MLA Works Cited PageMLA FormatMLA FORMAT updated 2016.docx

MLA Works Cited Page
MLA Format
MLA FORMAT
updated 2016
The 8th edition handbook introduces a new way to cite sources.
Instead of a long list of rules, MLA guidelines are now based on
a set of principles that may be used to cite any type of source.
The three guiding principles:
Cite simple traits shared by most works.
Remember that there is more than one way to cite the same
source.
Make your documentation useful to readers.
An MLA Work cited page should:
Works Cited should be centered at the top of the page
Have a header with header with the author’s last name and page
number located in the upper right-hand corner
Entries should be alphabetized. List the information in each
works-cited entry in order, and follow the punctuation
guidelines of the examples.
Use 12 pt. Times New Roman (or similar) font
Leave only one space after punctuation
1 inch margins on all sides
Use hanging indentation (when all lines but the first are
indented)

Sample MLA Book Citation
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Publication
Medium.
Book Example
Klesner, Joseph L. Comparative Politics: An Introduction. New
York: McGraw, 2014. Print.
What’s the Difference?
Author and Title of Books
1. Book Author:
List the author’s last name, followed by a comma and the
author’s first name and middle name or initial as it appears on
the title page for the book.
2. Book Title: Capitalize and italicize the complete title of the
book. Do not capitalize articles, conjunctions or prepositions in
the book’s title.
Place of Publication and Publisher Information for Books
3. Place of Publication: List the city followed by a colon.
4. Publisher: Include a shortened version of the publisher’s
name.
5. Date of Publication: List the year followed by a period.
Page Numbers for Books
6. Page Number: List the page number(s) for a book’s chapter.

Publication Medium for Books
Include the word print after printed sources. This distinguished
a printed book from an online or electronic book.
Klesner, Joseph L. Comparative Politics: An Introduction. New
York: McGraw, 2014. Print.
7. Publication medium: Do not italicize the word print
Printed Periodicals and Electronic Sources
MLA Format
Printed Periodicals (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers) and
Electronic Sources
Printed Periodicals
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of
Periodical Volume. Issue (Date): Page(s). Medium.
Electronic Source
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title.” Website. Publisher or
Sponsor, Date of Publication. Medium. Access Date.
How Do I Tell the Difference Between an Article
versus a Book in an Online Source?

Author(s) and Title of an Electronic Source
1. Author:
Begin with the author’s last name, followed by a comma, the
author’s first name, and a period. If there is no author, include
the editor, compiler, narrator, or director of the work. If no
name is listed, begin with the title.
2. Article Title: Capitalize and italicize the complete title of the
article. Put it in quotation marks if it is part of a larger work.
Do not capitalize articles, conjunctions or prepositions in the
book’s title. If there is a subtitle, add a colon between the title
and subtitle and capitalize the first word after the colon, even if
it is an article, a conjunction, or a preposition.
Question: How many authors do you have?
Website Title
Online Magazine Article Example
Fallows, James. “Be Nice to the Countries That Lend You
Money.” TheAtlantic.com. Atlantic Monthly Group, Dec. 2008.
Web. 24 Jan. 2015.
Online Newspaper Article Example
Phillips, Rich. “Ex-FBI Agent Faces 30 Years to Life for Mob
Hit.” CNN.com. Cable News Network, 4 Dec. 2008. Web. 24
Jan. 2015.
3. Website title: Capitalize and italicize the website’s name.
Omit this part if the title of the work and website are the same.
Also include the edition or version you accessed if applicable.
Publisher verses Publication
4. Publisher, sponsor, or periodical title: Include this
information even if the publisher or sponsor is the same as the
title of the website. If the publisher or sponsor information is

not available, use n.p. instead to indicate that there is no
publisher.
Date and Medium of Publication
5. Date of Publication
Include the day, month, and year if they are available, like this:
15 Jan. 2015.
6. Medium of Publication
Use Web to show you found the information on the Internet.
7. Access Date
Include the day, month, and year you accessed the source. This
is important because websites frequently change.
**Use the month and year or just the year if that is all that is
available. If there is no publication date, use n.d.
Page Number(s)
**If listed, include page numbers for Scholarly Journal Articles
and Periodical Articles taken from an online database
Online Versus Printed Articles
Print Periodical Example
Barrow, Melissa A. “Even Math Requires Learning Academic
Language.” Phi Delta Kappan 95.6 (March 2014): 35-38. Print.
Online Periodical from an Electronic Database Example
Waterman, K. Krasnow, and Matthew T. Henshon. “What’s Next
for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics?” Scitech Lawyer 5.1
(2008): 20-21 Proquest. Web. 8 Dec. 2015

Online Chapter Book
Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Date. Title
of Book. Edition. Editor. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Medium. Access Date.
Online Book Chapter
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven.” 1845. The Norton Anthology of
American Literature. Shorter 8th ed. Ed. Nina Baym. New York:
Norton, 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
Writing the Literary Analysis
Demystifying the process.
*
An analysis explains what a work of literature means, and how
it means it.

How is a literary analysis
an argument?When writing a literary analysis, you will focus on
specific attribute(s) of the text(s). When discussing these
attributes, you will want to make sure that you are making a
specific, arguable point (thesis) about these attributes.You will
defend this point with reasons and evidence drawn from the
text. (Much like a lawyer!)
*
How to Analyze a StoryEssential Elements of the StoryStructure
of the StoryRhetorical ElementsMeaning of the Story
How to Analyze a StoryMeaning of the Story
(Interpretation)Identify the theme(s) and how the author
announces it.Explain how the story elements contribute to the
theme.Identify contextual elements (allusions, symbols, other
devices) that point beyond the story to the author’s
life/experience, history or to other writings.
How to Analyze a StoryEssential Elements of the StoryTheme:
main idea—what the work adds up toPlot: Relationship and
patterns of eventsCharacters: people the author createsIncluding
the narrator of a story or the speaker of a poemSetting: when
and where the action happensPoint of View: perspective or
attitude of the narrator or speaker

ThemeMain idea or underlying meaning of the literary
work.What the author wants the reader to understand about the
subjectIn fables, this may also be the moral of the story
Sequence of
Conflict/Crisis/ResolutionAll stories, literary essays,
biographies, and plays have a beginning, a middle, and an
end.Typically, the beginning is used to describe the
conflict/problem faced by the character/subject.The middle is
used to describe the climax or crisis reached by the
character/subject.The end is used to resolve the
conflict/problem and establish a theme.
Climax (conflict and tension reach a peak, and characters
realize their mistake, etc.)
Exposition (characters, setting, and conflict are introduced.)
Rising Action
(conflict and suspense build through a series of events).
Falling Action (conflict gets worked out and tensions lessen.)
Resolution (conflict is resolved and themes are established.)
What Are The Major Events In The First Part Of The Narrative
That Describe The Problem/Conflict?What Are The Major
Events In The Middle Part Of The Narrative That Describe The
Crisis/Climax?What Are The Major Events In The Last Part Of
The Narrative That Describe The Resolution/

