Muhammad Zaki Sybli

2015.111.072
English Department/ Class B

MAXIM FLOUTING IN GREEN BOOK FILM

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Cooperative Principle
Grice (1975, p. 45) in his book explained that the success of a conversation is the
result of cooperativeness between the participants. He further stated that this success can
only be achieved if the participants follow a certain principle, that is: “Make your
conversation contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the
accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.” This
principle is called the Cooperative Principle.

Maxims of Conversation
Further about the cooperative principle, Grice also explained the four maxims that
should be obeyed in doing a conversation. According to Grice (1975, p.45-46), the four
maxims are:
1) Quantity
Your contribution should be as informative as needed (not more or less).
It means that when the speaker is giving an information, the speaker should give
the exact amount of information that is needed. If the speaker gives too many
information, the hearer might get confused by the extra information that is not
needed. And if the speaker gives too little information, the hearer might still be
left wondering and failed to understand the needed information.
2) Quality
Your contribution should be true and evidence-based. It means that the
speaker should give an information that is based on what they believe as true and
with the support of evidences. If the speaker fail to obey this maxim, the hearer
might found out that the speaker is lying or talking nonsense, which, at the worst
case, will results in the loss of faith of every word that the speaker says.
3) Relevance
Your contribution should be relevant to the topic. It means that the speaker
should give information regarding the discussed matter. This will create a chain
of conversation that will be linked to each other and a more focused discussion. If
the speaker fail to obey this maxim, the hearer might get confused of what topic
the speaker is talking about and break the conversation.
4) Manner
Your contribution should be brief and orderly and avoid ambiguity. It
means that the speaker should talk in direct way and use the proper words to
describe the information in order to avoid different meaning. When the speaker
fail to follow this maxim, an ambiguous meaning may arise creating a confusion

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 to the hearer which might take the conversation to the wrong way or even cause a
failure in understanding the meaning of the information.

Implicature
Implicature is a speaker’s intended message or meaning that is different from their
literal utterances (Grice, 1975, p. 43). There are two kinds of implicature: conventional
and conversational (1975, p. 44-45).
1. Conventional implicature is an implicature made in an utterance conventionally
without the need of a conversation.
For example:

That roller coaster was scary yet amusing!

Here the speaker is trying to imply that the roller coaster he rode was scary. But,
the ride also has succeeded to make the reader feel amused despite of how scary
it was.

2. Conversational implicature is an implicature made in a conversation which

therefore related to the cooperative principle and the four maxims. This usually
happens when the maxims are flouted.

Maxim Flouting
Maxim flouting happened when the speaker intentionally fail to fulfill a maxim
without the intention to mislead and expect the hearer to realize and question the reason
why the speaker fail to fulfill the maxim intentionally which then will lead to a different
understanding of the utterances (Grice, 1975, p. 49).
For example:

a) Flouting of maxim of quantity:

A: Hey! How are you?

B: My dog died last week, my brother ran away from home, I lost my
pocket money, and I forgot all the assignment. How about you?

In this example, A is trying to ask B with “how are you?” which is

commonly answered simply by “I’m fine.” or “Not good.” and then
continued by a replying question “how about you?”. But in this case, B
replied by giving statements of what happened to him/her which serves as
the substitution of the much simpler answer “I’m not good.”.

b) Flouting of maxim of quality:

In flouting the maxim of quality, the speaker could do it by the use
of either irony, metaphor, meiosis, or hyperbole.

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 1) Irony

A: I heard that your neighbor is giving you headache. What happened?

B: Of course not! He plays rock music at maximum volume at 3am last
night. Which is exactly what I need to get a nice sleep.

In this example, A is trying to ask B about the problem that B’s

neighbor is giving to B. At first, B answered the question with a denial
(“Of course not!”). But then proceed with an explanation of what B’s
neighbor did last night along with a compliment that is obviously
contradictive.

2) Metaphor

A: Dude, come over! Me and the boys are all here!

B: I’ll be there in a blink!

In this example, A invited B to come over and join him and the boys.
B answered with a metaphor that he’d come in a blink which is
obviously not literally true. “I’ll be there in a blink” means that he’ll
come as fast as he can.

3) Meiosis

A: Oh my god! Your hands are bleeding! Are you okay!?

B: I’m okay. It’s just a scratch.

In this example, A is worried about B’s hand which is bleeding. But B

replied that he is okay and it’s just a scratch. Which is a common
meiosis used to make others feel less worried about one’s injury.

