Relevance
While substituting in a fifth grade math class, I
asked the class a question relating to the problem we were working on together
on the Smartboard. I called a student
who was raised his hand, apparently eager to answer the question and he replied
with “Can I go to the bathroom?” I am sure that the student most likely needed
to use the restroom, but I know that the timing of his question was for the
purpose of humor. Of course he had to
answer the question before leaving the room.
Quality
My husband, who is a great cook, made a meal that he
enjoys but is not one of my favorites (and he knows). After dinner, he asked, “Now wasn't that
good?” and I replied, “Yes, it was great!” There was obvious sarcasm on both
parts.
Quantity
At my cousin’s birthday party, my aunt asked my
cousin, “Where have you been?” and he responded with “Around”. She had not seen him in a while and clearly
wanted more detail. Based on his facial
expression, it was obvious that he was being sarcastic.
Manner
While discussing interesting experiences with their
previous classes, one teacher commented, “He is one of a kind”, when referring
to a particular former student. This
statement is ambiguous because it can be positive or negative when referring to
an individual. Of course, the teachers
that know this student knew exactly what she intended the comment to mean.
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteThe example you have given for The Maxim of Manner is something that I have witnessed in conversation numerous times but I never considered it an ambiguous response. I always just assumed that was what the person had to say and that was that!
After reviewing the Maxims, it is apparent now that this violates Manner. People may take this response either negatively or positively but most of the time they will not reveal it. It is only later on in conversations will one find out how the interpreted the comment. We really do need to think about what and how we say various things before we actually say them!
-Andrea