1. Integrating Quotations into your Writing Literary Analysis

2. Methods to Introduce Quotations Use an explanatory phrase Slice and dice the quote to make the author’s words fit perfectly with yours Use a colon

3. Use an introductory or explanatory phrase Scrooge refuses to donate to the charity men, exclaiming, “I wish to be left alone!” (Horovitz, 8).

4. Punctuating Introductory or Explanatory Phrases: Use a comma to separate your own words from the quotation when your introductory or explanatory phrase ends with a verb such as "says," "said," "thinks," "believes," “exclaims,” "recalls," "questions," and "asks."

5. Slice and Dice Marley introduces Scrooge as a “covetous, old sinner” (3).

6. Slice and Dice Punctuation No comma is needed before the quote because the words melt in with your sentence. Period is outside the page #.

7. Introduce the quotation with a complete sentence and a colon. Marley introduces the reader to Scrooge : “England’s most tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge!” (3).

8. Colon Punctuation Rules After your complete sentence introduction, place a colon before the quote. This prevents the quote from looking like it was randomly dropped in (very bad). Period goes after page number outside of parentheses.

9. Megara Example Megara is introduced as a villain because she is an untrusting person who makes judgments about people based on her bad experiences and only cares about her own problems. We know she is acting this way due to past experiences because Hades reminds her by that “You sell your soul to me to save your boyfriend’s life. And how does this creep repay you? By running off with some babe. He hurt you real bad, didn’t he Meg?” (Disney 26). This quote gives the audience a chance to understand why Meg is so untrusting. The audience sees another example of how little she trusts others after Meg meets Hercules and says, “He comes on with his big, innocent farm boy routine, but I could see through that in a Peloponnesian minute,” (Disney 15). This shows that she sees his kindness as a trick rather than an actual quality. Due to her lack of trust and her desire to earn back her freedom, she lies to Hercules and helps lure him into a trap: “Two little boys were playing in the gorge…there was a rockslide, a terrible rock slide…they’re trapped” (Disney, 23). At this point in the story Meg is only concerned with getting what she wants, and finds it easy to hurt Hercules because she thinks all people are selfish and dishonest.