Solution
To The Problem/Conflict?
Types of Conflictperson vs. person conflict events typically
focus on differences in values, experiences, and attitudes.
person vs. society conflictthe person is fighting an event, an
issue, a philosophy, or a cultural reality that is unfair, person
vs. nature conflictthe character is often alone dealing with
nature in extreme circumstances. person vs. fate/supernatural
conflictthe text is characterized by a person contending with an
omnipresent issue or idea.person vs. self conflict the person is

conflicted with childhood memories, unpleasant experiences, or
issues with stress and decision-making.
CharacterizationProtagonist
Main characterAntagonist
Character or force that opposes the main characterFoil
Character that provides a contrast to the protagonist
Round
Three-dimensional personalityFlat
Only one or two striking qualities—all bad or all goodDynamic
Grows and progress to a higher level of understandingStatic
Remains unchanged throughout the story
Character
How He/She

Acts/Feels
How Others Feel
About Him/Her
What He/She
Looks Like
What
He/She Says
What The Character Says Or Does, A Quote From The
Character, A Detail About The Character, An Event From The
Story, Or A Comment About The Character By Someone
ElseWhat I Conclude About The Character Based On This
Information (Focus On BIG, Abstract Ideas, Not Concrete,
Factual Information)

A character’s actionsA character’s choicesA character’s speech
patternsA character’s thoughts and feelingsA character’s
commentsA character’s physical appearance and name
Other characters’ thoughts and feelings about the
characterOther characters’ actions toward the character
Characterization
SettingTime periodGeographical locationHistorical and cultural
contextSocialPolitical SpiritualInstrumental in establishing
moodMay symbolize the emotional state of charactersImpact on
characters’ motivations and options
Historical Time PeriodsConcepts Developed/ Revealed In This
TimeEvents/Examples/Details That Support The Concepts/Ideas

Point of ViewFirst PersonNarrator is a character within the
story—reveals own thoughts and feelings but not those of
othersThird PersonObjective: narrator outside the story acts as a
reporter—cannot tell what characters are thinkingLimited:
narrator outside the story but can see into the mind of one of the
charactersOmniscient: narrator is all-knowing outsider who can
enter the mind of more than one character.
How to Analyze a Story
Rhetorical Elements: Identify the author’s use and explain their
importanceForeshadowingUse of hints or clues to suggest event
that will occur later in the storyBuilds suspense—means of
making the narrative more believableToneAuthor’s attitude—

stated or implied—toward the subjectRevealed through word
choice and details
Rhetorical ElementsMoodClimate of feeling in a literary
workChoice of setting, objects, details, images,
wordsSymbolismPerson, place, object which stand for larger
and more abstract ideasAmerican flag = freedomDove = peace
Rhetorical ElementsIrony: contrast between what is expected or
what appears to be and what actually isVerbal Irony—contrast
between what is said and what is actually meantIrony of
Situation—an event that is the opposite of what is expected or
intendedDramatic Irony—Audience or reader knows more than
the characters know
Rhetorical ElementsFigurative Language: language that goes
beyond the literal meaning of
wordsSimileMetaphorAlliterationPersonificationOnomatopoeia

Hyperbole
Introduction A literary analysis is a paper that gives a deep and
illuminating explanation of a literary work--it is a Critical
Interpretation.We will learn how to formulate a deep thesis,
organize a paper coherently, and use a number of different
critical methods
Creating a ThesisThe thesis should state the basic point you
want to communicate, oftentimes including your main elements
of supportIt should be clear and understandableIt should be
deep, something that not everyone would think ofIt should be
significant, something that the majority of people interested in
your text would find helpfulIt should be new and original
Creating a ThesisStart by reading the text closelyCraft a
statement that summarizes your thoughts about the text and
responds to the ideas of other critics—a working thesisModify
your working thesis as you continue to interact with your

research and the text
Creating a ThesisDon’t be afraid to modify your thesis even
after you’ve begun writing the body of your paper—it’s better
to change it than to have a bad oneSpend the body of your paper
arguing that your thesis provides an interpretation which is
clearly supported by the text.Do not deviate from discussion
related to your thesis
How do I support a
thesis statement?Examples from the textDirect
quotationsSummaries of scenes/actionParaphrasesOther critics’
opinionsHistorical and social context
*

Tips for Writing the Body Begin by finding common threads
among the items supporting your thesis—oftentimes, writing an
outline helps this process alongBegin writing with the body,
making sure that each paragraph centers on one specific
ideaMake sure that the topic sentence of each paragraph
demonstrates a link between the content of the paragraph and
your thesis statement
ConclusionRemember to strive for depth and
significanceRemember to center your paper on your
thesisRemember to organize your paragraphs around a central
theme (your thesis)
Go hit a home run!
HOW TO WRITE A LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY
The purpose of a literary analysis essay is to carefully examine

and sometimes evaluate a work of
literature or an aspect of a work of literature. As with any
analysis, this requires you to break the
subject down into its component parts. Examining the different
elements of a piece of literature is not
an end in itself but rather a process to help you better appreciate
and understand the work of
literature as a whole. For instance, an analysis of a poem might
deal with the different types of
images in a poem or with the relationship between the form and
content of the work. If you were to
analyze (discuss and explain) a play, you might analyze the
relationship between a subplot and the
main plot, or you might analyze the character flaw of the tragic
hero by tracing how it is revealed
through the acts of the play. Analyzing a short story might
include identifying a particular theme (like
the difficulty of making the transition from adolescence to
adulthood) and showing how the writer
suggests that theme through the point of view from which the
story is told; or you might also explain
how the main character‟s attitude toward women is revealed
through his dialogue and/or actions.
REMEMBER: Writing is the sharpened, focused expression of

thought and study. As you develop
your writing skills, you will also improve your perceptions and
increase your critical abilities. Writing
ultimately boils down to the development of an idea. Your
objective in writing a literary analysis essay
is to convince the person reading your essay that you have
supported the idea you are developing.
Unlike ordinary conversation and classroom discussion, writing
must stick with great
determination to the specific point of development. This kind
of writing demands tight
organization and control. Therefore, your essay must have a
central idea (thesis), it must have
several paragraphs that grow systematically out of the central
idea, and everything in it must be
directly related to the central idea and must contribute to the
reader’s understanding of that
central idea. These three principles are listed again below:
1. Your essay must cover the topic you are writing about.
2. Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis)
that
governs its development.
3. Your essay must be organized so that every part contributes

something to the reader’s understanding of the central idea.
THE ELEMENTS OF A SOLID ESSAY
The Thesis Statement
The thesis statement tells your reader what to expect: it is a
restricted, precisely worded declarative
sentence that states the purpose of your essay -- the point you
are trying to make. Without a
carefully conceived thesis, an essay has no chance of success.
The following are thesis
statements which would work for a 500-750 word literary
analysis essay:
Gwendolyn Brooks‟s 1960 poem “The Ballad of Rudolph
Reed” demonstrates how the
poet uses the conventional poetic form of the ballad to treat the
unconventional poetic
subject of racial intolerance.

