-Verlag, 1983. Print
“Mole.” Entry 2. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
“On.” Entry 1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
“On.” Entry 17. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
58
Maranatha Christian University
Thomas, Jenny. Meaning in Interaction: an Introduction to Pragmatics. London
and New York: Longman Group Limited, 1995. Print.
“Spot.” Entry 3. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
Yule, George. Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Group, 1996. Print.
Electronic Publications:
Dornerus, Emma, Paper. “Breaking Maxims in Conversation.” 2005. Web. 17
August 2011.
Internet Movie Database. Imdb.com, inc, n.d. Web. 25 May 2011.
“Monro‟s „Theories of Humor.‟” n.d.. 1 June 2012.
Smuts, Aaron. “Superiority Theory.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p..
20 April 2006. Web. 3 May 2012.
“Syntax”. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC, 2012. Web. 22 March 2012.
“What Is A Sitcom?” The British Comedy Guide. British Comedy Guide. 1
January 2006. Web. 1 June 2012.
59
Maranatha Christian University
Skripsi ini menyajikan analisis pelanggaran prinsip Grice yang dilakukan
sejumlah penutur dalam serial komedi Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Analisis tersebut
mencakup jenis-jenis maksim yang dilanggar oleh penutur dalam serial komedi
tersebut, implikatur dari kata-kata yang menunjukkan pelanggaran prinsip Grice,
serta bagaimana pelanggaran prinsip tersebut dapat menimbulkan efek humor.
Dalam menganalisis data yang dikumpulkan dari serial komedi tersebut,
saya menggunakan teori pelanggaran prinsip-prinsip maksim Grice (the Gricean
non-observance of maxims) dari buku karangan Jenny Thomas yang berjudul
Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics, dan untuk menganalisis
efek humor yang ditimbulkan dari pelanggaran prinsip maksim tersebut saya
menggunakan tiga teori humor: the Superiority Theory, the Incongruity Theory,
dan Raskin’s Theory of Scriptal Ambiguity.
Salah satu hasil analisis yang saya peroleh menunjukkan bahwa jenis
pelanggaran prinsip maksim yang paling banyak ditemukan adalah flouting of
maxims, sementara pelanggaran yang lain adalah infringing of a maxim dan
suspending a maxim. Teori humor yang paling banyak muncul dalam data yang
saya dapatkan adalah the Superiority Theory, yaitu jenis humor yang
menertawakan kemalangan orang lain.
ii
Maranatha Christian University
Dari hasil analisis yang berhasil saya lakukan, dapat saya simpulkan
bahwa serial komedi ini merupakan serial komedia yang berhasil dalam
menyuguhkan humor dalam bentuk pelanggaran prinsip Maxim.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................. ii
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study .......................................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem ......................................................................... 4
Purpose of the Study ................................................................................ 4
Method of Research ................................................................................. 4
Organization of the Thesis ....................................................................... 5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................. 6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF THE NON-OBSERVANCE
OF THE GRICEAN MAXIMS THAT LEADS TO HUMOR
IN THE SITCOM FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR ........................... 20
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS ............................................................ 55
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 60
APPENDIX ....................................................................................................... 62
iv
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDIX
No
1
2
3
Dialogue
Aunt Vive: Oh, my goodness! Let me
look at you. Turn around!
(Will turns around)
The last time we saw you,
you were this funny little boy,
now look at you. Oh my
goodness you are a man!
Will:
That was the plan.
Hillary:
Dad, I need three hundred
dollars.
Aunt Vive: Hillary, your cousin, Will, is
here.
Hillary:
(reluctantly turns to Will) Hi.
(turns back to Uncle Phil)
Dad, I need three hundred
dollars.
Uncle Phil: That‟s a lot of money,
Hillary. What for?
Hillary:
(sighs and drops all of her
shopping bags) I need a
new hat.
Uncle Phil: For what?! (exclaims)
Will:
(interrupts) Probably her
Head?
Uncle Phill: I'm getting the Urban
Spirit Award.
Aunt Vivian: Philip, we're so proud of
you.
Uncle Phil: The community leaders are
60
Type of nonType of
observance
Theory of
of the
Humor
maxim
Flouting the
The Scriptal
maxim of
Ambiguity
manner
Flouting the
maxim of
quantity
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Superiority
Theory
The Scriptal
Will:
Uncle Phil:
Will:
4
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
5
Will:
Hillary:
Will:
recognizing me for helping
our brothers and sisters on
the streets.
