Introduction to Quotations

You need to choose quotations that are:

Logical: They should support your argument.

Rich: They should be interesting enough to allow you to explain something important.

Quick Check:Which of these quotations from “Just Lather” would you choose?

1 “I still had to put the sheet on him.”

2 “My destiny depends on the edge of this blade.”

Quick Check:Which of these quotations from “Just Lather” would you choose?

1 “I still had to put the sheet on him.”

2 “My destiny depends on the edge of this blade.”

Comparing Quotations“My destiny depends on the edge of this blade.”

• Interesting language• Offers insight into

character’s conflict

“I still had to put the sheet on him.”

• Language is basic• Just reveals plot

Quotations should not prove plot!

Quotations should allow you to show off analytical skills

Quotations Should Not Be Alone

The barber feels torn between his duties as a barber and a revolutionary. “My destiny depends on the edge of this blade.”

Why is this a problem?

How to Incorporate Quotations

When you want to quote a complete sentence

1 Use a colon to separate your idea from the quotation

Example: The barber feels torn between his duties as a barber and a revolutionary: “My destiny depends on the edge of this blade.”

How to Incorporate Quotations

When you want to quote a complete sentence

2 Tell us who is saying the quotationExample: The barber feels torn between his

duties as a barber and a revolutionary. He thinks, “My destiny depends on the edge of this blade.”

How to Incorporate Quotations

When you want the quotation to flow

3 Work the quotation into your own sentence

Example: Torn between his duties as a barber and a revolutionary, the barber knows his “destiny depends on the edge of this blade.”

Citing Quotations

• Page number goes in parentheses after the end of the quotation (but before the final punctuation mark)

• No “pg.” or “page” needed

Example: The barber feels torn between his duties as a barber and a revolutionary. He thinks, “My destiny depends on the edge of this blade” (3).

Quick Check:Which of these is punctuated correctly?

1 The barber is nervous as he passes “the best of my razors back and forth (pg. 1)”.

2 The barber is nervous as he passes “the best of my razors back and forth” (1).

3 The barber is nervous. “I was passing the best of my razors back and forth” (1).

Quick Check:Which of these is punctuated correctly?

1 The barber is nervous as he passes “the best of my razors back and forth (pg. 1)”.

2 The barber is nervous as he passes “the best of my razors back and forth” (1).

3 The barber is nervous. “I was passing the best of my razors back and forth” (1).

So what is analysis?

• Taking something apart to explain how it works

• Explaining how you interpret the text a certain way

The Rules

TRY TO• Use only the words in the

quotation that you need• Explain how the quotation

works by saying how the author communicates a feeling or idea

• Cite correctly

TRY NOT TO• Say “this quotation shows”• Refer to the quotation as a

“quotation”• End a paragraph with a

quotation• Fill your entire paragraph

with quotations (no more than 1/3)

• Leave the quotation alone

The Quotation Sandwich

The Quotation Sandwich1 | The BunThis is the point you are trying to make.

2 | The FillingThis is how you introduce the quotation.

3 | The Meat (or Tofu )This is the quotation itself.

4 | The Bottom BunThis is your analysis – and the most important part of the sandwich!

Example of a Quotation SandwichIn “Just Lather ,That’s All,” Téllez builds suspense by drawing out the details of the shave. The narrator explains how he “took the razor, opened up the two protective arms, exposed the blade and began the job” (2). Listing each detail makes the reader have to keep reading to find out what the barber does. The verbs, such as “opened up” and “exposed,” also remind the reader of the barber’s dilemma: should he cut the Captain’s throat?

1 | The BunThis is the point you are trying to make.

2 | The FillingThis is how you introduce the quotation.

3 | The Meat (or Tofu )This is the quotation itself.

4 | The Bottom BunThis is your analysis – and the most important part of the sandwich!

Your Turn

Explain what makes up a quotation sandwich:

Practice

The point:The barber is proud of his profession.

The quotation:“And this four-days’ growth of beard was a fitting challenge.”