Using Quotations

“ Using Quotations “ “ “ “ “ “ Deborah Long

General Guidelines • Use quotations to support a point you have made. • Avoid using too many quotations or unnecessarily long ones. • Make sure that your quotes provide critical analysis.

Do Not Use Quotations That . . . • reiterate or summarize plot. Ex. “Walton and Frankenstein meet in the mysterious white world of the ice-bound Arctic” (Goldberg 277). • state fact. Ex. “Mary Shelley was only nineteen when she wrote Frankenstein” (Abbey 245).

Do Not Use Quotations that. . . • come from an unacceptable source. Ex. According to my mother, “Frankenstein is a wonderful horror story.” Ex. Cliff’s Notes say, “Frankenstein has stirred the imagination of generations of readers (16).”

Which quotes are acceptable for literary analysis? • “Frankenstein suggests yet another analogy. It teaches the tragic results of attainment when an impetuous irresistible passion hurries on the soul to its doom” (Nitchie 270). • “Mary Shelly was only nineteen when she wrote Frankenstein” (Moore 262). • “The whole story is but the elaboration of the embarrassment and dangers which flow from departure from the ordinary course of nature” (Rossetti 267). X

All quotes must be introduced or integrated. • Introduced Quote: Critic Richard Horne asserts, “The monster created by Frankenstein is also an illustration of the embodied consequences of our actions” (261). • Integrated Quote: More than anything else the novel functions as “an illustration of the embodied consequences of our actions” (Horne 261).

Quote That Is Not Introduced or Integrated (error) Frankenstein shows what happens when man forgets his responsibility to his fellow man. “The monster created by Frankenstein is also an illustration of the embodied consequences of our actions” (Horne 261). Incorrect use of the quote—not introduced or integrated.

Introducing Quotes--1 You may introduce a quote with a verb such as “says,” but you should also look for other verbs that add variety (i. e. “comments,” “notes,” “asserts,” “claims”). Example: Robert Walton claims, “I had rather die than return shamefully,--my purpose unfulfilled” (Shelley 160). Note: If you introduce with a verb, you must put a comma after the verb.

Introducing Quotes--2 You may also introduce a quote with a sentence and a colon. Example: Robert Walton reveals his unbridled ambition when he discusses the prospect of abandoning his journey: “I had rather die than return shamefully,--my purpose unfulfilled” (Shelley 160). Caution: Do not use a colon unless the words before it constitute a complete sentence and the quote is a logical support for that sentence.

Capitalization Rules for Introducing Quotes • Capitalization rules require that all introduced quotes begin with a capital letter. If your quote does begin with a capital letter, you do not have to change anything. • If your quote does not begin with a capital letter and you are introducing it, you must change lower case to upper case. Anytime you make any changes to a direct quotation, you must use brackets [ ] to show that you have made a change. (See examples on next slide)

EXAMPLES • Elizabeth Nitchie observes, “The monster himself is the earliest creation of Mary’s and is probably her best, most subtle, most perceptive characterization” (275). (Quote began with a capital letter.) • Elizabeth Nitchie observes, “[T]he earliest creation of Mary’s . . . is probably her best, most subtle, most perceptive characterization” (275). • Note: We will discuss the ellipses later in the presentation.

Integrating Quotes Integrating the quote means making the quoted material part of your own writing. Example: The novel illustrates “the embodied consequences of our actions” in the form of the monster himself (Horne 261).

Mechanics for Integrating Quotes When you integrate a quote, you are making it part of your sentence; as a result, you may have to make some changes in the quote itself. The next 2 slides show changes that are sometimes necessary when the quote is integrated.

1. Capitalization Integrated quotes may require that a capital letter be put in lower case. Example: He evokes our sympathy because “[t]he monster has the perception and desire of goodness, but . . . is delivered over to evil” (Birkhead 266). Note: The position of “the” in the sentence does not require a capital letter, but it was capitalized in the original quote.

2. Change in Verb Tense or in Person Because the integrated quote is part of your own sentence, you may have to change verb tenses and/or person in order to maintain consistency. Quote: “The forms of the beloved dead flit before me, and I hasten to their arms” (Shelley 162). Integrated: Victor confides to Walton that “[t]he forms of the beloved dead flit before [him], and [he] hasten[s] to their arms” (Shelley 162).

Parenthetical Documentation • If the author of the quote is not identified in the text, place author and page number of the quote in parenthesis after the sentence but before the period. • If the author is identified in the text, you need put only the number of the page on which you found the quote.

Quote within a Quote When you are quoting someone who is quoting someone else (most dialog in books), you show that yours is a quote within a quote by using a single quotation mark inside the double quotation marks. • Example: The narrator sadly recalls Frankenstein’s last words: “‘ Farewell, Walton! Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition’” (Shelley 162).

3. Using Ellipses Sometimes it is desirable to leave out part of a quote. When you do so, you must use an ellipses to show where you have left out the words. “The monster . . . is also an illustration of the embodied consequences of our actions” (Horne 271). (See Whole Quote) More on Ellipses

“The monster created by Frankenstein is also an illustration of the embodied consequences of our actions” (Horne 261). In the previous slide the ellipses take the place of “created by Frankenstein,” the words left out.  More on Ellipses

Mechanics • Ellipses are typed with a space between each period (. . .) • Ellipses are not necessary at the beginning of your quote. • Ellipses are necessary if you take words out of the middle of the quote and if you end the introduced quote before the end of a sentence. • Note: MLA no longer requires brackets around your inserted ellipses, but they may be used if you wish or if your teacher requires them.

Long QuotationsSetting In • In general you should avoid long quotations, but if you do use a quotation longer than 4 lines (on your page), you must indent (2 tabs). • When you indent a quotation, you do not use quotation marks unless the quote is a quote within a quote.

Avoiding Long Quotations • Paraphrase the material: You might decide that you want to use the ideas of the critic but want to put the ideas in your own words. The paraphrase is the same length or longer than the original. • Summarize the material: You might summarize the material when you need to say in a sentence or two what the author has said in a paragraph or two. The summary is shorter than the original. • With a paraphrase or a summary you do not use quotation marks; however, the information must be introduced and must have documentation afterwards.

Caution • Separating your sentence with a quotation • longer than three or four words confuses • your reader. • Example of Awkward Separation • When Robert Walton says, “Great God! what • a scene has just taken place! I am yet dizzy • With the remembrance of it,” he is referring • to his first sight of Frankenstein’s creature • (Shelley 162).

Quoting Poetry Quoting poetry is somewhat different from quoting prose. If you quote more than one line of poetry, you need to use a slash mark (/) to show where the line breaks are. Example. As he is dying, Beowulf says, “I sold my life / For this treasure, and I sold it well” (806-07) . Line #’s Punctuation is space / space.

Quoting Poetry When you are quoting poetry, you set in more than 3 lines (2 tabs). When you set the lines in, you type the poetry exactly as it appears on the page; therefore, you will not need the slash marks because you are showing the line breaks.

A Final Word Quotes are used for support of points you are making. Make sure that they do indeed support the points and that they are smoothly woven into your writing. You may need to follow the quote with some explanation, but do not insult your reader by simply telling him what the quote says.

Using Quotations