The only time you're on
the streets is when you're
waiting for the valet to
bring your car around.
Is that so, son? Let me tell
you something. The '63
March on Washington, I
was there. The „65
demonstrations at Selma, I
was there. The „65 Watts
Riots, l was there, too.
Seems to me every place
you go, trouble follows
Carlton, all I have to do is
walk in a mall, and I get
any girl I want.
It's the law of nature. It's
called “the Survival of the
Handsomest.”
Will, I don't even have to
step into the mall. Girls
surround me in the parking
lot and rip the doors off my
car.
Would you like to put your
money where your mouth
is?
A betting man.
I bet you that I get a date
and you don't.
This is a sucker bet, Will.
Within an hour, I'll have a
gorgeous date and a great
Halloween costume.
You better buy the mask
first.
Man! Two hours at the
mall, and I ain‟t get no
girls.
What did you expect? You
went to the mall with girlaway there.
For your information,
Hillary, Jazz here happens
61
Ambiguity
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Superiority
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Superiority
Theory
6
7
8
9
to be the master when it
comes to cracking on the
girls.
The
boy
is
irresistible.
Hillary:
Sure, maybe during a
blackout
Aunt Vivian: Will, I bet you can't wait
till your mom gets here.
Will:
Yeah. Thanks a lot for
flying her out, Aunt Viv.
Aunt Vivian: We had to convince her to
accept it. She never lets us
spend a penny on her.
Uncle Phil: Apparently, that's not a
genetic trait.
Aunt Vivian: Gee…when Janice describe
him, she didn‟t mention that
he was…tall. Not that I
have any problem with
people who are…tall.
Lester:
My cousin used to date a
girl who was…tall.
Uncle Phil: Heck, the boy‟s go to a
predominantly…tall school
Oprah:
(to the Banks family)
Answer me this if you will.
Will:
I‟m Will, Oprah, I can
answer it.
Oprah:
(to Will) Come here.
(Will approaches Oprah)
I‟m the one with the
microphone, and you can‟t
answer a question until I ask
the question. Do you
understand how it works?
Will:
You ask then I answer, it
works like…
Oprah:
(interrupts) Uh hm. Now sit
down.
Uncle Phil: My God. Vivian, is that
Will?!
Aunt Vive: No, Philip. It’s Richard
Nixon wearing a Will
mask.
Will:
How you doing? I'm Will.
Danny :
Danny Mitchell.
Will:
So I guess your husband
62
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
superiority
Theory
Suspending a
maxim.
The Scriptal
Ambiguity
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Superiority
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Incongruity
Theory
10
Danny:
Will:
Danny:
Geoffrey:
Hillary:
Will:
Hillary:
nervous)
11
12
will be showing up any
minute, huh?
No, he's in Mexico.
On vacation?
No, on his secretary.
Telephone, Miss Hillary.
Infringing a
It‟s Mr. Scott Burton.
maxim
(panics) Oh, the mole man!
Tell him I moved.
Hillary…
Oh, alright…(bites lips,
Hello,
spot…I
mean,
Scott.
Geoffrey:
Miss Ashley, ready for
your big date?
Ashley:
Not really.
Uncle Phil: What‟s the matter, honey?
Ashley:
Did you ever have one of
those days when you just
don‟t feel pretty?
Geoffrey:
No.
Ashley:
I don‟t know what to do.
Robert‟s due here at 8 and
I can‟t do anything with
my hair, nothing looks
good on me and I feel fat.
Uncle Phil: Oh, Ashley, you look
adorable.
Ashley:
Oh, that‟s real comforting
coming from my father.
That‟s it. I‟m not going.
Hillary:
Ashley, wait. Look, your
date won‟t be here for
another hour. Let‟s go
upstairs and I‟ll give you
some Hillary Banks beauty
tips. Trust me, I know
exactly what you‟re
feeling.
Ashley:
You mean, you‟ve had
nights where you felt fat
and ugly?
Hillary:
Okay, so I don’t know
exactly what you feel.
Ashley:
Here, Hillary, you take it
out (hands Hillary a trash
63
The Scriptal
Ambiguity
The
Superiority
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
The
Superiority
Hillary:
Ashley:
Hillary:
13
Geoffrey:
Carlton:
Geoffrey:
Carlton:
Ashley:
Will:
Carlton:
Will:
14
Lisa:
Will:
A man:
Will:
Lisa:
Will:
Lisa:
bag)
Out where?!