The fate of the main characters in Antigone illustrates the
danger of excessive pride.
The imagery in Dylan Thomas‟s poem “Fern Hill” reveals the
ambiguity of humans‟
relationship with nature.
Typically, the thesis statement falls at the end of your
introductory paragraph.
2
The Introduction
The introduction to your literary analysis essay should try to
capture your reader‟s
interest. To bring immediate focus to your subject, you may
want to use a quotation, a
provocative question, a brief anecdote, a startling statement, or

a combination of these.
You may also want to include background information relevant
to your thesis and
necessary for the reader to understand the position you are
taking. In addition, you
need to include the title of the work of literature and name of
the author. The
following are satisfactory introductory paragraphs which
include appropriate thesis
statements:
A. What would one expect to be the personality of a man who
has his wife
sent away to a convent (or perhaps has had her murdered)
because she took too
much pleasure in the sunset and in a compliment paid to her by
another man? It
is just such a man—a Renaissance duke—who Robert Browning
portrays in his
poem “My Last Duchess.” A character analysis of the Duke
reveals that through
his internal dialogue, his interpretation of earlier incidents, and
his actions, his
traits—arrogance, jealousy, and greediness—emerge.

B. The first paragraph of Alberto Alvaro Rios‟s short story
“The Secret Lion”
presents a twelve-year-old boy‟s view of growing up—
everything changes. As
the narrator informs the reader, when the magician pulls a
tablecloth out from
under a pile of dishes, children are amazed at the “stay-the-
same part,” while
adults focus only on the tablecloth itself (42). Adults have the
benefit of
experience and know the trick will work as long as the
technique is correct.
When people “grow up,” they gain this experience and
knowledge but lose their
innocence and sense of wonder. In other words, the price paid
for growing up is
a permanent sense of loss. This tradeoff is central to “The
Secret Lion.” The key
symbols in the story reinforce its main theme: change is
inevitable and always
accompanied by a sense of loss.

C. The setting of John Updike‟s story “A & P” is crucial to
the reader‟s
understanding of Sammy‟s decision to quit his job. Even
though Sammy knows
that his quitting will make life more difficult for him, he
instinctively insists upon
rejecting what the A & P represents in the story. When he rings
up a “No Sale”
and “saunter[s]” out of the store, Sammy leaves behind not only
a job but the
rigid state of mind associated with the A & P. Although Sammy
is the central
character in the story, Updike seems to invest as much effort in
describing the
setting as he does Sammy. The title, after all, is not “Youthful
Rebellion” or
“Sammy Quits” but “A & P.” The setting is the antagonist of the
story and plays a
role that is as important as Sammy‟s.

3
The Body of the Essay and the Importance of Topic Sentences
The term regularly used for the development of the central idea
of a literary analysis
essay is the body. In this section you present the paragraphs (at
least 3 paragraphs
for a 500-750 word essay) that support your thesis statement.
Good literary analysis
essays contain an explanation of your ideas and evidence from
the text (short story,
poem, play) that supports those ideas. Textual evidence
consists of summary,
paraphrase, specific details, and direct quotations.
Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence (usually the
first sentence of the
paragraph) which states one of the topics associated with your
thesis, combined with
some assertion about how the topic will support the central idea.
The purpose of the
topic sentence is twofold:
1. To relate the details of the paragraph to your thesis

statement.
2. To tie the details of the paragraph together.
The substance of each of your developmental paragraphs (the
body of your essay)
will be the explanations, summaries, paraphrases, specific
details, and direct quotations
you need to support and develop the more general statement you
have made in your
topic sentence. The following is the first developmental
paragraph after one of the
introductory paragraphs (C) above:
TOPIC SENTENCE
EXPLANATIONS AND
TEXTUAL EVIDENCE
Sammy's descriptions of the A & P present a

setting that is ugly, monotonous, and rigidly
regulated. The chain store is a common fixture
in modern society, so the reader can identify
with the uniformity Sammy describes. The
fluorescent light is as blandly cool as the
"checkerboard green-and-cream rubber tile
floor" (486). The "usual traffic in the store
moves in one direction (except for the swim
suited girls, who move against it), and
everything is neatly organized and categorized
in tidy aisles. The dehumanizing routine of this
environment is suggested by Sammy's offhand
references to the typical shoppers as "sheep,"
"house slaves," and "pigs” (486). These regular
customers seem to walk through the store in a
stupor; as Sammy indicates, not even dynamite
could move them out of their routine (485).
This paragraph is a strong one because it is developed through
the use of quotations,
summary, details, and explanation to support the topic sentence.
Notice how it relates
back to the thesis statement.

4
The Conclusion
Your literary analysis essay should have a concluding paragraph
that gives your essay
a sense of completeness and lets your readers know that they
have come to the end of
your paper. Your concluding paragraph might restate the thesis
in different words,
summarize the main points you have made, or make a relevant
comment about the
literary work you are analyzing, but from a different
perspective. Do not introduce a
new topic in your conclusion. Below is the concluding
paragraph from the essay
already quoted above (A) about Browning's poem "My Last
Duchess":

If the Duke has any redeeming qualities, they fail to appear in
the poem.
Browning's emphasis on the Duke's traits of arrogance,
jealousy, and materialism
make it apparent that anyone who might have known the Duke
personally would
have based his opinion of him on these three personality
"flaws." Ultimately, the
reader‟s opinion of the Duke is not a favorable one, and it is
clear that Browning
intended that the reader feel this way.
The Title of Your Essay
It is essential that you give your essay a title that is descriptive
of the approach you are
taking in your paper. Just as you did in your introductory
paragraph, try to get the
reader's attention. Using only the title of the literary work you
are examining is
unsatisfactory. The titles that follow are appropriate for the
papers (A, B, C) discussed
above:

