The Flouting of Conversational Maxims in V for Vendetta

Speakers and listeners who are involved in conversation generally cooperate \neach other in order to make their communication run well and success. Based on \nthat reason, Grice (in Yule, 1996:37) proposed a theory that is called Cooperative \nPrinciple. He assumes that in order to have successful conversation, we have to \ngive our conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it \noccurs and by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which we \nare engaged. \nIn realizing the CP, Grice suggest that contribution to talk should be guided by \nfour Conversational Maxims, as sub principle of CP. They are maxim of quality, \nquantity, relevance and manner. These maxims specify what the participants \nshould do in order to converse efficiently, rational and cooperative-way. \nGrice did not claim that a speaker always observe the maxims in conversation \nprocess. In many occasions they sometimes fail to observe the maxims. There are \nfive ways of failing to observe a maxim flouting, violating a maxim, infringing, \nopting out and suspending (Thomas, 1995:64). People may fail to observe a \nmaxim for certain reason, for example, they evade are incapable of speaking \nclearly, or because they deliberately choose to lie. \nIn this research, the writer only focuses on one failure in observing the maxim: \nflouting a maxim. This is the situation in which the speaker blatantly fails to \n3 \nobserve the maxims, not with any intention of deceiving or misleading but the \nspeaker wishes to prompt the hearer to look for a meaning which is different from \nor in addition to, the expressed meaning(Thomas,1995:65). \nThe flouting of maxims can occur when the speaker blatantly fails to observe \nthe maxim at the level what is said and the hearer operates on the assumption that \nthe maxim will be observed. The flouting of maxims can occur in each maxim and \nall of them have possibility to flout in every conversation. \nFor example: \nPatricio has come to ask Baptista for his daughter’s hand in marriage \nPet : and you good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter call’d Katherine, fair \nAnd virtuous? \nBap : I have a daughter, sir, call’d Katherine. \n(Thomas, 1995:69) \nFrom the conversation above, Baptista flouts the maxim of quantity because \nhe gives less information that is required by confirming that he has a daughter \ncalled Katherine, but omitting any mention to her fairness or virtue. Here, Baptista \nimplies that his daughter does not possess these qualities to any marked degree. \nBased on the explanation, quotation and example above, the writer tries to \nconduct the research entitled “the flouting of conversational maxims in v for \nvendetta”. The writer chooses it as an object of his research, because the \ncharacters of the movie tend to fail to observe the conversational maxims when \nthey want to convey their intention and purpose in a conversation.