To the trash cans. You
know those things you hit
every time you back out
the car.
Thank God, I thought it
was the neighbor‟s kids.
Mail call! Wall Street
Journal for Mr. Carlton
(hands a newspaper to
Carlton).
Thank you, Geoffrey.
A statement from the Bank
of Bel-Air for Miss Ashley
(hands a letter to Ashley),
and a plain brown package
for me…
Bank
of
Bel-Air?!
(suspicious)
Yeah…well, bye!
See you later, Ash!
Something‟s afoot.
And something’s a foot
and a half (looking at
Carlton from top to
bottom).
Will…Will, just let it go.
No, no, baby. He started
this. Now, I‟m gonna
finish it.
(the man punches Will in
the face, Will slowly
staggers and falls on the
floor. Lisa performs martial
arts and knock the big guy
down)
(helps Will get up) Lisa just
saved your butt.
Where did that come
from?
Will, I‟ve been meaning to
tell you that I‟m a –
A what?! A power
ranger?!?
I‟ve studied a couple of
self-defences. Did I do
64
quantity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
relation
The
Superiority
Theory
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
quality
The
Incongruity
Theory
15
16
something wrong?
Guys, we have to do
something about dad. We
have to try to discourage
his whole early retirement
thing.
Carlton:
I thought you are all for it.
Ashley:
I was, but I‟ve been
thinking. If dad has more
time around the house, I‟m
the one who‟s going to
spend most of his time
with.
Carlton:
why you?
Ashley:
I‟m his favorite.
Hillary:
His favorite what?
Ashley:
His favorite child. I‟m his
little girl. I thought it was
obvious.
Carlton:
Whoa, think again, little
sister. You are not that
favorite.
Hillary:
That‟s right, Ashley. I am.
Carlton:
You?! Bbbfff…
Hillary:
Hey, it‟s a known fact that
the oldest is always the
favorite. Mom and dad got
it right at the first time.
Ashley:
Then why did they keep
trying?
Will:
Hey,
Ash!
Guess
what…me and Lisa finally
set the date…we‟re getting
married in September!
Ashley:
(excited) Oh, great!!
(Ashley and Will hug each other)
Will:
Hey, listen. I‟ve bought the
ring too.
Ashley:
Really? How many carats?
Will:
Well, it’s not the size that
counts.
Ashley:
65
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Incongruity
Theory
Flouting the
maxim of
manner
The
Superiority
Theory
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
In daily conversation, people do not always say what they mean directly.
Sometimes, they say less or more than they actually mean or they even utter
something that is totally irrelevant to what they actually want to say. If this
situation occurs, it is possible that the hearer(s) will misunderstand the message
sent by the speaker because the speaker’s utterance is not presented in explicit
language. For example, while having a long conversation, one says, ”It’s eleven
o’clock” to his friend to imply that the time has been late and it is time to end the
conversation. In this example, the hearers will have to infer what the speaker
means in saying the utterance. In linguistics, the speaker’s meaning is studied in
Pragmatics, which is “the study of how more gets communicated than is said …”
(Yule 3). H.P. Grice (in Thomas 57) calls the speaker’s implied meaning
implicature.
1
Maranatha Christian University
To avoid the hearers’ misunderstanding of the speaker’s implicature, Grice
suggests Cooperative Principles, which state that speakers “make [their]
contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted
purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which [they] are engaged” (Thomas
62). When a speaker fails to conform to these Cooperative Principles, his/her
utterance will not be considered informative, truthful, relevant, and brief (Thomas
63). Therefore, he/she can be said to have performed non-observance of the
Gricean maxims (Thomas 64). These maxims will be discussed further in the next
chapter of this thesis.
Utterances that show non-observance of the Gricean maxims may lead to
different results, such as puzzlement, annoyance, misunderstanding or humor. In
relation to the speakers’ language in a sitcom (situation comedy), which is “A
humorous radio or television series featuring the reactions of a regular cast of
characters to unusual situations, such as misunderstandings or embarrassing
coincidences” (“What Is A Sitcom?”), the speakers’ non-observance of Gricean
maxims frequently leads to humor. Basically, humor in a sitcom is an important
element to produce laughter.