4) Hyperbole

A: I love you 3000.

B: I love you more than any number you could ever count!

In this example, A is expressing their deep love to B through the

addition of the number “3000” as the scale. But B replied with an even
more bigger scale that it will never be able to be counted by numbers
(which is an obvious hyperbole).

c) Flouting of maxim of relevance

A: Hey, do you have any schedule tomorrow?

B: Ice cream. Let’s have some ice cream.
A: Alright. Ice cream, it is.

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 In this example, A is asking if B has any schedule the next day because A
wanted to ask B out. But B replied with the knowledge of A’s intention.
So, B skipped the answer (which is a ‘yes’) and goes directly for what B
wanted to do together with A the next day. B’s answer sounds unrelated
to the question, but A understands it.

d) Flouting of maxim of manner

A: What do you do for a living?

B: I’m an Otorhinolaryngological.
A: A what??
B: Oh, sorry. ENT doctor.

In this example, A is asking B for B’s job. B answered but then A doesn’t
seem to understand the obscure word. So, B changed the answer into a
more simpler form which is “ENT doctor”. The first answer B gave to A
isn’t wrong. But the word “Otorhinolaryngological” isn’t commonly used
and resulting in the confusion to the side of A.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

This study focuses on ways of expressing refusals in English speech as a speech

act, with the following research questions:
1. What are the types of maxims flouted by the characters in the movie?
2. What strategy did the characters in the movie used to flout the maxims?
3. What is the conversational implicature behind the flouted maxims?

DATA ANALYSIS

Of all 48 data obtained, the writer chooses 5 data, one each for each maxims except
maxim of quality which has more ways to be flouted as in explained before. The writer
reduces and chooses the data based on different degrees of solidarity between
interlocutors. The data is analyzed by categorizing them based on the types of maxims
flouted, the strategies used, and the conversational implicature behind them.

Data (1)
Transcription:
Tony: Hey, Jhonnny! Think you could yell a little louder?
Jhonny: Maris is up!
Tony: Yeah, so am I now.

Context:
The conversation occurs in Tony’s home in the morning where he got home late last night
and was sleeping. But Tony’s brother Jhonny and the other family members are watching
sports on the TV getting all hyped up. While watching the sports, Jhonny yelled so loud

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that it waked Tony up. Tony was then upset at the noise that his brother made which
interrupted his sleep.

Analysis:
The type of maxim flouted in this case is the maxim of quality. The character Tony
flouted this maxim by deriving a question that contains sarcasm. Tony yelled at Jhonny
asking if he could yell a little louder which is a sarcasm because that yell interrupted
Tony’s sleep earlier. Tony was actually trying to tell Jhonny to be quiet and stop
yelling.

Delivery
Type of
of
Sentence Maxim Meaning
maxim
flouted
flouting
Hey, Jhonny!
Through Tony was telling Jhonny to be quiet
Think you could Quality
Sarcasm and stop yelling.
yell a little louder?
Maxim flouting of data (1)

Data (2)
Transcription:
Charlie: Hey, Lip. Everything okay?
Tony: What you got beak trouble, Charlie? Mind your business.

Context:
The conversation occurs at a pawn shop where Tony had just pawned his watch after the
place he used to work got closed. Noticing that Tony is in need of money so bad that he
pawned his watch, Charlie, the shop owner, asked if Tony have a trouble in his life.

Analysis:
The type of maxim flouted in this case is maxim of quality. The character Tony (a.k.a.
Tony Lip) flouted this maxim by using sarcasm. When Charlie asked if everything is
okay with Tony, he replied with another question containing sarcasm to tell Charlie to
mind his own business (What you got beak trouble, Charlie? Mind your business). Notice
that Tony used the word “beak” in this sentence which is a reference to bird’s anatomy
and the fact that birds are often considered mouthy creature. By this statement it is implied
that Tony preferred not to talk about what happened with him to Charlie.

Delivery
Type of
of
Sentence Maxim Meaning
maxim
flouted
flouting
What you got beak
trouble, Charlie? Through Tony was telling Jhonny to be quiet
Quality
Mind your Sarcasm and stop yelling.
business.
Maxim flouting of data (2)

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Data (3)
Transcription:
Tony: What about that? Is that a molar?
Don: A what?
Tony: A molar. A-a shark tooth. Or a tiger’s, maybe.
Don: It was a gift.

