conversation structure analysis

ELEVEN NN

STORYTELLING2.pdf

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Story Telling: The Sequel

Lecture Outline: 1. The telling sequence

• Managing foreground & background • Shaggy dogs, red herrings, & Chekhov's pistol

2. The response sequence • Recognizable endings • Showing understanding and affiliation

Story Telling

Recap on story telling so far:

• Organizationally complex: subject to many contingencies that impact their realization.

• High stakes: large face risks for tellers (mostly validation – pos. face) & recipients (mostly imposition – neg. face)

• Getting started: launching from 1st vs 2nd position; varying distribution of responsibility; 1st-position opening practices geared to diffusing responsibility, and aligning addressee as story recipient.

• Telling sequence (so far): recipient's role; displaying recipiency and engagement via response tokens; doing more or less can derail telling.

Story Telling

Today:

• The telling sequence & teller's role in structuring stories Ø Includes managing (1) focal events, (2) background info,

(3) recognizable ending.

• The response sequence: How recipients display (1) understanding of the story, and (2) affiliation with teller

The Telling Sequence:

Teller's Management of Foreground & Background

Story Telling

Foreground: what happened next; the events of the story

Background: who, when, where; contextual info needed to make sense of events and/or appreciate their import. • Background may precede foreground, or be interspersed

Story Telling

Illustration of foreground/background: #8 Fly in the Coffee Story

Fly

Story Telling

Foreground (blue) and background (red): #8 Fly in the Coffee

13 NAN: [We coulda go]t away with it ri[lly. 14 VIV: [Yea:h. 15 (0.3) 16 NAN: But (0.4) yihknow w[it t h e h e l l] 17 SHA: [Like yih said you ][wuh feelin ¯goo]d,= 18 MIC: [M y ↑fa:ther- ] 19 MIC: S-> =˙hhh My fa:ther we w'r in Manners Big Boy.ih( ) 20 Big Bo[y back E]a:st? 21 SHA: [Yea:h? ] 22 (0.3) 23 MIC: En eez drinkin a cuppla coffee iss a true story my- (0.2) 24 my dad's (0.3) stepfathuh eez (0.3) pretty funny ¯guy 25 isn'ee ˚(you[know'm)˚ 26 SHA: [Uh huh, 27 (0.7) 28 MIC: Good joke teller evrything so eez (.) drinkin this cup 29 coffee'n there's this fly un the bottim'ee goes ˙hhhhh 30 JEEZIZ CHRI[ST! 31 SHA: [heh-ha ha ha:[ h u h ]

Story Telling

Import of background elements: • Enable recipients to follow the story as it is told • Guide them toward an (ideally) correct appreciation of its

significance and import.

Story Telling

Both background & foreground involve teller’s selections:

• which details to include

• how to formulate them

• geared to advancing the story's point or import, making it recognizable to recipients.

Story Telling

These selections can go wrong in various ways:

1. Shaggy dog problem: details appear tangential/irrelevant. • This increases recipient’s perception of burden without payoff

→ may stop listening, redirect the topic (derail the story), etc. • Illustration – eyewitness to arrest story

Story Telling

These selections can go wrong in various ways:

1. Shaggy dog problem: details appear tangential/irrelevant. • This increases recipient’s perception of burden without payoff

→ may stop listening, redirect the topic (derail the story), etc. • Illustration – eyewitness to arrest story

2. Red herring problem: details appear relevant, but are in fact poorly fitted to teller's main point.

• May be misleading about story's point or import → premature and/or incorrect reactions, etc.

Story Telling

Red herring problem: Warehouse Story

(2) [Frankel: drinking story: simplified] 1 Shi: Ah'm not suhprized. .hhh Listen, u- something very very: 2 cute happened las'night et the Warehouse. 3 (.) 4 Ger: Wha[t 5 Shi: [.hhhhh YihKNOW Cathy,(.) Larry Taylor's ex girlfrie[nd,] 6 Ger: [Yee]ah. 7 Shi: [.hhhhhhhh]= 8 Ger: [˚˚M-hm?˚˚]= 9 Shi: =Okay. Cathy came in las'night. ((sniff))

13 Shi: Whenever she comes in she always wants me t'do something 14 fer her, 15 Ger: M-hm, 16 Shi: either siddown'n ta:lk,h whatever. .hhhhh Suh she came in en 17 she starts asking me if I'd seen Gary. Gary Klei:n, .hhhh 18 I s'd yeh eez here t'night .hh she sz well wouldju go find im 19 please'n tell im t'give me my ten dollars thet 'e owes me, 20 ( ): .tch 22 Ger: -> mWhaddiyou haftih get [in on that fo[r, 23 Shi: [.hhhh [Wai:t. I started lau:ghing 24 I looked et 'er en I said believe it er not little girl…

Story Telling

Red herring problem: Shiloh (dog) or Michael (boyfriend) Story?