Robert Browning's Duke: A Portrayal of a Sinister Man
The A & P as a State of Mind
Theme in "The Secret Lion": The Struggle of Adolescence
Audience
Consider the reader for whom you are writing your essay.
Imagine you are writing for
not only your professor but also the other students in your class
who have about as
much education as you do. They have read the assigned work
just as you have, but
perhaps they have not thought about it in exactly the same way.
In other words, it is
not necessary to "retell" the work of literature in any way.
Rather, it is your role to
be the explainer or interpreter of the work—to tell what certain
elements of the work
mean in relation to your central idea (thesis). When you make
references to the text of
the short story, poem, or play, you are doing so to remind your
audience of something
they already know. The principle emphasis of your essay is to
draw conclusions

and develop arguments. Be sure to avoid plot summary.
5
USING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE
The skillful use of textual evidence -- summary, paraphrase,
specific detail, and
direct quotations -- can illustrate and support the ideas you are
developing in your
essay. However, textual evidence should be used judiciously
and only when it directly
relates to your topic. The correct and effective use of textual

evidence is vital to the
successful literary analysis essay.
Summary
If a key event or series of events in the literary work support a
point you are trying to
make, you may want to include a brief summary, making sure
that you show the
relevance of the event or events by explicitly connecting your
summary to your point.
Below is an effective summary (with its relevance clearly
pointed out) from the essay
already quoted above on "The Secret Lion" (B):
The boys find the grinding ball, but later attempt to bury it
(SUMMARY).
Burying it is their futile attempt to make time stand still and to
preserve
perfection (RELEVANCE).
Paraphrase
You can make use of paraphrase when you need the details of
the original, but not

necessarily the words of the original: paraphrase to put someone
else's words into your
own words. Below is an example (also from the paper on "The
Secret Lion") of how to
"translate" original material into part of your own paper:
Original: "I was twelve and in junior high school and
something happened
that we didn't have a name for, but it was nonetheless like a
lion,
and roaring, roaring that way the biggest things do."
Paraphrase: Early in the story, the narrator tells us that when
he turned twelve
and started junior high school, life changed in a significant way
that
he and his friends could not quite name or identify.
Specific Detail
Various types of details from the text lend concrete support to
the development of the

central idea of your literary analysis essay. These details add
credibility to the point you
are developing. Below is a list of some of the details which
could have been used in the
developmental paragraph from the paper on John Updike's short
story "A & P" (see the
paragraph again for which details were used and how they were
used).
"usual traffic"
"fluorescent lights"
"checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor"
"electric eye"
shoppers like "sheep," "house slaves," and "pigs"
neatly stacked food
dynamite
6
Using Direct Quotations
Quotations can illuminate and support the ideas you are trying

to develop. A judicious
use of quoted material will make your points clearer and more
convincing. As with all
the textual evidence you use, make sure you explain how the
evidence is
relevant—let the reader know why the quotes you cite are
significant to your
argument. Below are guidelines and examples that should help
you effectively use
quotations:
1. Brief quotations (four lines or fewer of prose and three lines
or fewer of poetry)
should be carefully introduced and integrated into the text of
your paper. Put
quotation marks around all briefly quoted material.
Prose example:
As the "manager" of the A & P, Lengel is both the guardian and
enforcer of
"policy" (487). When he gives the girls "that sad Sunday-

school-superintendent
stare," the reader becomes aware of Lengel‟s character as the A
& P's version of
a dreary bureaucrat who "doesn't miss much" (487). Make sure
you give page
numbers when necessary. Notice that in this example the page
numbers
are in parenthesis after the quotation marks but before the
period.
Poetry example:
4
From the beginning, the Duke in Browning's poem gives the
reader a sense of
how possessive he really is: "That's my last Duchess on the
wall, / Looking as if
she were alive" (1-2). The reader cannot help but notice how,
even though the
Duke is talking about her portrait, his main concern is that she
belongs to him.
Notice that line # 1 is separated from line # 2 by a slash. Make
sure you
give the line numbers when necessary.

2. Lengthy quotations should be separated from the text of your
paper. More than
four lines of prose should be double spaced and indented ten
spaces from the
left margin, with the right margin the same as the rest of your
paper. More than
three lines of poetry should be double spaced and centered on
the page.
Note: do not use quotation marks to set off these longer
passages because
the indentation itself indicates that the material is quoted.
Prose example:
The first paragraph of "The Secret Lion" introduces the narrator
as someone who
has just entered adolescence and is uncertain what to make of it:
I was twelve and in junior high school and something

happened that we
didn't have a name for, but it was there nonetheless like a lion,
and
roaring, roaring that way the biggest things do. Everything
changed. Just
that. Like the rug, the one that gets pulled -- or better, like the
tablecloth
those magicians pull where the stuff on the table stays the same
but the
gasp! from the audience makes the staying-the-same part not
matter. Like
that. (41-42) Make sure you give page numbers when
necessary.
Notice in this example that the page numbers are in parenthesis
after
the period of the last sentence.
7
Poetry example:

The Duke seems to object to the fact that his "last Duchess" is
not discriminating
enough about bestowing her affection. In the following lines,
the Duke lists
examples of this "fault":
Sir, 'twas all one! My favor at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the west,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace -- all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech.
(Browning 25-30)
Be sure to provide the line numbers.
3. If any words are added to a quotation in order to explain who
or what the
quotation refers to, you must use brackets to distinguish your
addition from the
original source.

Example:
The literary critic John Strauss asserts that "he [Young
Goodman Brown] is
portrayed as self-righteous and disillusioned" (10). Brackets
are used here
because there is no way of knowing who "he" is unless you add
that
information.
Brackets are also used to change the grammatical structure of a
quotation so
that it fits into your sentence.
Example:
Strauss also argues that Hawthorne "present[s] Young
Goodman Brown in an

ambivalent light” (10). Brackets are used here to add the "s" to
the verb
"present" because otherwise the sentence would not be
grammatically
correct.
4. You must use ellipsis if you omit any words from the original
source you are
quoting. Ellipsis can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or
at the end of the
quotation, depending on where the missing words were
originally. Ellipsis is
formed by either three or four periods with a space between
each period.
Original: "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy,
wealthy and wise."
Example (omission from beginning):
This behavior ". . . makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

Ellipsis formed
by three dots after the quotation marks.
8
Example (omission from middle):
This maxim claims that "Early to bed . . . makes a man healthy,
wealthy, and
wise." Ellipsis formed by three dots used in place of the words
"and early
to rise."
Example (omission from end):
He said, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy . . .
." Ellipsis is
formed by four dots before the quotation marks -- the fourth dot

is really a
period which ends the sentence.
5. Use a single line of spaced periods to indicate the omission
of an entire line of
poetry.
Example:
The Duke seems to object to the fact that his "last Duchess" is
not discriminating
enough about bestowing her affection:
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The dropping of the daylight in the west,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, while the white mule
She rode around the terrace -- like and each

Would draw from her alike the approving speech….
(Browning 24-30)
9
Punctuating Direct Quotations
You will be able to punctuate quoted materials accurately if you
observe the following
conventions used in writing about literature:
1. When the quoted material is part of your own sentence, place
periods and
commas inside the quotation marks.
Example:
According to the narrator of "The Secret Lion,” change was
"like a lion," meaning

that its onset is sudden and ferocious. The comma is inside the
quotation
marks.
2. When the quoted material is part of your own sentence, but
you need to include a
parenthetical reference to page or line numbers, place the
periods and commas
after the reference.
Example:
The narrator of "The Secret Lion" says that the change was
"like a lion" (Rios 41).
The period is outside the quotation marks, after the
parenthetical reference.
3. When the quoted material is part of your own sentence,
punctuation marks other
than periods and commas, such as question marks, are placed
outside the

quotation marks, unless they are part of the quoted material.
Example (not part of original):
Why does the narrator of "The Secret Lion" say that the change
was "like a lion"?
The question mark is placed after the quotation marks because it
does not
appear in the original -- it ends a question being asked about the
story.
Example (part of original):
The Duke shows his indignation that the Duchess could like
everyone and
everything when he says, "Sir, 'twas all one!" (Browning 25).
The exclamation
point is placed inside the quotation marks because it appears in
the
original.

