Introducing Quotes in Literary Analysis

When do we quote sources?

There are three ways of referencing a text (summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting), but we quote to:

1. Include the opinions of an expert in their own words

2. Keep words that are particularly important or meaningful

• Used for a large chunk of text

• Use RARELY - only when it's REALLY necessary to include that much

Block Quote

• The quotation is "built in" to a sentence

• Author and source must be included

As Jennette McCurdy explains in her memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, her anxiety is "deep, unearthed combination of feelings that I fear to face."

Integrated Quote

How to quote:

1. Read the text. Look up any words you do not understand.

2. Choose which part of the text "proves" your point best. Aim for as small of a chunk as possible!

3. The author's EXACT words will go inside the quotation marks.

4. You may make minor 1-2 word changes for clarity by adding words inside of [brackets].

Example of when to use brackets:

Original quote: "She told me I made a big difference in her life."

Bracketed quote for context: "[Aniyah] told me I made a big difference in her life."

You can't just drop a quote alone, lost and scared, into a piece of writing! You have to give it a parent (who said it) and a home (where it came from).

NO QUOTE ORPHANS!

You can include a source or an author through citations (which we will practice later) rather than stating it directly, but the quote still needs to be introduced.

NO QUOTE ORPHANS!