NOTES ON SETTING UP YOUR QUOTE

LOCATION

The set up for your quotation will be inserted before the quote that you just wrote.  You are essentially working backwards or reverse engineering because the quote is the “punchline” to the set up.  You needed to write the quote first in order to establish up front what needs to be said about it to help the reader.  Despite writing it out of order, the order will be:  Set up for quote, and then the quote itself.

PURPOSE

Your goal is to give the reader of your essay background information about a scene that your quote takes place within. 

QUESTIONS

Ask yourself the following questions:

Q:  Am I describing the entire story (which is wrong), or just the scene itself (which is correct)?

Q:  Do I describe where and when the scene takes place?

Q:  Do I need to state what is physically happening in the scene, or what they are looking at?

Q:  Do I identify who is talking, or who is listening? 

Q:  How much information do I need to provide to the reader in order for the quote to make sense?  How much detail should I use?

Q:  Is there a reference to something happening in the scene that I need to set up in advance?  Or would it be better to use that as part of my Reasoning section?

Q:  Am I explaining what the scene means (wrong – that’s in Reasoning section).

PRESENT TENSE VERBS (MOSTLY)

When writing about a story for an English class, use present tense verbs only.  This gives the reader the sense that the story is unfolding in front of them live, as opposed to the past.  You may need to fudge some of the verbs to reflect past actions while still staying in present tense.  That’s okay.  But generally stay in present tense as if the story is happening in real time. 

-              WRONG WAY:  Scrooge spoke to Jacob Marley.  He was his partner who died five years ago.  Marley really scared Scrooge.  Scrooge trembled in fear.

-              CORRECT WAY:  Scrooge speaks to Jacob Marley.  He was his partner who died five years ago.  Marley really scares Scrooge.  Scrooge trembles in fear.

TRANSITIONING TO THE QUOTE

After describing the scene, you will need to identify if there is a speaker in your quote.  You can do this a couple of different ways as per these examples:

1)            USE A COMMA. 

The Second Spirit (The Ghost of Christmas Present) throws Scrooge’s own words back at him stating in Scrooge’s own voice, “If he had to die than let him do it and decrease the surplus population,” (272).

2)            USE A COLON. 

The Second Spirit (The Ghost of Christmas Present) throws Scrooge’s own words back at him stating in Scrooge’s own voice: “If he had to die than let him do it and decrease the surplus population,” (272).

3)            IMBED THE SPEAKER IN THE QUOTE.

The Second Spirit and Scrooge discuss the fate of Tiny Tim.  “Second Spirit (imitating Scrooge).  If he had to die than let him do it and decrease the surplus population,” (272).