[Frankel: Shiloh/Michael story] Shi: Uh:m yer mother met Michael las'night. Ger: Oh rilly?= Shi: =Ye:ah. ( ): .hh-.hh Ger: Oh:::.= Shi: =Yeah.She wz taking Shiloh out.just ez we w'r coming back

fr'm dinner. (.)

Shi: .hh[hh Ger: [O-oh I didn't see= (G): (S): =Ya:h?= Shi: =en we hadtuh park in fronta yer hou:se.

(.) Shi: .hhhh So: Shiloh tried tih get'n the car.= (G): =hheh-heh-[heh ] (S): [(.)hhh]

(0.3)

Story Telling

Red herring problem: Shiloh (dog) or Michael (boyfriend) Story?

[Frankel: Shiloh/Michael story continued] Shi: Uh:m yer mother met Michael las'night. Ger: Oh rilly?=

. . .

. . . Shi: .hhheh it wz(h)rilly funny..hhh He wz takin yer m*o:m all

the way down the hill. (0.2)

Ger: hhuh[heh. Shi: [.hh So 'e tried tih jump in the'car. ( ): 'hh

(.) Ger: Oh: boy,h= Shi: =cz I wz js' getting ou:t.= Ger: -> =S[o didju]interdu:ce 'er? Shi: [( )] Shi: -> Of COU:rse. Ger: e-Ye::h, Shi: -> .hh- So: yihknow she said hi: ez- ez he tried tih yank'er

up'n down the block .hhhh y'know ih wz kind'v a funny way t'say hello.

Ger: -> Ye::h,=

Story Telling

Correct Foreshadowing: Chekhov’s pistol

"If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there.” Anton Chekhov (Russian playwright)

For story recipients, like theatrical audiences, such elements raise why that now Qs; ideally promote correct appreciation.

#8 Fly in coffee: L24-25, 28: Stepdad is a funny character.

But see #2 Warehouse story: L13-14,16: Kathy always wants me to do something…

Story Telling

Highlighting details

Suspending progression of the story to insert a detail. • #8 Fly in coffee: L23-24, 28: Stepdad is a funny character.

Tag questions, you know: L25

23 MIC: -> En eez drinkin a cuppla coffee iss a true story my- (0.2) 24 -> my dad's (0.3) stepfathuh eez (0.3) pretty funny ¯guy 25 isn'ee ˚(you[know'm)˚ 26 SHA: [Uh huh, 27 (0.7) 28 MIC: Good joke teller evrything so eez (.) drinkin this cup 29 coffee'n there's this fly un the bottim'ee goes ˙hhhhh 30 JEEZIZ CHRI[ST! 31 SHA: [heh-ha ha ha:[ h u h ]

Story Telling

Highlighting details

Marking the detail with you know. • #8 Fly in coffee: L25-26 • #8b Bike riding drink story: #8b: L7, L18

Story Telling

Highlighting details

(8b) [Chicken Dinner: Bike riding story: simplified] 1 MIC: Shane thinks he's doin'me a big favor'm ridin th'bike'ee 2 says'ey I'm 'unnuh getta drink. . . . . 7 MIC: -> I give ya half yihknow? I mean 8 ((laughter from Nancy and Shane))

12 MIC: [So: here I am I'm (.) bikin'[a half]hour]= 13 SHA: [˙hahhh] heh]= 14 SHA: =[h u h h u h h u h] 15 MIC: =[('n evrything) 'n I]get off'm thirstier'n shit, 16 (1.2) 17 SH?: [(˚hheh ih huh˚) 18 MIC: -> ['Spect this big mo:njo drink [(tih come) yihknow,] 19 SHA: [˙h h h �h u h h u]h 20 NAN: Mm-h[m: 21 SHA: [˙hhh 22 (0.7) 23 MIC: Fuckin dixie �cu[p. 24 SHA: [˙huhh ˙huhh[˙huhh ˙hu]

The Response Sequence

Story Telling

Response sequence is the site of the story’s pay-off. Ideally:

• Teller will feel understood: He/she gets it.

• Teller will feel supported: He/she approves of my actions/stance.

• By implication, story treated as having been worth telling: worth imposition on recipient, positive face risk for teller.

• But this all depends on how the response sequence unfolds!

Story Telling

Response sequence involves:

1. Teller’s recognizable story ending

2. Recipient’s response: understanding, affiliation

3. Optional expansion: further reactions & commentary

Story Telling

Recognizable endings:

• Explicit conclusion: formulate the point of the story (“moral”): #11, L25-26: “An’ that’s why I’m here today. ‘Cause it’s been (.) long.”

