Observations about
Condolences in Conversation
Soc. 535
Fall 2005
Doug Maynard
1
The Initiation of an Inquiry
Diagnosis: Peter’s Anomaly
and Glaucoma
Solution: Cornea transplant
Carleigh was eight weeks old when we received
the call that a donor was available. We were in
Halifax within two days. Dr. Seamone did her
transplant and Dr. Nicolela put a shunt in to
manage her glaucoma. The surgery went well
and we were given a 70% chance for success.
They told us this is very rare in babies, and it
was just something that happened without a
reason. After the surgery we had to care for her
eye by patching her good eye to force her to
start using the eye with the transplant, and
daily medications to prevent rejection; this
continues to this day. Carleigh has more vision
than the doctors ever thought possible. With the
aid of glasses, she looks like a normal three year
old that wears glasses too. We make regular
visits to Halifax to see her doctors and three
years later everything is still going excellent.
2
www.cdha.nshealth.ca/transplantservices/transplantProgram.html
The Initiation of an Inquiry
Requests for Tissue Donation
Extract (1)
3
A Condolence Sequence
1. Condolence offering
I’m sorry t’hear about your
father by the way . . .
****
[I didn’t pass my driving test]
Oh that’s a pity... Commiserations, that’s sad, a real shame
****
[We lost all seven puppies]
Oh I’m sorry to hear that
****
We just heard about poor Ellen
2. Condolence response
That’s right. He hasn’t been
very well [agreement +account]
****
‘Tis isn’t it. [agreement]
****
No, the last one died [account]
****
Yes maddening isn’t it
[agreement +second assessment]
4
“Small Parts” of Conversational
Interaction
Now, what I’m going to be doing is taking small parts of a thing and
building out from them, because small parts can be identified and worked
on without regard to the larger thing they’re part of. And they can work
in a variety of larger parts than the one they happen to be working in. . . .
(Sacks, Fall 1965, Lecture 5. Vol I: page 159)
5
Components of Condolences
Extract (2)
I’m sorry
t’hear
about your father
by the way
Gordon tol’ me ...
commiserative
position statement
reference to news
telling
reference to the
told
topic disjunct
marker
epistemic display
6
The Condolence Sequence
Extract (2)
1. Condolence offering (“I’m sorry t’hear about
your father by the way. Gordon tol’ me about
him.”)
2. Agreement/account (“That’s ri-/hasn’t been well,
he’s better ...”).
7
Components of Condolences
Extract (3)
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
Gor:
( ):
Gor:
Sus:
( ):
.kl Ah-:-:-:-:.h
(.)
.k
(.)
0h that's a pity (.) wz it today.
(0.5)
No it wz yesterday.
(0.9)
.k
--sympathy marker (“Ah-:-:-:-:.h”)
--hesitation
--change of state (“oh”)= reference to news telling
--tie-marker (“that’s”) = reference to the told
--commiserative assessment (“a pity”)
--orientation to timing (“wz it today”): tag question
8
Components of Condolences
39 Sus:
40 Gor:
41 Sus:
42
43 Sus:
44 Gor:
45
46 Gor:
47
48
49 Sus:
50 Gor:
51
52 Gor:
Extract (3)
( [
feel)]sorry for myself=
[Commiserations.]
=yesterday so that I might do tonight.
(0.5)
°I[(
)
[hh-hh-hh .klk I see:.
(0.4)
.hh.t.hhhhh hEh:m .mp (0.7) That's
really sa:d. That's a real shame
(0.3)
Tis[isn’it.]
[ .t .k ].t .h
(0.2)
Yea:[h
--commiserative offering (sequentially deleted)
--tie-marker (“that’s”) = reference to the told
--commiserative assessment(s): really sad, real shame
9
Components of Response
39 Sus:
40 Gor:
41 Sus:
42
43 Sus:
44 Gor:
45
46 Gor:
47
48
49 Sus:
50 Gor:
51
52 Gor:
Extract (3)
( [
feel)]sorry for myself=
[Commiserations.]
=yesterday so that I might do tonight.
(0.5)
°I[(
)
[hh-hh-hh .klk I see:.
(0.4)
.hh.t.hhhhh hEh:m .mp (0.7) That's
really sa:d. That's a real shame
(0.3)
Tis[isn’it.]
[ .t .k ].t .h
(0.2)
Yea:[h
--agreement (Tis)
--tag question (isn’it)
--confirmation by condolence offerer (Yea:h)
10
The Condolence Sequence
Extract (3) Summative
1. Condolence offerings --commiserative assessments
(pity, sad, shame)
2. Acceptance=agreement asking for confirmation
(Tis isn’it, line 49)
3. Confirmation as “sequence finalizer”
(Yea:h, line 52)
11