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the wall by a couple 'bonking' in the and 'wrecking the bathroom'). Rather,
what would seem to b the case is that DB's inability to invoke his party going
figure is that it was itself inebriated. Of course, this is explicitly evidenced in
DB's collective claim in line 109 that 'We was all pretty squiffy that night'
(squiffy being an English idiom for quite drunk - often to the point of losing
one's demeanor).
This invocation of a figure that is 'unable to remember a thing is typical
of such mobilised abased selves in English sociable conversation. Although
RP and TM do not explicitly invoke such abased party going selves, there is
. no, contradiction of-these -selves, nor any-positing on their-part of contra----- --- ____
selves. They are thus by implication positively cast in the same abased light.
Aside from these abased selves based on alcoholic consumption, a second
type of figure is invoked from Cookie's Party - that of the 'dressed up' self.
This type of image is first invoked by DB at line 55. Again, DB asks the
question of the co-present others - evidence again of his inability to recall
events clearly. Over lines 55-74, specific figures are invoked which evidence
the nature of the party. LM recalls both an absent third party who went as a
'sarcastic Andy Pandy' alongside herself who went as a 'punk rocker'. DB
interestingly again claims not to be able to recollect his fancy dressed self,
other than perhaps being a 'nob', a derogatory term used to refer to - in this
instance - somebody who may have been drunk and generally unpleasant.
The resultant talk is a product of the alignment of these selves. First, it
is apparent that re-invoked selves are aligned positively with one another. For
instance, following LM's initiation of the talk, TM, LM, and RP all quickly
aligning similar selves. This positive alignment both ratifies and supports LM's
re-invoking self. From this point onward, for the duration of this particular
excerpt, re-invoking selves are aligned in a reciprocal and ratificatory as the
mobilisation of one in itself supports he mobilisation of another. In terms of
conversational images, again, positive alignment carries perhaps a more
important ratificatory function. Rather then for example mobilising a different
self in response to LM, DB mobilises a similar image of self. This both ratifies
LM's abased self and casts it positively.
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