1. How to write a literary analysis essay mla style
Observe these rules and you will be well on your way to effective citation and interesting analysis. Your teachers will thank you, and your peers will be amazed!
Dr. Michelle H. Daon

2. Some points to consider
USE THE PRESENT SIMPLE
Refer to events in works of fiction, poems, plays, movies, and television shows in the present tense. When quoting passages from novels or describing scenes from a movie, think about the actions as performances that occur over and over again.
In his last speech, Othello orders those around him to remember and retell his story. He asks the remaining characters to “Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate, / nor set down aught in malice” (V.ii ).

3. Observe all the conventions of citation and punctuation
These conventions signify to your readers not only that you are in control of your material, but also that you acknowledge and respect the community of scholars by which your work is being read.
Know how to punctuate inside the quotation marks, using block quotations, and when you introduce a quotation.

4. Block quoting
 Indent any prose quotation more than 4 typed lines long two tabs (or ten spaces).
Indent any poetry quotation more than 3 lines long two tabs, as well.
Please note that two tabs is one tab more you’re your simple paragraph indentation. This is called block quoting—it should be used sparingly and you should always frame it with precise critical commentary

5. Introduce all quotations
NEVER QUOTE AND RUN!
Introduce all quotations, either direct or indirect, in some way; this is called framing your quotation

6. Modify your quotations so that they fit the needs of your own prose.
Cite accurately and fairly
Tailor the language so that the quotations fit into the grammar of your sentence
CLUMSY: The chemical capsaicin that makes chili hot: “it is so hot it is used to make anti-dog and anti-mugger sprays” (Bork 184).
REVISED: Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili hot, is so strong “it is used to make anti-dog and anti-mugger sprays” (Bork 84).
You must always cite accurately and fairly; that is, you cannot leave out a word so that a source seems to support your arguments.

7. Use square brackets [ ] to add necessary information to a quotation.
Use ellipses . . .to indicate where you have cut material from a passage
Use square brackets [ ] to add necessary information to a quotation.  
2.) use ellipses (. . .) to indicate where you have cut material from a passage; and 3.) use square brackets [] to add necessary information to a quotation. Never use ellipses at the beginning or the end of a quote; your reader already knows you’re not citing the whole thing. Use brackets sparingly—they become very distracting very quickly.

8. When must we use Parenthetical Citations?
To acknowledge words, facts, or ideas from another source
It is important to give credit to the sources you use. When you copy words and ideas that are not yours and use them without giving credit, it is called plagiarism.

9. Doesn’t the “Works Cited”page give credit?
Yes, the Works Cited page at the end of your paper is important in giving credit to the sources you used. However, it doesn’t give your reader information on what exactly you used from each source or exactly where you found the material.

10. Use Parenthetical Citations to:
Quote
Summarize
Paraphrase

11. When must you give credit?
When you quote exact words
If you use the exact words of an author, you need to include them in “quotation marks.”

12. Give Credit
When you summarize facts and ideas from a source:
Summarizing means taking ideas from a larger passage and condensing them into your own words.

13. Give Credit When you paraphrase:
If you use the ideas or opinions from someone else and restate them in your own words, you still need to cite the source.

14. When do you not have to cite a reference?
If the information is well known
If the information can be found in dictionaries
Statistics and information that can be easily found in several sources and are not likely to vary from source to source

15. Citing sources when some of the information is missing
Some sources do not list an author. In those cases, use the title and page number.
The winds of a hurricane are most violent around the eye (“Hurricane Season” 7).
Some sources do not use page numbers. In those cases, list just the author.
Hurricanes in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones (Nealy).
If a source does not list the author or page number, use the title.
In Southeast Asia, they are called typhoons (“Big Wind”).

16. Parenthetical citations should be:
Brief
Give only enough information to identify the source on your Works Cited page

17. Always check to make sure you give credit to your sources
Include a Works Cited page:
A complete list of every source that you make reference to in your report. This provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any sources cited in your paper.