Shoot, I'm Sorry: An Examination of Narrative Functions and Effectiveness within Dick Cheney's Hunting Accident Apologia

Abstract

Although narrative is established as a critical part of human communication, recent typologies of apologia have neglected to account for its prominence. In this essay, I argue that narrative is not just a decorative strategy but rather an essential component within successful apologia when a negative action cannot be denied outright. Well-designed narratives are central to effective apologia statements for several reasons: First, humans are storytellers by nature; second, narratives are uniquely suited to providing explanations for behavior; and third, the framing and identification functions of narrative within apologia are quite powerful. Narratives function as a framing device that can shape the facts of the story and create a deeper sense of identification with the audience. To illuminate these arguments, the essay turns to the case of Dick Cheney's apologia after accidentally shooting a hunting partner.

Notes

Two different transcripts of Cheney's interview exist: one on the FOX News Web site, the organization that conducted the interview, and one on the official White House Web site. While the two are largely the same, they do diverge on several points, words, and phrases. For example, near the beginning of the interview, in the FOX transcript, Cheney is quoted as saying, “There were two of us who had gotten out of the vehicle and walked up on a covey of quail that had been pointed by the dogs” (Cheney, 2006c). In the White House transcript, the line is quoted as “There were three of us who had gotten out of the vehicle and walked up on a covey of quail that had been pointed by the dogs” (Cheney, 2006d). I have chosen to use the White House transcript as the primary text in this essay.

The White House transcript misspells Katharine Armstrong's first name as “Katherine.”