• Action outcome: formulate the result/effect of the story’s events: #8, L38-9: “He din’ pay fer any of it.”

• Last action: deliver the final action (“climax”). Often marked by granularity shift (coarse fine), e.g. to direct reported speech. #13, L32-9: “He w’s like “Well who’ truck you drivin;” (n) I said “My boyfriend’s,”

Story Telling

• Explicit conclusion: formulate the story’s point (“moral”) • Action outcome: formulate the events’ result/consequence • Last action: deliver the final action (“climax”). • Note: these methods are not equally usable in conversation;

explicit conclusions & outcomes may be dispreferred.

Recognizable endings:

Story Telling

[Frankel: Shiloh/Michael story continued] Ger: =S[o didju]interdu:ce 'er? Shi: [( )] Shi: Of COU:rse. Ger: e-Ye::h, Shi: 1-> .hh- So: yihknow she said hi: ez- ez he tried tih yank

‘er up'n down the block 2-> .hhhh y'know ih wz kind'v a funny way t'say hello.

Ger: Ye::h,= Shi: =.hhh Suh how'r you?

explicit conclusions & outcomes may be dispreferred.

Recognizable endings:

Story Telling

Story responses

Initial illustration: #8 fly in the coffee story

Fly in the coffee story

Story Telling

[Chicken dinner – detail] 1 SHA: -> Are yih g'nna(b) (.) We coulda very eas'ly got awuh 2 -> without payin it. 3 ... 4 STORY 5 ... 6 MIC: WAITRISS WAITRISS ('is [waitriss )]comes over'ee zez= 7 SHA: [(hah hah)] 8 MIC: ='z a fly'n ah- ah'm NOT payin fer none a'diss uh'm not 9 payin fer none a'this.Right? We dih ˚he din pay fer any

10 of it.˚ 11 SHA: Yeah? 12 (0.2) 13 SHA: ˚Yeah˚ 'ee [made a big [scene. 14 NAN: [˚˚Yeah˚˚ [Yih see he did [it the right wa:y. 15 VIV: [Wul these ^places 16 They ^d[on't like tuh h]ave [ t h a : t.] 17 MIC: [J_e_ e : z i z ]Chri[st! (it's no] go[o:d,)]= 18 SHA: [a_a_h huh]hu[h huh]= 19 VIV: [Y'know]

Story Telling

Note: asymmetry between displaying understanding & affiliation: • Displaying affiliation also implicates understanding • But not the reverse! Indeed, displaying understanding alone can

suggest disapproval.

Story responses – ideally, address two main tasks:

1. Displaying Understanding – I get it. Can involve: laughing at a joke, formulating the story’s point/moral, or agreeing/approving (which presumes & implicates understanding).

2. Displaying Affiliation – I support you. Can involve: agreeing with teller’s stance, approving their actions, or empathizing with their experience.

Story Telling

#8 Fly in the Coffee story – Affiliation and understanding as separate

[Chicken dinner – Fly in the cofffee story + response] 1 SHA: Are yih g'nna(b) (.) We coulda very eas'ly got awuh 2 without payin it. 3 ... 4 STORY 5 ... 6 MIC: WAITRISS WAITRISS ('is [waitriss )]comes over'ee zez= 7 SHA: [(hah hah)] 8 MIC: ='z a fly'n ah- ah'm NOT payin fer none a'diss uh'm not 9 payin fer none a'this.Right? We dih ˚he din pay fer any

10 of it.˚ 11 SHA: Yeah? 12 (0.2) 13 SHA: -> ˚Yeah˚ 'ee [made a big [scene. 14 NAN: -> [˚˚Yeah˚˚ [Yih see he did [it the right wa:y. 15 VIV: [Wul these ^places 16 They ^d[on't like tuh h]ave [ t h a : t.] 17 MIC: [J_e_ e : z i z ]Chri[st! (it's no] go[o:d,)]= 18 SHA: [a_a_h huh]hu[h huh]= 19 VIV: [Y'know]

Story Telling

#13 Hair Salon – Affiliation implicates understanding

Story Telling

#13 Hair Salon – Affiliation implicates understanding

Nic: So then he says uhm: >somethin’ bout when am I gon’ let him< te:st dri:ve mah car, I said "I don’t see thet-” uh:m “concernin’ you,” (0.5) You (no)/(don’) test drivi nothin’. (0.9)

Nic: I said an’ (uhm)/(‘en) (.) ^NO I said "I'm not even in my car. Where'd you get ^that fro:m;" (0.3) He w’s like "Well who’ truck you drivin;" (‘n) I said ((gazing to Shauna)) "My boyfriend's,"

Sha: -> ((smile)) Eheh! .hh (1.4) God I wish I coulda see’ his fa:ce.

