Embedding Quotations
Embedding quotations is an advanced skill of persuasive writing. It involves using your
quotations strategically within your analysis to convey a convincing argument. It also
enables you to select parts of a longer quotation to perform a closer reading of the text.
An example of an intermediate analysis:
In the opening quote “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking
thirteen”, Orwell uses the juxtaposing description of “bright” and “cold” to convey a feeling
of unease to the reader.
An example of embedded quotation analysis:
At the novel’s opening, Orwell immediately encapsulates the fragility of human realities
through contradictory diction. The setting is vividly presented as the narrator depicts “a
bright cold day in April” simultaneously with “clocks…striking thirteen.” The combination of
the familiar month of “April” together with the number “thirteen” of the clocks presents an
oxymoronic comparison of the familiar and unfamiliar.
As shown, embedding quotations involves blending a quotation in a sentence whereby if
the quotation marks were removed, the sentence will still make sense!
Practice
Embed the quotations below into a series of short analyses. How do these quotations
portray a bleak society? (Hint: Use Point, Evidence, Explain)
1. “Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind,
slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions,”
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2. “The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats.”
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3. “The flat was seven flights up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose
ulcer above his right ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way.”
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4. “He moved over to the window: a smallish, frail figure, the meagreness of his body
merely emphasised by the blue overalls which were the uniform of the Party.”
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5. “though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no colour in
anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere.”
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