The title of my thesis is “Non-Observance of the Gricean Maxims that
Leads to Humor in the Sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” I choose this topic for
my thesis because in daily life, people often say something different to what they
mean, which may generate an implicature. At other times, how they say their
utterances may create humorous effect. For that reason, I think it is interesting to
analyze people’s utterances and their implicatures and how they lead to a
2
Maranatha Christian University
humorous atmosphere. I choose this particular TV show as my data source
because the utterances of the characters in this sitcom often fail to observe the
maxims and their utterances produce implicatures that can lead to the emergence
of humor.
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a famous sitcom in 1990s era in the USA. It is
proven with a number of awards that this sitcom won, which is an indicator that
this sitcom is a favorite show for the viewers in the USA at that time. Moreover,
the sitcom “had been nominated for 2 Golden Globe Awards for best performance
by an actor in a TV series in comedy/musical in 1993 and 1994, and won 13
awards from 21 nominations” (Internet Movie Database). This fact proves that the
sitcom is well appreciated. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired from 1990 until
1996, is a story about a 17-year-old young man from Philadelphia named William
Smith, played by the famous Hollywood actor Will Smith, who moves in with his
wealthy relatives, The Banks, in a luxurious residential, in Bel-Air, California,
Los Angeles.
The analysis of non-observance of the Gricean maxims that leads to humor
in the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is significant as it can make the readers
more aware that in the society people tend to generate implicature in their
utterance. Therefore, this analysis may make the readers more critical in
producing and perceiving an utterance, that by doing such things, the hearers may
not misunderstand the speakers’ implicature. Furthermore, I hope this thesis will
be of benefit to the readers in general and also students of the English Department
of Maranatha Christian University, especially for the students who are interested
in similar topics, as an additional reference for their papers or theses.
3
Maranatha Christian University
(709 words)
Statement of the Problem
Based on the topic I choose, the problem of my study is formulated as
follows:
1. What types of non-observance of the Gricean maxims can be found in the
utterances of the characters in the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
2. What is the implicature of each of those utterances?
3. How does each of the non-observance of the maxims in the utterances lead
to the emergence of humor?
Purpose of the Study
In this thesis, I would like to analyze
1. the types of non-observance of the Gricean maxims found in the utterances
of the characters in the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
2. the implicature of each of those utterances.
3. the way each of the non-observance of the maxims in the utterances lead to
the emergence of humor.
Method of Research
This study has been conducted in several steps. First, after choosing a
particular topic, I did a search in the library and on the Internet to find relevant
theories for my analysis. Second, after I watched the sitcom Fresh Prince of BelAir and gathered the data from the dialogues in it, I analyzed my data using the
4
Maranatha Christian University
theory of non-observance of Gricean maxims. The analysis was conducted to
reveal the types of the maxims that are being non-observed in the analyzed
utterances, the implicature of each of the utterances, and the humorous effects of
the non-observance of the maxims in the utterances. Finally, I wrote the research
report.
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter One contains the Background
of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of
Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two contains the Theoretical
Framework, which presents the theories used to analyze the data. Chapter Three
contains the analysis of the non-observance of the Gricean maxims in the
dialogues of the sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Finally, Chapter Four contains
the conclusion of the discussion and the results of the analysis. The thesis ends
with the Bibliography and the Appendix.
5
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Source:
Jensen, Shelley, dir. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. NBC Production, 1990. DVD.
References:
“Afoot.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
Cook, Guy. Language Play, Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2000. Print.
“Foot.” Entry 5. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
McGhee, Paul E. and Jeffrey H. Goldstein. Handbook of Humor Research. New
York: Springer-Verlag, 1983. Print
“Mole.” Entry 2. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
“On.” Entry 1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
“On.” Entry 17. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
58
Maranatha Christian University
Thomas, Jenny. Meaning in Interaction: an Introduction to Pragmatics. London
and New York: Longman Group Limited, 1995. Print.
“Spot.” Entry 3. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005. Print.
Yule, George. Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Group, 1996. Print.
Electronic Publications:
Dornerus, Emma, Paper. “Breaking Maxims in Conversation.” 2005. Web. 17
August 2011.
Internet Movie Database. Imdb.com, inc, n.d. Web. 25 May 2011.
“Monro‟s „Theories of Humor.‟” n.d.. 1 June 2012.
Smuts, Aaron. “Superiority Theory.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p..
20 April 2006. Web. 3 May 2012.
“Syntax”. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC, 2012. Web. 22 March 2012.
“What Is A Sitcom?” The British Comedy Guide. British Comedy Guide. 1
January 2006. Web. 1 June 2012.
59
Maranatha Christian University