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Session Overview
Inference and the Discourse Architecture of Drama
Grice's Cooperative Principle
Practising Gricean Analysis
Top Girls
Conversational implicature and The Dumb Waiter
Gricean Self-Test
 
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Conversational implicature and The Dumb Waiter

[Context: At the beginning of The Dumb Waiter, the two characters, Ben and Gus, have recently arrived in Birmingham and are in the main room of a bed-sit flat with two beds in it, and a kitchen offstage. It has become clear that they are professional killers, are waiting to receive instructions on who they are to kill from someone whose identity they do not know. Just before this part of the conversation, an envelope containing a small book of matches has been pushed under the door. Throughout the play they continue to receive objects and instructions in this anonymous way, sometimes via a small service lift (the dumb waiter which provides the title for the play). Earlier, Ben has told Gus to go to the kitchen and make some tea. But Gus has not yet done so because his attention keeps wandering to other, rather trivial, topics, about which Ben has corrected his views and memories on a number of occasions. The arrival of the matches prompts Ben to re-issue his order to Gus to make the tea.]

 

Gus probes his ear with a match.

1. BEN

(slapping his hand) Don't waste them! Go on, go and light it.

2. GUS

Eh?

3. BEN

Go and light it.

4. GUS

Light what?

5. BEN

The kettle.

6. GUS

You mean the gas.

7. BEN

Who does?

8. GUS

You do.

9. BEN

(his eyes narrowing) What do you mean, I mean the gas?

10. GUS

Well, that's what you mean, don't you? The gas.

11. BEN

(powerfully) If I say go and light the kettle I mean go and light the kettle.

12. GUS

How can you light a kettle?

13. BEN

It's a figure of speech! Light the kettle. It's a figure of speech!

14. GUS

I've never heard it.

15. BEN

Light the kettle! It's common usage!

16. GUS

I think you've got it wrong.

17. BEN

(menacing) What do you mean?

18. GUS

They put on the kettle.

19. BEN

(taut) Who says?

They stare at each other, breathing hard.

(deliberately) I have never in all my life heard anyone say put on the kettle.

20. GUS

I bet my mother used to say it.

21. BEN

Your mother? When did you last see your mother?

22. GUS

I don't know, about -

23. BEN

Well, what are you talking about your mother for?

They stare.

Gus, I'm not trying to be unreasonable. I'm just trying to point out something to you.

24. GUS

Yes, but -

25. BEN

Who's the senior partner here, me or you?

26. GUS

You.

27. BEN

I'm only looking after your interests, Gus. You've got to learn, mate.

28. GUS

Yes, but I've never heard -

29. BEN

(vehemently) Nobody says light the gas! What does the gas light?

30. GUS

What does the gas -?

31. BEN

(grabbing him with two hands by the throat, at arm's length) THE KETTLE, YOU FOOL!

Gus takes the hands from his throat.

32. GUS

All right, all right.

Pause

33. BEN

Well, what are you waiting for?

34. GUS

I want to see if they light.

35. BEN

What?

36. GUS

The matches.

He takes out the flattened box and tries to strike.

No.

He throws the box under the bed.
Ben stares at him.
Gus raises his foot.

Shall I try it on here?

Ben stares. Gus strikes a match on his shoe. It lights.

Here we are.

37. BEN

(wearily) Put on the bloody kettle, for Christ's sake.

Ben goes to his bed, but, realising what he has said, stops and half turns. They look at each other. Gus slowly exits, left.

 


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