Pragmatic analysis per inglese 2, Guide, Progetti e Ricerche di Lingua Inglese

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THE

BIG

BANG

THEORY

ANALYSIS

EXTERNAL CONTEXTUALIZATION

• THE BIG BANG THEORY IS AN AMERICAN SITCOM BROADCAST BY CBS FROM 2007 TO 2019.
• THE BIG BANG THEORY HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED SERIES OF ITS ERA, WINNING THE FAVOUR OF AUDIENCES, WHO HAVE WATCHED IT FOR 12 SEASONS AND 279 EPISODES, MAKING IT THE LONGEST-RUNNING SITCOM IN US TELEVISION HISTORY, AS WELL AS CRITICS, WHO HAVE HONOURED IT WITH, AMONG OTHERS, 10 EMMY AWARDS. IT IS ALSO REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE LAST GENERALIST PRODUCTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, CREATING A SOLID FANBASE AROUND IT, BEFORE THE ON-DEMAND REVOLUTION.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS:IS THERE AN EVOLUTION OF SHELDON'S PRAGMATIC COMPETENCE OVER THE COURSE OF THE TV SERIES? METHODOLOGY: FOR THIS RESEARCH I WILL ANALYZE FOUR DIFFERENT SEGMENTS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, USING:

• THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE BY GRICE.
• THE CONVERSATION ANALYSIS.
• THEORY OF POLITENESS, IMPOLITENESS AND OF THE FACE BY BROWN, LEVINSON, GOFFMAN AND CULPEPER.

INTERNAL

CONTEXTUALIZATION:

FIRST SEGMENT: S1 EP 1

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• CONTEXT OF THE EPISODE: AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL VISIT TO THE SPERM BANK FOR GENIUSES, LEONARD AND SHELDON RETURN HOME AND MAKE THE ACQUAINTANCE OF PENNY, THEIR NEW NEIGHBOUR, WHO HAS MOVED IN ON THE OPPOSITE LANDING. LEONARD IS IMMEDIATELY ATTRACTED TO HER, WHILE SHELDON THINKS HIS FRIEND IS CHASING A DREAM HE CAN NEVER FULFIL. LEONARD INVITES HER TO LUNCH AND, AS THE THREE OF THEM HEAD INSIDE THE FLAT, THIS DIALOGUE TAKES PLACE:

SEGMENT/SCENE ANALYSIS

• SHELDON'S ANSWER (1) FULFILS ALL FOUR MAXIMS OF GRICE'S COOPERATION PRINCIPLE: HE ANSWERS TRUTHFULLY, PROVIDES SUFFICIENT AND NECESSARY INFORMATION, IS RELEVANT TO PENNY'S QUESTION AND IS CLEAR, BRIEF AND PRECISE. HOWEVER, WHAT HE SAYS IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE. IN THIS CASE, SHELDON PRIORITISES THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE, VIOLATING THE POSITIVE FACE. IN FACT, WITH HIS RESPONSE, HE DOES NOT PRESERVE PENNY'S POSITIVE FACE OR EVEN LEONARD'S POSITIVE FACE (PI8), ACCORDING TO BROWN AND LEVINSON'S MODEL OF POLITENESS, BECAUSE HE REFERS TO AN INTIMATE ACTION (PI9) THAT ONE DOES NOT TALK ABOUT WITH A PERSON HE HAS JUST MET, MAKING BOTH HIS INTERLOCUTORS UNCOMFORTABLE. A NON-SHELDON, IN THIS CASE, WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO SACRIFICE THE HIGHEST QUALITY BY KEEPING QUIET ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD DONE DURING THE MORNING SO AS NOT TO APPEAR INAPPROPRIATE.

(1) SHELDON: “I NEED ACCESS TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY’S WALK-IN FREEZER.” (2) PENNY: “NOW, HONEY, I ALREADY TOLD YOU: THE HAMBURGER MEAT IS FRESH AND STORED AT A SAFE TEMPERATURE.” (3) SHELDON: “NO. THIS IS TO TRAIN FOR A THREE- MONTH EXPEDITION TO THE MAGNETIC NORTH POLE.” (4) PENNY: “WHAT?” (5) SHELDON: “I DON’T KNOW HOW THAT SENTENCE COULD POSSIBLY CONFUSE YOU BUT, TO ELABORATE, I’M GOING TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE WITH LEONARD, WOLOWITZ AND KOOTHRAPPALI.” Collecting data Sheldon Flouting of the maxim of manner: Tt. 1/3/ NI4(FTA) =Explicitly associate the other with a negative aspect: T. 5

