How To Analyze Quotes 2

HOW TO ANALYZE
QUOTATIONS
A GUIDE TO
INFERENCE AND
INTERPRETATION
BY PROF. CARRIE CALVO

REMINDER:
Think Connect Look Remember
Always think of what Then connect the Also, look at the verbs Remember: ALWAYS
the protagonist is protagonist’s struggle or adjectives used in CONNECT YOUR
struggling with and and choices to his/her the quotation and ANALYSIS TO
consider how he or she physical or social interpret how they are YOUR TOPIC
changes from the environment (setting), connected to the SENTENCE and
beginning to the end of the story’s tone, protagonist’s THESIS.
the story. behaviour, and struggle/choice.
motivations, or a
Literary Device.
Analysis Sandwich: (CQA)
Remember to give
• CONTEXT - describe/assert/comment/make a claim before the quotation
• QUOTATION – direct evidence from the reading/text with Citation
• ANALYSIS - interpretation, prediction, inference of the quotation in relation to the topic
sentence
 For example, let’s look at “Story of an Hour”:
 Context:
 However, the readers and author understand the real reason
behind her death through her internal conflict prior to the
husband’s arrival:
 Quotation:
 “What [can] love . . . count for in face of this possession of
self-assertion which [Mrs. Mallard] suddenly [recognizes]
as the strongest impulse of her being!” (2).
 Analysis:
 The intentional exclamation point emphasizes her sudden
moment of realization that self-worth is above all, even
love. Being a widow means a new life of freedom to live for
herself, but the arrival of her husband means going back to
the old life where her value is determined by her husband
and society.
However, the readers and author understand the real reason behind her death through her
internal conflict prior to the husband’s arrival: “What [can] love . . . count for in face of
this possession of self-assertion which [Mrs. Mallard] suddenly [recognizes] as the
strongest impulse of her being!” (2). The intentional exclamation point emphasizes her
sudden moment of realization that self-worth is above all, even love. Being a widow
means a new life of freedom to live for herself, but the arrival of her husband means
going back to the old life where her value is determined by her husband and society.
 Here’s another example from “Bread”: CQA
 The perspective of love changes from conditional to one that is more mature as
they live together both in happiness and grief: “That’s the last of that bag of
flour, [she says] … I’ll pick up another today, [he says]” (Crummey 1). The
dialogue ends with them agreeing to continue their relationship with deep
affection and the possibility of forever with the symbolic “bread” as the promise
of sustenance they need for the rest of their lives.
Another example from “Do You Speak English?”
 In the middle of the story, the woman tone

assumes that the boy is dumb: “the boy shook
his head to mean that he doesn’t understand the
question. . . [so] she [repeats], drawing out each
syllable ‘Dy-ing’” (3). The couple, particularly
the woman, ignores the boy’s basic socio-
economic condition. Her snobbery reveals that,
perhaps, they have come to slum, to look at how
poor people live.
BODY PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE “A PERFECT DAY”
 Finally, the author uses dialogue to showcase how a mother daughter relationship built with differences can also present some
similarities. At the middle of the story, the author starts to present a conflict between the father and daughter about the mother.
For example, at the peak of the visit, the father starts to be hungry instead of be interested of the visit. The venue has “sixteen
rooms” to finish, and the mother says to her daughter: “you’d best stay with him.” This dialogue clearly shows that the mother
counts on her daughter to take care of her husband while she does what is in her best interest. This also represents that the mother
always looks after her husband; however, when the daughter is around, the daughter and father stays together because they get
along in a better way. Another dialogue that expresses the tough relationship between mother and daughter is the scene where the
stubborn father behaves like a child, saying he is cold but his sweater is too tight. The relationship has so many squabbles that the
protagonist has to say “excuse” to her mother three times in order to help her father remove his sweater. However, all the
differences are put aside when their common goal is achieved at the end of the story. The conversation shows that the mother and
daughter agree on the same point. The mother “leans forward and says, loudly, right in [the protagonist’s] ear ‘that, dear, was a
perfect day.’” The narrator finishes the story agreeing with her mother. This last dialogue demonstrates that a loved one can bring
together different personalities. In fact, this shows that “nip, tuck, omit, forget” makes a dysfunctional relationship become pretty
ordinary.
BODY PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE “TAKE ME AWAY”
 Throughout the story, the protagonist explains , in a disappointing tone, the importance of marriage at an early
age as derived from her Indian belief. However, being gay makes it more difficult to embrace these beliefs. It is
well- known fact that some parts of India have remained conservative and weddings are importantly highlighted as
passing this patriarchal practice through generations. The narrator emphasizes this point when she acknowledges
“there [is] no point in saying she [does] not want to get married because [her parents will] only ignore [her]
words...” (Atwal 3). To the narrator, there is no point to arguing because marriage in her early twenties is not an
option but rather a belief in Punjabi society. Succinctly, parental respect is an asset and ,most probably, those who
do not abide by this norm are considered a disgrace in the community. Losing parental respect implies losing the
will to live. The irony is this belief differs from religion to religion. The protagonist asserts that she “[remembers]
Doreen could go cycling down the street... [tells] her about her boyfriends and eating popcorn at the movies...
going to parties and drinking wine” (4). Had she done the same, she probably would have been already chastised
by her parents and society. Thus, this is where the protagonist reveals her anxiety, so much so, that she thinks of
compromising her homosexuality.
 In your Essays, pick a quotation
 Use the CQA method when writing your analysis.
 Trade with a partner to look at errors.

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HOW TO ANALYZE

BY PROF. CARRIE CALVO

 In the middle of the story, the woman tone

 Use the CQA method when writing your analysis.

 Trade with a partner to look at errors.

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