4. When the original material you are quoting already has
quotations marks (for
instance, dialog from a short story), you must use single
quotation marks within
the double quotation marks.
Example:
Lengel tries to stop Sammy from quitting by saying, “„Sammy,
you don't want to
do this to your Mom and Dad‟" (Updike 486).
10

MIAMI DADE COLLEGE
ENC 1102: English Composition II
Essay 3: Writing a Literary Research Paper
The type of research paper required in most sophomore
literature courses is generally referred to as a literary analysis
research paper because its focus must be on an element of the
literary work’s construction as a piece of literature—for
example, an element such as the work’s characters or conflict or
symbolism or theme, or perhaps two or more related literary
elements [such as the interrelated elements of conflict
development and theme, or symbolism’s contribution to the
creation of theme(s)].
It would not focus on such ideas as the author’s life
(biography), the historical events and beliefs of the period in
which it was written (historical and/or sociological aspects of
the work), or psychoanalysis of the characters (psychology), as
these are not elements of literary analysis, though passing
reference to one or more of these is usually acceptable.
“The Story of an Hour” p. 48 and “The Yellow Wallpaper” p. 64
1. Write an essay that analyzes the use of irony and imagery to
discuss the role of women and their self-identity.

· Female identity/selfhood
· Liberation
Shakespeare’s Sonnets 116 and 127
2. Discuss the theme of love in the sonnets. Do the young man
sonnets express a different ideal of love than the dark lady
sonnets? Is the ideal of love described in Sonnet 116—without
which the speaker “never writ, nor no man ever loved”—
constant throughout the sonnets?
“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker p.310 and “Girl” by Jamaica
Kincaid p. 355
3. Analyze the writers’ use of symbolism and imagery to discuss
the theme of cultural identity and heritage in both texts.
Compare/contrast their views on the topic.
· Family items, thoughts and traditions
· African American culture
“America” by Claude McKay p. 520 and “We Wear the Mask”
by Paul Laurence Dunbar p. 502
4. Analyze the writers’ use of extended metaphor to discuss
racial prejudice and the struggle for equality in each poem.
Compare/contrast their views on the topic.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson p. 216

5. Write an essay that attempts to prove to The Lottery’s
characters that their continued
following of this particular tradition is morally, ethically,
and scientifically unsound.
Let's take a look at some literary research paper outline
example:
1. Create the thesis statement - inform the reader of the overall
reason for your research paper. It is a statement of the main
points in your paper.
2. Structure of the research paper.
· Introduction - Topic of what to expect or read about
· Body - Main points of argument, ideas.
· Conclusion - Elaboration and clarification of points included
in the body
Literary Analysis Research Paper
by
David A. James

The type of research paper required in most sophomore
literature courses is
generally referred to as a literary analysis research paper
because its focus must be on
an element of the literary work’s construction as a piece of
literature—for example, an
element such as the work’s characters or conflict or symbolism
or theme, or perhaps two or
more related literary elements [such as the interrelated elements
of conflict
development and theme, or symbolism’s contribution to the
creation of theme(s)]. It
would not focus on such ideas as the author’s life (biography),
the historical events and
beliefs of the period in which it was written (historical and/or
sociological aspects of
the work), or psychoanalysis of the characters (psychology), as

these are not elements of
literary analysis, though passing reference to one or more of
these is usually acceptable.
If there’s any doubt regarding the acceptability of a particular
idea you’re considering,
it’s essential to consult with the professor before proceeding
further in order to avoid
wasted time on an inappropriate writing topic.
While individual approaches to a research paper involving
literary analysis may
vary, one standard approach can be presented as follows:
YOUR IDEAS + TEXTUAL
EVIDENCE
+ RESEARCH = LITERARY
ANALYSIS
RESEARCH PAPER

about the work
of literature
(presented in the
form of a thesis
opinion)
from the work
supporting your
analytic ideas and
thesis opinion
to gather and
incorporate
critical works
of scholarly
analysis that
relate to or
support your
thesis opinion
This ‘formula’ for producing an effective literary analysis
research paper can be detailed

by the following process, or series of steps taken to achieve the
ultimate goal.
James 2
Selecting an Author and Literary Work
Select an appropriate author (one whose works fall within the
time parameters of
the literature course in question) and one (possibly two, if brief)
literary work(s) to
analyze. For example, one novel/novella or two brief short
stories would generally be
selected to produce a research paper of 1500 or more words. In
courses where long,
complex works are covered (such as Homer’s Iliad or Chaucer’s
The Canterbury Tales), it

is probably wise to attempt to analyze only a particular portion
of the work. Again,
consult with the professor about an appropriate choice of work
or portion thereof.
It is also helpful, though not necessary, to have previously read
the literary work(s).
This allows you to begin right away to direct your focus toward
particular elements of
the work(s) as you are re-reading because you already have
familiarity with the basic
plot and characters.
Read and Re-read
Read (re-read?) the selected work(s), keeping a close watch for
the particular
literary element that interests you. You might choose to analyze
the character and

conflicts of Huckleberry Finn, for instance, or satirical devices
in Gulliver’s Travels or
theme and symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. As you read and
note the presence of the
particular element(s) in the work, you should begin to formulate
mentally (and take
notes on) your ideas on it. These ideas will later be turned into
a working thesis or
opinion about the work and the element(s).
Taking Notes
Take careful notes for each instance in the work where the
literary element seems
present. These places in the work will be used later (when
writing the paper) as the
textual evidence necessary to properly support your analytic
opinion and thus produce

a convincing argument for your thesis. As you take these notes
(in whatever fashion is
most comfortable or useful for you), be certain that you record
accurate quotes and
page numbers (for proper MLA—Modern Language
Association-- citations when
James 3
writing the paper). Carelessness in this area can affect the
clarity of the paper, as well
as result in unintentional plagiarism.
Literary Focus
When you begin to encounter later instances in the work
where you detect the

