Mrs. Wolff's "1-2-3 Rule"
How to Embed quotes in Literary Analysis and Research Papers
What Is the "1-2-3 Rule"?
When using in-text citations - using quotes within your papers, and then citing the source, you should always:
- Set-up your quote - include "The 4 Ws" - 1) Who stated this quote? 2) To whom? 3) When? / at what time within the story? 4) Where / at what point within the story? Where is / are the character(s) when this is happening? Think "setting."
- Add your partial quotes - avoid using block quotes, unless it is absolutely necessary. More than one, and the paper is no longer yours.
- Add your analysis of the quote - This is "The 5th W" - Why are you using this quote? In what way does this quote relate to your Main Point Topic Sentence / your point in general? If you are analyzing another text, discuss how you are using this partial quote as evidence to back-up the point you are trying to make about it. Also -Cite your quote / source - Include the page #, text, and author, if given, depending on the type of source and quote - see Purdue OWL for specific examples!
And that's pretty much it. Not bad, huh?
Don't fear analysis - it is simply your justification of how your evidence / partial quotes prove your Main Point Topic Sentence to be true.
And don't fear adding citations - they are there to help you remember your source, and for your teacher to identify the credible source you are using.
Happy writing!
-Mrs. Wolff
"Rule #1" - Adding Context / "The 4 Ws" to Your Papers
Adding "Rule #1" to Avoid "Floating Quotes": Anchor Your Quotes into Your Papers!
One way to remedy this problem is to add context, or "Rule #1" - "The 4 Ws" - who, what, where, and when - before every quote.
Without "Rule #1," your quotes are not "anchored" to your papers, and will float out to sea - your quotes and analysis / points will be lost on your readers. This is bad.
Following is an excerpt (part) of a Spring 2016 American Lit/Comp-B research paper, which did not originally use enough of "Rule #1" - or #2, or #3 - but then added the revision to make the quote flow seamlessly in her paper:
Original:
Shortly after, in 1925, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne, were published. Both the magazines and books enriched the American culture by inspiring people with vivid written content.
Revision:
Shortly after magazines became all the rage in1925, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne, were published. The Great Gatsby actually did not become a sensation until the 1940s, when it was "deemed a masterpiece of American literature, and studied in classrooms across America" ("1920s Timeline"). People can still relate to this story, today, as our society has made a full revolution, becoming similar to the society of the 1920s. We, once again, live in an era where "we have come to enjoy new levels of comfort and convenience," "but in which there remain glaring inequalities of wealth and privilege--Gatsby is more relevant than ever" (Seitz).
- This continues for 8-10 more sentences, in comparison with the original 1-2 quick comments made in the Rough Draft, in which there were no sources cited, and no partial quotes used.
- Notice the amount of depth and interest that is added to the paper, once partial quotes from sources are used. When context and analysis are added to the evidence - your partial quotes - your paper becomes much more substantial and engaging for the reader - and for you!
"Rule #2" - Adding "Quotable Quotes"
For My Fahrenheit 451 Readers Out There - Example of a Great Quote to Place at the Beginning of Your Papers to Symbolize Bradbury's Point!
"Rule #2" - Adding Meaningful Quotes / Partial Quotes, Preferably!
When writing about literature, you, the author of your literary analysis paper, need to ensure that you are choosing quotes that are so interesting, so symbolic in meaning, that you will have enough to discuss in "Rule #3," which is analyzing your quote.
Challenge #1: It is impossible to analyze a quote if it is not really saying much of anything, which is a very common problem seen in student papers - if you are nodding your head, and have ever felt as if you are writing the shortest paper in the world, this is one reason why this might be happening to you. Instead of quoting factual information from the novel - which students should be paraphrasing and summarizing - you need to choose interesting quotes.
Challenge #2: Students also need to find an interesting quote which also supports the point of their papers - their Thesis Statement and / or Main Point Topic Sentences.
You will know when you have this "a-ha!" moment - and sites such as Shmoop can help you to narrow-down your quote choices for your papers.
Remember: The way to write an interesting literary analysis paper is to have quotes (literature) to actually analyze. This is the difference between a book report, and a literary analysis paper. Once you realize this, and work to make the change, you will never go back.
Following is a sample paper from The Crucible Literary Analysis Final Draft. Be sure to note the difference between the original version, versus the revised version:
Main Point Topic Sentence #1 - Original:
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller the choices and attitude of Mary Warren's timid and afraid nature are starkly contrasted by the brash and fiery anger of John Proctor.
What needs to be revised?
- True, their natures are contrasted by each other, but what's the "so what"? Take this statement a step further - for what rhetorical (persuasive) purpose does Miller juxtapose these two characters? Think author's purpose - what was MIller's point in writing this play? This play is an allegory - a story that has (2) levels of meaning: 1) the textual / surface meaning - this is the story of the effects of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials on the townspeople; and 2) the subtextual meaning - Miller wrote this play in reaction to the injustice he and his peers faced against Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare / Communist Witch Hunts of the 1950s. Many lives and careers of many good, talented people were ruined by McCarthy, who used his scare tactics to further his political career. Miller juxtaposes these two characters to highlight the scare tactics used by some in power for political and social gain, while decent, hard-working people lose their livelihoods.
MTPS#1 - Revision - Mrs. Wolff wrote this, so you can steal it & use it in your papers, if you'd like!:
Miller juxtaposes the morally flawed, defiant, doomed character of John Proctor, against the weak, timid nature of Mary Warren, to highlight the injustice served by those in power to decent, hard-working people, whose reputations and careers were destroyed during the McCarthy Communist Witch Hunts of the 1950s.
Main Point EX#1 - Original / Needs Revision:
When John Proctor's wife Elizabeth is accused of witchcraft for owning a doll that Mary had made John forced Mary to tell the court that its was her who made the doll. Mary Warren's first response is fear. She fears Abigail Williams she fears death, the courts and the other girls in the town that were confronted but he "Devil." Abigail after a lot of yelling from John Proctor decides to confess to the court that she made the doll. It may seem that this would be a courageous thing but, it is closely followed by the betrayal of John Proctor this quote while in the courtroom personifies it "I'll not hang with you! I love God, I love God!" (Miller,198).
What needs to be revised?
- This original version contains too many typos and grammatical errors
- There is too much summary, and not enough meaningful partial quotes (need more persuasive partial quotes = Rule #2 - Evidence).
- Be sure to memorize each of your MPTSs - this way, you will know which partial quotes will hold the most weight with your MPTS as soon as you see it.
- In addition to a persuasive MPTS and Thesis Statement, the key to writing a great literary analysis paper is finding the best partial quotes to support your MPTSs. You will then be able to provide your reader with a strong analysis, as well, which will then prove your MPTS to be true - which is the point of your paper.
Revision - Now, you try it! - Steps to a Solid Revision:
- Go back to The Crucible
- Find strong, partial quotes that clearly support our revised MPTS#1.
- Use the "1-2-3 Rule" to revise
"Rule #3" - Analyze Your Quote
"Rule #3" - Relating Your Quote Back to Your MPTSs
This is perhaps the most important step of all within your papers, aside from making persuasive Thesis Statements and Main Point Topic Sentences.
The analysis you provide in Rule #3 makes your papers your own - this is what sets your work apart from others'.
But again, without enough preparation in using Rule #1 and Rule #2, Rule #3 will be impossible.
Following is an example of a paper that does not have enough of Rule #1 and #2, so that Rule #3 does not work:
Original:
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Revision:
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