Introducing Quotes in Literary Analysis

Quoting Literature in an Essay

by Jeff Frieden

​The Big Picture: Why We Cite Quotes

​The Big Picture: Why We Cite Quotes

• ​When people do important work, we show the VALUE they bring by acknowledging their contribution.

​The Big Picture: Why We Cite Quotes

• Also, when we cite the author of a piece of literature, we help CLARIFY where the idea is coming from (me, the writer, vs. the author of the book/text)

Poll

When I have a quote I want to include in an essay, I . . .

• am confident, knowing exactly what to do.

• am fairly confident, knowing most of the steps to do.

• am hesitant, having done it before, but I don't think I remember all the steps

• am here to learn because I don't know if I have ever really been taught how

Steps for Integrating Quotes Into Your Essay

1. Set up the quote with context and credit to the author

2. Add the quote (author's words), punctuating properly.

3. EXPLAIN THE MEANING (your words) of the quote within the context of your essay

4. ​Let the reader know where they can find the quote using a parenthetical citation.

STEP 1: Setting up the quote

• Don't just drop a quote in the essay, lead into it.

• ​When developing your "lead-in," provide context

• ​Attribute the quote to the author (last name)

• ​Use an academic verb to describe what the quote is doing

Multiple Select

When leading into a quote, options for providing context include the following... (mark all that potentially apply)

• A description of the scene that involves the quote

• The page number where the reader can find the quote

• The names of any characters involved in the quote

• The chapter number from where the quote originated

STEP 2: Add the quote, punctuating properly

• Comma after the lead-in (before the first quotation mark)

• ​Quotation mark

• ​First word of quote must be capitalized

• ​Close quotation mark after the quote

Multiple Choice

TRUE OR FALSE: The first letter of the quote MUST be capitalized.

• TRUE

• FALSE

STEP 3: EXPLAIN THE MEANING (your words) of the quote within the context of your essay

• Your reader doesn't know why you selected this quote as evidence.

• ​Your explanation puts the quote in the context of the essay.

Multiple Choice

TRUE OR FALSE: You DO NOT need to explain your quote because the person reading your essay, like "totally gets you."

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

TRUE/FALSE: Explaining a quote helps to place it in this new context of your essay, helping the reader see how you (the writer) are connecting the quote with the claim.

• TRUE

• FALSE

STEP 4: Let the reader know where they can find the quote using a parenthetical citation.

• ​In parentheses, use the author's last name & the page # of the quote

• ​DO NOT use a comma, DO NOT write "page" or "pg."

• ​An ending punctuation mark goes after the second parenthesis.

Multiple Select

When using a parenthetical citation, you MUST include the following information... (mark all that apply)

• Parentheses ( )

• The author's last name

• the word "page"

• the page number(s)