SEGMENT/SCENE ANALYSIS

THIRD SEGMENT: S5 EP 24 << THE COUNTDOWN REFLECTION >>

• CONTEXT OF THE EPISODE: HOWARD IS IN THE SOYUZ CAPSULE WAITING FOR THE LAUNCH: HALF-

HORRIFIED, HE MENTALLY GOES OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, AND SO WE LEARN THAT HE AND

BERNADETTE, NOT WANTING TO WAIT FOR THE END OF THE MISSION, HAVE DECIDED TO GET

MARRIED BEFORE DEPARTURE WITH A SHORT CEREMONY, POSTPONING ONLY THE OFFICIAL

RECEPTION UNTIL AFTER HOWARD'S RETURN. HOWEVER, TIME CONSTRAINTS ARE IN THE WAY, SO

THE TWO DECIDE TO GET MARRIED ON THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING WHERE SHELDON, LEONARD

AND PENNY LIVE, AT THE MOMENT WHEN THE LATTER WILL BE FLOWN OVER BY THE GOOGLE

EARTH SATELLITE. THE WEDDING WILL EVENTUALLY BE OFFICIATED BY ALL THE FRIENDS,

ORDAINED OFFICIANTS VIA THE INTERNET. WHEN IT IS SHELDON'S TURN TO SPEAK, THESE ARE THE

WORDS HE CHOOSES FOR HIS FRIENDS:

SHELDON: […] THE NEED TO FIND ANOTHER HUMAN BEING TO SHARE ONE’S LIFE WITH HAS ALWAYS PUZZLED ME. MAYBE BECAUSE I’M SO INTERESTING ALL BY MYSELF. WITH THAT BEING SAID, MAY YOU FIND AS MUCH HAPPINESS WITH EACH OTHER AS I FIND ON MY OWN. [...] Collecting data: Sheldon PI3 (Dissociate from the others) PI8(FTA)= Make the other feel uncomfortable

• SHELDON IN (1) DAMAGES THE POSITIVE FACE OF AMY, HIS GIRLFRIEND, MAKING HER FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE (PI8) BECAUSE HE SAYS THAT HE IS PUZZLED AT THE IDEA OF JOINING SOMEONE ELSE IN LOVE AND THAT HE CAN FIND HAPPINESS ALREADY IN HIMSELF. FURTHERMORE, HE WANTS TO IMPLY A DISSOCIATION FROM OTHERS WITH THIS SENTENCE (PI3), AS HE EXPRESSES THE FACT THAT HE HIMSELF IS ALREADY INTERESTING BECAUSE HE BELIEVES TO BE SUPERIOR TO OTHERS.

FOURTH SEGMENT: S10 EP 24 << THE LONG DISTANCE DISSONANCE>>

• CONTEXT OF THE EPISODE: AMY IS ALREADY AT PRINCETON, SO SHELDON IS BACK IN

LEONARD'S LIFE AGAIN, WHO HAS TO ACCOMPANY HIM AS HE USED TO DO IN THE

PAST. THE ROUTINE IS BROKEN BY THE RETURN OF RAMONA NOWITZKI FOR A POST-

DOCTORATE AT CALTECH, WHERE SHE HAD ALREADY BEEN WHEN SHE WAS A STUDENT

SPENDING MOST OF HER TIME WITH SHELDON, TO WHOM SHE IMMEDIATELY CLINGS.

THE WHOLE GROUP IS WORRIED BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT RAMONA IS INTERESTED

IN THE BOY IN A WAY THAT GOES BEYOND FRIENDSHIP, BUT HE DOES NOT THINK SO;

WHEN HE TALKS TO THE GIRL ABOUT IT, HOWEVER, SHE KISSES HIM. SHELDON, UPSET,

LEAVES HIS OFFICE AND TAKES THE FIRST PLANE TO AMY'S, WHO, OPENING THE DOOR

TO HER ROOM, FINDS HIM KNEELING DOWN TO ASK HER FOR HER HAND IN MARRIAGE.

SEGMENT/SCENE ANALYSIS

• RAMONA IS CLEARLY INTERESTED IN THE BOY, IN FACT, AS SOON AS SHE GETS THE CHANCE, SHE TALKS TO SHELDON ABOUT IT. THE LATTER, INDEED, WHILE THEY WERE IN HIS STUDY BRINGS UP THIS SUBJECT AND RAMONA, BELIEVING THAT SHELDON CAN RECIPROCATE HER FEELINGS, PERSUADES HIM TO ACCEPT (P5, P7, OFF-R10). BUT AS SHELDON EXPLAINS WHY THIS WOULD BE A PROBLEM, SHE KISSES HIM, MAKING HIM UNCOMFORTABLE (PI8). SHELDON, NOW LEFT SPEECHLESS, BREAKS AWAY FROM THE DOCTOR AND WITHOUT HESITATION, HEADS TO AMY'S HOTEL ROOM AFTER TAKING THE FIRST AVAILABLE PLANE. AS SOON AS SHE OPENS THE DOOR, SHE FINDS HIM ON HIS KNEES AND HE ASKS HER TO MARRY HIM.