Story Telling

#12 Slimmer of the Year: Understanding, no affiliation

(12) [Heritage 1985: "Slimmer of the Year"] Sli: You have a she:ll (1.2) that for so long protects you.

(0.7) Sli: But sometimes: things creep through the shell and (.)

then you become really aware of (.) of 'ow awful y'feel. .hhh I never ever felt my age or looked my age,=I was always (.) older,=people always took me for older. .hhhh And when I was at college I think I looked a ma:tronly fifty. .hh And (.) I was completely alone one weekend and I got to this stage where I almost jumped in the river(hh).=I just felt life wasn't worth it anymo:re,= it hadn't anything to offer. (.) .hhhh And if this was living I had had enough.

IR: -> You really were prepared to commit suicide because you were a big fatty.

Sli: Yes, 'cuz I- I (.) just didn't see anything in life that I had to look forward to....

Story Telling

#14 Warehouse Story: minimal response ->pursuit of affiliation

544 Shi: . . . en finally I looked et'er. I s'd jihknow, .t.hhh I 545 I said I c'd very very easily have you kicked out. 546 (1.2) 547 Shi: I said no questions asked. Very easily. . . . ((5 lines cut)) 553 Shi: . . . I said b't lemme tell you something. .hh the nex'time 554 yer caught in here drinking anything. .hh you'll be going 555 out. I sid not only tha:t .hh b't now thet evrybuddy aa- 556 evrybuddy knows you did it, (.) .t.hhh they're g'nna be 557 watchin you just ez close. 558 (0.2) 559 Shi: .hh So I told'er if you ever drink ANYthi:ng. .hhh yer 560 g'nna *ee- don' WOrry. hhah-hah-hah, 561 (.) 562 Shi: .hhh[hhh 563 Ger: [.tch Oy::.hh 564 Shi: Such a sh::mucky ki:d you kno:w? 565 (.) 566 Shi: .hhh I wz rilly aggravated. 567 (0.4) 568 Shi: .t.hhh B't anyway I made a lotta money las'night so I'm 569 happy about that, 570 Ger: �M-hm.� 571 (0.2) 572 Shi: .p.t En that's all thet's new,

←Last action

←Explicit conclusion

←Action outcome

←Last action 2

←Action outcome 2/shift

←Minimal response

←No response

Story Telling

Postscript on Laughter: Just understanding? Or affiliating?

Story Telling

Late Night With David Letterman 21 Feb 1992 Guests: Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert

((This follows a discussion of Ebert's upcoming wedding.))

1 DL: Ah:- but anyway it'll be a grand gala, and congratulations 2 [and uh 3 GS: [Oh grand'n gala:, are you kidding me, the caterers are 4 saying it's gonna be operation dessert storm. 5 RE: ((visibly but silently laughing throughout the following)) 6 AUD: [hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha[hahahahahahahahahah 7 AUD: | [bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb 8 DL: [eh heh hah hahahahahahahaha[hahhaha th(h)ts- 'ats- hhh! 9 that seems unnecessarily na[sty,

10 GS: [You laughed, 11 DL: heh! [Well yes eh heh heh heh [heh heh heh heh heh heh 12 RE: [Bald, bald! ((Pointing |at Siskel's head)) 13 GS: [You: accusing me of being nasty? 14 DL: N(h)aw it's amusing.

Story Telling

CConclusions

Story Telling

Story telling: overall structure (ideal type)

1. Launch sequence • 1st position: story preface + go ahead • 2nd position: response to question (or other 1st action) • Or tellers may just start, with no separate launch sequence

2. Telling sequence • Tellers provide: (1) foreground events, (2) background

information, (3) recognizable ending • Recipients provide acknowledgments; withhold other responses

3. Response sequence • Story ending: may be (1) final action, or (2) action outcome,

or (3) explicit formulations of the point (dispreferred) • Response: geared to showing (1) understanding and (2)

affiliation (or disaffiliation) • Optional expansion

Story Telling

Complexities and vulnerabilities

• Successful production & understanding of each component requires tracking how it fits into the overall story and its point.

• Failing to keep track of this part/whole relationship can lead to various problems.

• Failures by teller can lead to: shaggy dogs, red herrings, etc. • Which can lead recipients to: incorrect reactions, premature

reactions, giving up on the story (boredom, derailing, etc.) • Both the launch and response sequences may be expanded when

the sought-after response (e.g., interest, affiliation) is withheld. • So a lot has to happen for stories to come off successfully. • And that's why we sometimes refuse even high-pressure invitations

to tell stories!

Story Telling

#4 Cancer: No understanding, no empathy