ABSTRACT
First, the investigation will draw on a sociolinguistic framework designed for the analysis of naturally occurring conversation. This framework will be applied to the rather unusual dialogue which takes place between the characters in O’Brien’s novel. It is hoped that such an analysis will highlight the ways in which the conventions of ‘normal talk can be manipulated by a writer for special effect, and thereby explain the comic impact of this fictional dialogue. In this respect, the analysis can be regarded as an exercise in discourse stylistics.