literary element (or see them in the other work being analyzed,
if analyzing more than
one work of literature), compare the separate instances, cross-
referencing them by page
numbers in your notes. For example, if it occurs to you that the
author is using a
particular object (for example, Faith and her pink ribbons in
“Young Goodman Brown”
or the Bibles in “Good Country People”) to symbolize an
abstract concept, the cross-
referenced notes will allow you to more easily recognize and
discuss the author’s use of
the symbol, perhaps forming the basis for a working outline. It
might also allow you to
recognize the symbol’s function in the work (i.e., does it help
the author direct focus
toward a theme? Is it assisting in character development in

some way?).
Organizing Your Ideas and Notes into a Working Thesis
When through reading the work(s)—preferably after
multiple readings and
substantial note-taking—assimilate all your ideas and notes into
a clear overview,
stated as concisely as possible in an opinion or claim. This will
be your working thesis.
It may change some as you proceed, but it will allow you to
better direct your research
efforts for appropriate critical analytic support.
A working thesis will be a complete sentence that names
the author and the
literary work(s)—or portion of the work if very lengthy—and
makes a clear statement
of your opinion to be supported in the paper. For example, the

following could be a
working thesis about symbolism in the previously mentioned
Hawthorne short story:
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” the
author uses the
character Faith to symbolize Goodman Brown’s religious
faith, in order to
suggest a theme that loss of one’s religious faith will cause
one to question
other beliefs as well.
You’ll note that the thesis presents an opinion about both
symbolism and theme that its
writer would then have to support by offering persuasive proof
or evidence from the

James 4
story itself, along with the explanations necessary to convince a
reader that the opinion
is a reasonable one.
Library Search
Begin your library search for appropriate scholarly critical
analytic material that
you can use to support your own analytic discussion in the
research paper. Important
note: Waiting until you have completed your initial efforts at
reading and note-taking
will make it less likely that your paper will simply present other
people’s ideas instead
of your own. It will also substantially reduce the time and
effort involved in research.
Because you have read the work(s) of literature by your author

and come to your own
conclusions regarding the particular literary element, you will
limit your research
efforts to sources that make at least some reference to your
topic. And when you are
examining these sources, you will be able to more quickly
determine their usefulness as
support for your argument.
The following represents a possible search pattern in the
library:
likely be in the
computer catalog, where you’ll search for the author and his
works as subjects of
books held in that library (or in the library system as a whole).
Under each

listing, find the Library of Congress information and scan it for
references to
your topic. Again, this is something you can’t do if you don’t
already have a
topic and working thesis because you won’t know what to look
for and will thus
have to look at everything. If a source appears to have potential,
list it on a piece
of paper or a note card, along with all the information necessary
to present it in a
research paper. A few minutes spent at this point will save time
and effort later
on.
computer catalog will be
listings for anthologies of critical scholarly material dealing
with your author’s

work. These anthologies are not sources themselves, but
collections of
individual articles or excerpts that may prove useful as sources
in your paper.
Several major publishing companies offer entire series of
critical anthologies
James 5
dealing with major authors and their work. Prentice-Hall, for
instance, has a
series entitled Twentieth Century Views, which covers writers
from the modern
era.
he anthology is what is
referred to as a

‘critical edition’ or ‘casebook.’ What distinguishes these from a
simple critical
anthology is the inclusion of one or more literary works by the
author, as well as
scholarly articles or excerpts. Norton publishes a complete line
of critical editions
on most major authors.
literary reference
works the library has, consulting the index and finding the
author and any
listings for articles on the literary work(s) you’re analyzing.
Companies such as
Gale Research and others have greatly simplified the student’s
research efforts
by gathering a variety of critical sources together into

convenient bound volumes
(anthologies) containing entire scholarly articles (or excerpts)
for easy access by
students. In addition, there are also electronic anthologies or
databases available
through most college libraries. Since the databases are
purchased by the library
by subscription, these typically can be accessed only by
currently enrolled
students.
guides to periodical
literature for listings of articles and essays on your author and
his work. The
MLA Bibliography and the Cambridge Guide to English
Literature are perhaps the

most essential of these for student research, though there are
others.
The Working Bibliography
A working bibliography is a list of critical scholarly
sources you intend to consult
as possible analytic support for your thesis opinion. This list
will include all
information necessary for an MLA Works Cited page (author,
title, and publishing
information), as well as a brief note or summary of the source’s
potential relevance to
your research paper (to aid your memory later). A proper
working bibliography will
usually consist of at least ten potential sources, as some sources
may be unable to be

James 6
located or have no relevance for your thesis as it develops over
the course of drafting.
The bibliography will not include the literary work(s), though
the work(s) will
eventually be part of the finished paper’s Works Cited page.
Construct a list of as many of these critical articles as
possible, excluding those that
appear to have no relevance to your topic area. This will be
your working
bibliography for the research paper. You should not change your
topic after the
working thesis and working bibliography are submitted and
approved by your
professor, since it almost certainly will be too late to begin
research on a different topic.

Avoiding Plagiarism
Locate and gather the critical articles and begin reading
them, again taking careful
notes (either on note cards or in a notebook) of material you can
use from them to
support your argument in the paper. Important note: It is
absolutely essential that a
scholar’s words or ideas be offered accurately in the paper.
Presenting them out of
context or in any way distorting them will call all your efforts
into question. Any
material used from a scholar’s work—whether quoted,
paraphrased, or
summarized—must be credited within the research paper with a
proper MLA
citation. Failure to do so will constitute plagiarism (whether

unintentional or
otherwise), which could cause the research paper to be severely
penalized. Intentional
plagiarism, if discovered, is cause for a paper to receive a grade
as low as a zero, and
perhaps an F in the course. Thus, a simple rule of thumb for
avoiding plagiarism in a
research paper is as follows: If the ideas or words were not
generated in your own
head, credit is necessary in the paper. For information about the
proper incorporation
and citation of research material, see the later section devoted
to those tasks.
Organizing Your Notes
Connect the notes gathered from the critical articles with
the appropriate textual

evidence from the literary work(s). If your note taking has been
done on standard note
cards all along, this will be a fairly simple process of grouping
cards together.
James 7
The Rough Draft
Begin the synthesis of a rough draft, clearly stating your
thesis opinion in the
introduction. In the body of the paper, follow a systematic,
well-organized exploration
of your argument by presenting:

research
The previously offered example of a thesis about
Hawthorne’s use of Faith as a
symbol in “Young Goodman Brown” might involve the
following material in support,
with the MLA in-text citations from the work referring to the
Norton anthology, 5th ed.,
version of the story, and the source citation being from a
hypothetical source discussing
the work:
Hawthorne very deliberately uses the name “Faith” for
Brown’s wife so that
Brown’s words in the story can function as indicators of
his internal conflict as

he struggles with his decision to go into the forest and
engage in the evil ritual.
In fact, he’s barely left his house and wife before saying to
himself, “’Poor little
Faith!…What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an
errand!’” (1236). Thoughtful
readers will soon connect his words with his powerful
internal struggle to
remain true to his religious faith, though ‘leaving it
behind’ this one night in his
life. Critic John Doe suggests that the use of the name
“Faith” is a bit obvious to
some yet contends, “The name is perhaps not as heavy-
handed a symbol on
Hawthorne’s part as some scholars have suggested, since
he was obviously

producing his tales for a broad popular audience of his day
and not literature
scholars of a later era” (54).
In the sample above, the proper approach has been
followed, with the writer first
presenting a statement of opinion about the symbol, then
offering a quote from the
work as textual evidence, followed by further analytic
discussion, and finally
presenting a supporting quote from a research source uncovered.
James 8
Important reminder: Make certain that everything (including
quotes from the literary
work) has the necessary MLA citation.