Context:
The conversation occurs at Don Shirley’s house when Tony is being interviewed for the
driver job. In that house, Tony noticed many unique decorations. After asking Don about
a pair of elephant’s tusks, Tony noticed an eye-catching necklace that Don wears and
asked whether it was a molar or not.

Analysis:
The maxim flouted in this case is maxim of relevance. Tony asked Don whether what’s
attached to his necklace was a molar. At first, Don doesn’t understand what molar is and
resulting in Tony re-explained what a molar is. After hearing the explanation of what a
molar is, Don flouted the maxim of relevance by ignoring the yes/no type of question
that Tony asked. But rather tell Tony that it was a gift. By not telling that it was wrong,
Don indirectly said that Tony was right.

Delivery
Type of
of
Sentence Maxim Meaning
maxim
flouted
flouting
Ignoring Don indirectly say that it was indeed
It was a gift. relevance a yes/no a molar that is attached to his
question necklace.
Maxim flouting of data (3)

Data (4)
Transcription:
Cop: You bribing us?
Tony: No. Hell no. A gift. A thank-you.
Cop: What kind of thank you?
Tony: Like a... you know, donation to the police force. Youse guys. Whatever you want.
You like suits? I was walking through your nice town today, and I seen a store
that was selling suits. A primo suits. What if, as a thank-you… a donation… I
buy youse each a suit?

Context:
The conversation occurs at a YMCA building where the cops found Don Shirley having
an intimate course with another guy. Tony got a call regarding the matter and came down
to the scene to get Don out of that situation. In order to do that Tony has to talk his way
out with the police first. One of the police noticed that Tony is trying to bribe them but
Tony denied it using a euphemism of what he’s trying to do.

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Analysis:
The maxim flouted in this case is maxim of quantity. When the cop asked Tony about
his intention to bribe them, tony denied it by telling them that it was a thank-you. And
when the cop asked about what kind of thank-you Tony was talking about, Tony flouted
the maxim of quantity by giving more explanation than is required in order to make
the cop agree to the bribery. While doing this, Tony was trying to euphemize the act of
bribery so that the cop will accept it.

Type of Delivery
Sentence Maxim of maxim Meaning
flouted flouting
Like a... you know,
donation to the
police force. Youse
guys. Whatever
you want. You like
suits? I was
by giving
walking through
more
your nice town Tony persuaded the police to accept
quantity explanation
today, and I seen a the bribery by using a euphemism.
than is
store that was
required
selling suits. A
primo suits. What
if, as a thank-
you… a
donation… I buy
youse each a suit?
Maxim flouting of data (4)

Data (5)
Transcription:
Augie: You, uh, looking to earn a little extra ‘scharole’? I can keep you busy while the
Copa is down.
Tony: What do I gotta do?
Augie: Things.

Context:
The conversation occurs in “Joe & Joe” bar when Tony just got back from the pawnshop.
After getting a drink for himself, the bartender said that Augie is asking about Tony and
is now waiting for him in his box (a small private room). They talked about what
happened in the place Tony used to work called Copa and then Augie gives Tony an offer
to work for him.

Analysis:
The Maxim flouted in this case is maxim of manner. Augie was trying to offer Tony a
job knowing that tony is now unoccupied. But when Tony asked about what he has to do,
Augie flouted the maxim of manner by using ambiguity in answering Tony. Instead of
explaining what exactly Tony has to do, Augie simply said “things” which doesn’t have

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an obvious meaning and can be anything. By doing this, Augie intended to erase the
limit of possibility of what Tony has to do if he takes the offer.

Type of Delivery
Sentence Maxim of maxim Meaning
flouted flouting
Augie is telling Tony that there is no
by using limit in the possibility of what might
Things. manner
ambiguity have to be done if Tony takes the
offer.
Maxim flouting of data (5)

REFERENCES
Anggraini, S. D. (2014). A Pragmatic Analysis of Humor in Modern Family Season 4.
Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis. Yogyakarta State University,
Yogyakarta.
Brown, G., Gillian, B., & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse analysis. Cambridge university
press.
Grice, H.P., (1975). Logic and Conversation. Berkeley: University of California
Moeschler, J. (2012). 15. Conversational and conventional implicatures. Cognitive
pragmatics, 4, 405.
Noftriana, E., Ratnadewi, D., & Wijaya, A. (2018). An Analysis of Flouting Maxims to
Create Humor in Stand Up Comedy by Raditya Dika. Tell: Teaching of
English Language and Literature Journal, 2(2), 37-42.