Correctly Incorporating/Documenting Source Material in Literary Analyses

Works Cited Citations

Reference Book (Book featuring reprinted articles): Cite like print articles. Then, add the reference book information at the end:

Lawson, Brent. “The Irony in the Cask of Amontillado.” The Literary Giant.

22 February 2004: 82. Rpt. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jonathan

Malke. Vol. 33. Detroit: Gale Research, 2005. 153.

Database Article (Article accessed using a library database): Cite like print articles. Then, add the following at the end:

· Name of the database (underlined)

· Name of the database provider or service

· The name of the library with city and state

· Date accessed

Rosenberg, Debra, Lynn Waddell, and Suzanne Smalley. "Sadistic Settings;

Sadistic Symbols.” Quill and Ink 21 Jan 2002: 40. Academic Universe.

Lexis—Nexis. Mission College Library, Santa Clara, CA. 16 Jan. 2008.

Criticism from Our Book:

Reynolds, David S. “Poe’s Art of Transformation in ‘The Cask of Amontillado.”

Literature and Its Writers: A Compact Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and

Drama. 4^th ed. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford, 2006.

694–697.

Piece of Literature from Our Book:

Poe, Edgar Allen. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Literature and Its Writers: A Compact

Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 4^th ed. Eds. Ann Charters and

Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford, 2006. 490–495.

*Sample Works Cited using the above citations on the next sheet.

Works Cited

Lawson, Brent. “The Irony in the Cask of Amontillado.” The Literary Giant.

22 February 2004: 82. Rpt. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jonathan

Malke. Vol. 33. Detroit: Gale Research, 2005. 153.

Poe, Edgar Allen. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Literature and Its Writers: A Compact

Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 4^th ed. Eds. Ann Charters and

Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford, 2006. 490–495.

Reynolds, David S. “Poe’s Art of Transformation in ‘The Cask of Amontillado.”

Literature and Its Writers: A Compact Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and

Drama. 4^th ed. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford, 2006.

694–697.

Rosenberg, Debra, Lynn Waddell, and Suzanne Smalley. "Sadistic Settings;

Sadistic Symbols.” Quill and Ink 21 Jan 2002: 40. Academic Universe.

Lexis—Nexis. Mission College Library, Santa Clara, CA. 16 Jan. 2008.

Things to note about the above Works Cited page:

· There are no numbers; order is established alphabetically.

· The entire document is double-spaced; there are no extra spaces between citations, nor is there an extra space between the heading and the first entry.

· The title is Works Cited and is not bolded, underlined, or italicized.

Incorporating Source Material: Quotes and Paraphrases

First use:

1. Give the author’s full name (or entire title if no author), his/her credentials (look at intro to article), and the work the source material came from (credibility).
2. Lead into the quote with your own words; a sentence in your paper must not both start and end with quotation marks.
3. Include a word/phrase attributing the quote/ideas (paraphrase) to the writer.

*If the signal phrase is a complete sentence, put a colon after it.

4. Include page number in parentheses at end.
5. Put parenthetical citation between the quotation marks and the period.

Example: In “Arrogance and Allegory,” Jason Decker, literary critic and renowned poet, comments on Poe’s use of allegory, stating, “Quote” (695).

*Example: In “Arrogance and Allegory,” Jason Decker, literary critic and renowned poet, comments on Poe’s use of allegory: “Quote” (695).

All subsequent uses: Punctuated the same.

• Lead into source material with your own words
• Give the first word of the Works Cited citation as it appears on WC page.
• Give the page # in the parenthetical citation.
• If you use the first word of the Works Cited citation in the text of your sentence, do not include it in your parenthetical citation.

Example: Decker implies that Poe uses allegory as a way of making the message easier for the reader to access, saying, “The use of animals instead of people allows the reader to look at the ideas in the story more objectively” (695).

Essentially, Poe uses allegory as a way of making the message easier for the reader to access. This is evident in a number of ways, one of which is characterization: “The use of animals instead of people allows the reader to look at the ideas in the story more objectively” (Decker 695).

In–Text Citations: The Finer Points

Brackets: Altering Quotations

To add or change something in a quotation, place any changes you make in brackets:

• ^ATo fit your sentence (verb tense; capitalization)
• ^BFor further clarification (a definition or an explanation)

Example: Reynolds comments on the brevity of the story, saying that “^A[t]he tale’s [“Cask’s”]^B compactness becomes instantly apparent when we compare it with the popular live burial works [of the time]” (695).

Ellipses: Omitting Portions of a Quote

To omit part of a quote (doesn’t fit your point), use an ellipsis enclosed in brackets: […]

• When you are finished, the sentence must be grammatically correct & clear.
• You also cannot alter the author’s intended meaning!

Example: David S. Reynolds, Poe scholar, comments on the economy of Poe’s writing, stating, “There is absolutely no excess in ‘The Cask of Amontillado.’ Every sentence points inexorably to the horrifying climax. In the interest of achieving unity, Poe purposely leaves several questions unanswered. ¹[…] What are the “thousand injuries” Montresor has suffered at the hands of Fortunato? In particular, what was the “insult” that has driven Montresor to the grisly extreme of murder by live burial? What personal misfortune is he referring to ²[…]?” (695–696).

*Removed Portions:

¹The tale is remarkable for what it leaves out.

²when he tells his foe, “you are happy, as I once was”

Beginning: No [. . .] if removed portion is at the beginning or the end of a quote

Example: Says Reynolds regarding another popular story, “¹ ’A Man Built in a Wall’ begins with […]² a lonely Italian inn” (695).

Removed Portion:

¹Headley’s journalistic

²a long passage about

An entire sentence or more:

A. To take out a sentence and/or sentences and then the beginning of a sentence: .[…]

B. To take out material at the end of a sentence and then a sentence or more: […].

Example: David S. Reynolds, cultural literary critic and Poe scholar, comments on the economy of Poe’s writing, stating, “There is absolutely no excess in ‘The Cask of Amontillado.’ Every sentence points inexorably to the horrifying climax. [. . .]^A Poe sketches character and setting lightly [. . .].^B Most assume the setting is Italy, but one commentator makes a good case for France” (695–696).

*Removed Portions:

^A In the interest of achieving unity, Poe purposely leaves several questions unanswered. The tale is remarkable for what it leaves out. What are the “thousand injuries” Montresor has suffered at the hands of Fortunato? In particular, what was the “insult” that has driven Montresor to the grisly extreme of murder by live burial? What personal misfortune is he referring to when he tells his foe, “you are happy, as I once was”? Like a painter who leaves a lot of suggestive white canvas,

^B, excluding excess material. Even so simple a detail as the location of the action is unknown

Block Quotes

If a quote is four or more complete lines long, use block quotes. (Example: Last ¶, 1786)

Documenting a Quote within a Quote

If you are including both narration and dialogue or referencing a title within a quote, you will use single hash marks to indicate the quote within a quote (1787).

Example: Montresor tells us of his luck, saying, “I said to him: ‘My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met’” (Poe 491).

Example: Says David S. Reynolds, “Effect is what a tale like ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ is all about” (697).