Integrating Quotes

Why integrate quotes?

Integrating (smoothly including) quotes in your essay allows the reader to easily see and understand the connection to your thesis / topic sentences.

It demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of the material, without forcing the reader to guess at what point you are trying to make.

Tips and Tricks

When using a quote in your essay, make sure that you do not just “drag and drop”

Provide context for the reader: QUOTE SANDWICH One sentence that explains what is happening in the play when

the quote is spoken (GIVE THE QUOTE CONTEXT) The quote itself with smooth integration 2-3 sentences that examine or analyze the quote—relates it back

to your thesis

Make sure that the quote is clearly relevant to the topic sentence

Quote Sandwich General Rule of Thumb: Quote Sandwich

Introduce quote (what is happening in the book at the time this quote was spoken)

Insert Quote (MLA formatting) (Fitzgerald 47). Explain how quote relates to your topic sentence / thesis

Instead of saying, “This explains my character Daisy…” (Daisy’s reluctance shows… (what is

this?)) “I think that this shows Daisy…” (we know you think this, this is your paper)

try saying, “At this point in the story, Daisy reveals that her beauty…”

Smoothly Integrating

Make sure that you introduce the quotes. For example, before using a quote, give an explanation such as the following: Gatsby focuses so much on winning back Daisy’s love

throughout the novel, which is readily apparent when he says, “Quote…”

Gatsby stresses the importance of wealth when he describes why he built the mansion, “Quote…”

Integrating Quotes

Gatsby finally explains to Nick the truth about his past, demonstrating his trust in Nick. “I didn’t want you to think I was just some nobody. You see, I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to me” (Fitzgerald 67).

Notice the placement of the quotation marks. Notice that there is nothing but a space between the author’s name and the page umber. Notice that the period is placed after the parenthesis.

Fragmented Quotes

George’s rage at the end of the novel can be explained by his personality leading up to this, “Generally he was one of these worn-out men: when he wasn’t working, he sat on a chair in the doorway and stared at the people and the cars that passed along the road […] He was his wife’s man and not his own” (Fitzgerald 136).

Notice the ellipses (three periods use to represent words from the text that are not included in the quote). Since this example omits words from the end of the sentence, the fourth period represents the period that would normally going at the end of that sentence.

Dialogue—Quotes Within a Quote

Gatsby’s motivation for success is completely centered around Daisy’s love and reputation, “’I wanted somebody who wouldn't gossip. Daisy comes over quite often—in the afternoons’” (Fitzgerald 114).

Notice that the book’s quotation marks are converted into single quotation marks when there is dialogue from the novel included in the quoted passage.

Specific Punctuation

“Go away now, old sport?” (Fitzgerald 148).

Notice that exclamation points and question marks are not moved to the end of the parenthesis. They are kept where they are, and a period is added to the end.