Topic 11 - Conversational structure and character (Session A) > Analysing Major Barbara > Task F > Answer

Analysing Major Barbara

Task F - Our answer

Stephen does not coerce his mother at all in speech act terms. But at a conservative estimate, she commands him at least nine times in 16 turns.

Lady Britomart orders Stephen not to read in turn 3, not to make excuses in 5, to bring her cushion and not to fiddle with his tie in 7. Her interrogative structure in 9 is effectively telling him pay attention. In 11 her declarative structure about her wishes in relation to his activity with his watch chain is effectively a command to him not to fiddle with it. In 17 she tells him not to repeat her words and also to advise him, and she repeats the latter command in 19.

There are two or three less clear possibilities of coercive speech acts, but if we just stick to the clearer cases the pattern of Lady Britomart's coerciveness and Stephen's submission is very clear indeed.

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