How, Where, and Why Do You Quote from a Story?

Show your reader what you see in the story! That's analysis!

1. How to Quote from a Story

When following MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines you want to always introduce the quotation, not just drop it into your essay.

For example:
Oates, writes, "But all these things did not come together" (619).

Notice

• The quotation is introduced and includes the author's last name
• The quotation is contained in quotation marks
• there is a space between the end quotation marks and the parenthesis
  
• only the page number is in the parenthesis
• the punctuation is at the end of the sentence.

Quoting dialogue, versus narration:
Connie asks Arnold, "How old are you?" (619).

Notice

• Introduce the quotation using the speaker's name, rather than the author's name
  
• Since I am only quoting her line, I use only one set of quotation marks
• Since her line ends with a question mark, that is included inside the quotation
• the line ends still with a period after the page number in parentheses.

2. Where to Quote from a Story

On effective place to quote from a story is in the middle or near the end of the paragraph.
Remember, effective paragraph structure begins with a broad topic sentence and then develops the idea, providing evidence for the point.


3. Why
All analysis is essentially opinion writing, what you think. In giving your opinion, however, you must provide evidence for support. Part of your evidence is using the author's actual words as proof.

Reminders: We are meeting in the lab again this Thursday! See you there!