Blending Quoted Passages
Contextual Lead-in:
You must always provide a lead-in that explains where the passage comes from in
the text:
Tell what is happening at that point in the story – “the when”
Tell where the action is taking place – “the where”
Tell who is speaking – “the who”
Then you must provide the citation in your parenthetical documentation.
Analysis:
Explain the significance of the passage in relationship to the point you are trying
to make –
“the why” the character acted as he did
or
“the how” the passage proves or illustrates something you are trying to prove
Examples:
You want to prove that the novel Frankenstein is ironic in that Victor
Frankenstein had a happy childhood but fails miserably to nurture his own creation when
he fathers the monster.
Lead-in: provide a lead-in that tells who is speaking, when, in what
circumstance. Analysis: Explain the character’s motivation or the significance
of the quoted passage.
*Documenting the passage:
The quotation marks come BEFORE the
parenthesis. There are NO p. or pg. in the parenthesis – only the actual number, and the
period falls AFTER the parenthesis.
Punctuating your quoted passage:
When you use the following “speaking” words as part of your lead-in, then use a comma:
says, comments, remarks, explains, reflects, tells, confesses, admits, etc.
Ex. Frankenstein admits, “In a fit of enthusiastic madness I created a rational creature
and was bound towards him to assure . . . his happiness and well being”(23).
When you are using like, as, that or because as your lead-in, do NOT use a comma. (You
do have to change the pronouns then to make them all third person – he, she, his, her, etc.
– NOT I, me we, us)
Ex. When talking to Captain Walton, Frankenstein confesses that “he created a
rational creature” and was responsible for the creature’s “happiness and well being”
(199).