Revising and Rewriting
Revise/rewrite until the best draft is achieved. Prepare a
careful Works Cited page
indicating all literary works and scholarly material used and
cited in the paper.
Prepare your final copy. In the package to be turned in, be sure
to include your rough
draft and highlighted copies of all cited critical source material,
if required by the
professor. Do not include highlighted copies of material quoted
from the literary
work(s), unless requested.
WORKS CITED PAGE
Any formal paper involving research requires accurate
information to be presented

regarding the source material being used in the paper, and this
is typically offered after
the body of the paper in a Works Cited page. Preparing an
accurate Works Cited page
is an essential part of any Modern Language Association-style
research paper, and it is
even recommended that it be prepared prior to final revisions to
the draft to insure
complete correspondence between source citations in the paper
and the source listing
on the Works Cited page. Any discrepancies must be corrected
before finalizing the
paper. In order to properly prepare this page, you must correctly
identify the nature of
the research source in order to determine the appropriate model
from among the many
possible samples encountered in any MLA guide, including this

one. Following the
wrong sample model will result in confusion, not only on the
Works Cited page, but
also within the body of the research paper itself. So take your
time to properly identify
the source, and if you’re uncertain, consult your professor and
show him/her the
source itself.
only those scholarly
sources and literary works actually used and cited in the body of
the paper (thus the
term “Works Cited”). And these sources and works are always
listed alphabetically

James 9
by the author’s (or editor’s) last name. When a source (perhaps
a newspaper article)
has no author indicated (anonymous), the listing will be
alphabetized by the title.
abbreviated, or
streamlined, in its approach to listing entries so that publication
information for
books is limited to the city of publication, with the state
omitted, and the key name
in the publisher name (for example, Prentice, rather than
Prentice-Hall).
bottom of the book’s title
page, and the year of publication will be found on the reverse
side of the title page.

When multiple cities of publication are listed, as a general rule,
you should select
the first one in the list. The choice can be verified by checking
against the publisher’s
address, sometimes found on the reverse side of the title page.
When multiple dates
of publication appear, select the most recent, as that will
correspond to the edition
in hand.
than one edition, be
careful to list that information in the appropriate place.
titles that have
subtitles, separate the title from the subtitle with a colon, even
though the title page

does not indicate one. But be aware that many subtitles can be
omitted in MLA’s
streamlined style, unless the subtitle is an essential part of the
overall title and its
meaning.
must therefore be
avoided at all costs. The titles of major works (books, epic
poems, etc.) are always
italicized (or underlined if the professor prefers that approach).
The titles of lesser
works (short stories, essays, or journal articles, etc.) are always
placed in quotation
marks (which go outside any separating punctuation in the
listing).

of the title are usually
capitalized, with articles (a, an, the) left in lower case. The
initial article in a title will,
of course, be capitalized.
James 10
n
means of accessing
source material, current MLA format indicates the nature of the
basic medium being
accessed: Print or Web, for example.
the first, with the first
word of the line being five letters or characters in from the
margin.

Sample MLA Works Cited Entries:
McCarthy, Cormac. No Country for Old Men. New
York: Vintage, 2006. Print.
s (fiction or nonfiction)
Burroughs, William, and Allen Ginsberg. The Yage
Letters. San Francisco: City
Lights, 1963. Print.
others”)
Johnson, Philip J., et al. Psychosis in the Modern Male.
Boston: Harley, 1999.
Print.

listed alphabetically by
title, with the author’s name replaced by three unspaced
hyphens, after the first title)
Hemingway, Ernest. A Moveable Feast. New York:
Scribner’s, 1964. Print.
- - -. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner’s,
1952. Print.
pattern as for authors)
Arnold, Edwin T., and Dianne C. Luce, eds. A Cormac
McCarthy Companion: The
Border Trilogy. Jackson: U P of Mississippi, 2001.
Print.
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1884. Berkeley:
U of California

P, 1985. Print.
essay, not just the ones
cited)
Fussell, Edwin. “Fitzgerald’s Brave New World.” F. Scott
Fitzgerald: A
James 11
Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Arthur Mizener. Englewood
Cliffs: Prentice,
1963. 43-56. Print.
ssay in an anthology (include data
for first publication,
and the abbreviation ‘Rpt. in’ [Reprinted in])

Carpenter, Frederic I. “Scarlet A Minus.” College English 5.4
(Jan. 1944): 173-80.
Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Vol. 10. Eds.
Laurie Lanzen
Harris and Emily B. Tennyson. Detroit: Gale, 1985. 284-87.
Print.
as a cross-reference.)
List the essay alphabetically, with a cross-reference to the
anthology, usually by the
editor’s last name, followed by the pages from the individual
essay. The anthology
is then listed alphabetically with all the necessary publication
information.)
Bewley, Marius. “Scott Fitzgerald’s Criticism of
America.” Mizener 125-41.
Mizener, Arthur, ed. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Collection of

Critical Essays. Englewood
Cliffs: Prentice, 1963. Print.
Raleigh, John Henry. “F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great
Gatsby.” Mizener 99-103.
ce, or afterward in a book
Allen, Hervey. Introduction. The Complete Tales and
Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.
By Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Modern, 1965. v-
viii. Print.
Roth, Elizabeth Elam. “Terror and Tragedy: Divergent
Roads in the Poetry of
Robert Frost and Joseph Brodsky.” CCTE Studies
61 (1996): 9-18. Print.
lecture warrant

citation, just as does the information used from a print or
electronic source.)
Johnson, Jonas. “Shakespeare’s Parallel Plot
Structures.” Survey of Brit.
Literature, Eng. Dept., Houston Community
College—NW. 20 Oct. 2010.
Lecture.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Imp of the Perverse.” The Norton
Anthology of
American Literature. Vol. 1. Ed. Nina Baym. 5th ed.
New York: Norton,
James 12

1998. 1563-67. Print.
(Use a cross-
reference, as would be used for multiple critical essays from an
anthology, but follow
the pattern for ‘more than one work by the same author’ for
listing the works and the
author’s name.)
Baym, Nina, ed. The Norton Anthology of American
Literature. Vol. 1. 5th ed.
New York: Norton, 1998. Print.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Birth-Mark.” Baym 1261-73.
- - -. “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Baym 1286-1305.
- - -. “Young Goodman Brown.” Baym 1236-45.

