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1. SELF COMMENDATION

08/1/43:42

Emily : Guard this with your life.

Andy : Of course.
Andy : You know, if I could deliver The Book then that means I’ve
done something right. I’m not a psycho. Oh, and you know, she
called me Andrea. She didn’t call me Emily. Isn’t that great?
Emily : Yeah. Whoopee.
Emily : Now it’s important that you do EXACTLY what I’m about to tell
you.
Andy : Oh, okay.

The description of the context

The participants in this dialogue are Andy and Emily. Both of them are

assistants for Miranda Priestly -the editor in chief of Runway (the United States'

top fashion magazine). Emily is the first assistant while Andy is the second. The

dialogue happens outside of Miranda’s office, where their desks exist. At first

Andy anxious about her unexpected force into an industry that she has no interest

in, however Andy has made a decision of staying in Runway for one year for

opening door to the truly pursued job, journalism. Thus, she adapts to the fashion

world and makes efforts in approving her capability in her first job; finally

Miranda put trust in Andrea.

Analysis on the assessment

After receiving the key of Miranda’s apartment from Emily, Andy is

making a positive evaluation of her progress by saying “You know, if I could

deliver the Book then that means I’ve done something right. I’m not a psycho. Oh,

and you know, she called me Andrea. She didn’t call me Emily. Isn’t that great?”
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in a rising intonation. She expresses those words excitedly with a happy face and a

wide smile. Andy looks cheerful because finally Miranda recognizes her existence

and capability as her assistant. The acknowledgment is signed, first, by Miranda’s

call to Andy with her own name that is Andrea; Miranda no longer calls Andy by

Emily’s name. The second is by giving her assignment to deliver The Book (a Comment [ADP1]: Put this in italic OR between 
quotation marks.  

mock up of everything in the current issue) every night to Miranda’s apartment.

Emily had told Andy at the first day Andy presented at work that the assignment

of delivering The Book was supposed to be done by second assistant. However,

the assignment would not be delegated to the second assistant before Miranda

decides that the second assistant is not totally a psycho, as Miranda is a very

private person who does not like stranger enter her house.

Emily responds the self-commendation with second evaluation of Comment [ADP2]: It seems that Emily gives the 
evaluation twice. What is the first if this is the 
second? 
agreement by saying “Yeah. Whoopee” unfortunately in a cold way, pokerfaced.

Although her boss already acknowledges Andy, Emily’s feeling is not changing

since Emily is a snooty type girl who assumes that Andy does not deserve having

her position. Hence she does not feel happy for Andy about her progress that she

has achieved.

Politeness strategy

Andy uses a positive politeness strategy in delivering the self-

commendation. She It can be seen from some positive politeness sub-strategies

applied, specifically sub-strategy of intensify intensifies interest to the hearer

(Emily) and sub-strategy of presupposes common ground.

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Here, the way she communicate her excitement is by intensifying the

interest of her own contributions to the conversation by ‘making a good story’ to

Emily. This is done by switching back and forth between past and present tense,

as can be seen in Andy’s utterance. The use of tag question or expression “You

know … isn’t that great?” is also a device to draw Emily as a participant into the

conversation. Those are included in positive politeness sub-strategy of intensify

interest to the hearer. Comment [ADP3]: Read B&L again. I’m afraid 

She also uses the sub-strategy of presupposes common ground by the use
of “you know” which is scattered through her utterance. It means that she wants to
you misunderstand this strategy. To my 
understanding, “Intensifying interest to hearer” 
means that the speaker shows that he/she is 
interested much to something in/from the hearer.  
What happens in this setting is the speaker tries to 
draw the interest from the hearer. Am I right? 

claim Emily’s knowledge of that kind of situation in general. Thus, it can be

concluded that Andy uses positive politeness strategy in the conversation with her

partner, Emily.

Comment [ADP4]: Please also include the 

analysis whether the strategy is successful or not.  

Comment [ADP5]: Don’t you have to analyze 

the responses to the assessment?