Citing Electronic Sources
(sources accessed via computer)
The widespread use of the personal computer as a tool for
doing scholarly research
has created new types of sources necessary to be cited and
properly incorporated into a
research paper. The World Wide Web, or Internet, has allowed
the rapid spread of--and
access to--both scholarly research material and the works of
literature themselves
(Those authors whose works are legally in the public domain
and no longer protected
by copyright laws—Edgar Allan Poe, for example-- can be
readily found at many
websites.). The demands for proper crediting of these materials
is no less critical than

for those accessed through conventional print media and is often
more complicated. As
with print sources, electronic sources must be carefully
identified in order to be
properly cited on the Works Cited page. In addition, they should
be very carefully
evaluated for credibility, as the Internet allows anyone to post
information via personal
or group web sites. Students need to be aware that convenience
of access is no excuse
for using poor-quality information in a research paper.
In general, current MLA guidelines for citing electronic
sources on a Works Cited
page call for inclusion of all the information appropriate to any
print version of a
source (if one exists), as well as certain information peculiar to
the posting of Internet

James 13
information. The following are common examples of electronic
sources. For further
guidance and examples, you should consult the most recent
version of the MLA Style
Manual, often available in the library’s reference section.
Paulits, Walter J. "Ambivalence in 'Young Goodman Brown'."
American Literature
41.4 (Jan. 1970): 577-584. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism.
Ed. Anna J. Sheets. Vol. 29.
Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Literature Resource Center.
Web. 5 Sept. 2010.

Robinson, E. Arthur. “Thoreau and the Deathwatch in Poe’s
‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.”
Poe Studies 4.1 (June 1971): 14-16. Poe Studies/Dark
Romanticism. Edgar Allan Poe
Society of Baltimore. Web. 5 Sep. 2010.
Grantz, David. “Stricken Eagle: Women in Poe.” The Poe
Decoder. Wed. 6 Sep. 2010.
the Web
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Edgar
Allan Poe: Tales,
Sketches and Selected Criticism. University of Virginia.
Web. 5 Sep. 2010.

Incorporating Literary and Source Material into the Paper
Equally important as the proper creation of a Works Cited
page is the proper
incorporation of material from the work of literature and the
scholarly sources
uncovered through research. As previously indicated, the
listings on the Works Cited
page must correspond to the sources named and cited in the
body of the paper, or
serious confusion will result. And since the analytic research
paper will necessarily
involve textual evidence from the literary work, it too must be
carefully cited and
included on the Works Cited page.
In general, information from the literary work or a
scholarly research source which

has been summarized or paraphrased (which involves restating
the material in entirely
James 14
your own words to avoid plagiarism) may be incorporated into
your paper at any time
by offering a parenthetical citation which names the source and
the page on which the
information was found. This source named in the citation must
then correspond to a
source listed alphabetically on the Works Cited page.
Using the earlier Hawthorne sample paragraph, the
following would be an
acceptable summary of the source material:
The use of the name ‘Faith’ for symbolic purposes by

Hawthorne would perhaps
have gone unnoticed by contemporary readers (Doe 54).
It’s important to note that a paraphrase is generally of
approximately the same length—
and perhaps longer—than the original it is restating, and is used
when clarity or the
student’s writing style might be sacrificed by using a direct
quote. Thus, the following
would be an appropriate paraphrase of the same original source
material:
Hawthorne’s use of the name ’Faith’ is not as obvious a
symbol as some critics have
argued, because he was writing stories for an audience of
the mid-nineteenth
century, and not for critics who later analyzed his creations
(Doe 54).

And here then is the same material from the hypothetical Doe
source, as it was offered
in the earlier sample paragraph, but as a direct quotation, with
the source named in the
text :
Critic John Doe suggests that the use of the name “Faith” is
a bit obvious to some
yet contends, “The name is perhaps not as heavy-handed a
symbol on
Hawthorne’s part as some scholars have suggested, since
he was obviously
producing his tales for a broad popular audience of his day
and not literature
scholars of a later era” (54).
What should be seen here is that, with a direct quotation, proper
incorporation of the

quoted material involves what is known as an introduction or
attribution for the
quotation, just as would be seen for quotations offered in a
newspaper or magazine
article. The introductory phrase usually consists of the name of
the source and an
appropriate verb such as ‘suggests,’ ‘points out,’ ‘writes,’
‘contends,’ or some such
variation, followed by a comma and the source material (in
quotation marks), and then
James 15
the page citation. Note that if the source is named in the
introductory phrase (as in the
above example), the parenthetical citation does not include the
name again. If the source

is not specifically named in the introduction, then the citation
must include the source,
as for the following anonymous introduction:
One Hawthorne scholar suggests, “Faith’s pink ribbons are
symbolic of her
innocence, and when she loses them in the forest, she then is
susceptible to the forces of
evil” (Doe 55).
At times, a paper will need longer quotes for support than
the brief example above.
When the material to be quoted appears on four lines or more in
the original source
(and will require at least four or more lines in the paper), a
different form is required
from the previous examples. The quotation must be introduced
by naming the source

and offering a brief sentence of synopsis, followed by a colon.
The quotation is then
indented ten letters or characters from the left-hand margin and
is not placed in
quotation marks. It is followed by a period and the parenthetical
citation, as in the
following sample, which might appear along with the earlier
Hawthorne discussion:
Themes offered for “Young Goodman Brown” are
numerous, depending on the
particular scholar’s focus in the story. The ending of the
tale, closely scrutinized
by many scholars, appears to offer Hawthorne’s best hint at
his intended theme:
Obsession with evil in the world prevents a person from
seeing the good, and from

being happy. Doe supports this view, countering those
critics who overly
emphasize the words put into the mouth of the devil:
The narrow focus on the part of some Hawthorne
analysts, choosing to
see Hawthorne’s thematic opinion in the
words of the devil (“Evil is the
communion of your race”), results from
paying attention to an idea very
deliberately repeated by a central figure in the
story. Yet Hawthorne
does not end the story with the devil’s
pronouncements, and the reader
must take into account the somber conclusion:
a life in which Brown sees
evil wherever he looks, even in wife Faith.
(56)

James 16
The approach to the literary analysis research paper offered
here is intended as a
helpful, if necessarily incomplete, guide for students. Further
questions should be
addressed to the professor. And it’s important to remember that
individual professors
may take very different approaches to their research paper
assignments than the one
outlined here.
Note: This document is the property of Professor David A.
James, Houston
Community College—Northwest, and may only be used by

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