3-Step Quotation Framing and Analysis
“In a way, quotations are orphans: words that have been taken from their original contexts and that need to be integrated into their new textual surroundings” (Graff and Birkenstein, “They Say, I Say” 40)
First step: Introduce the quotation.
(Lead in to tell who is speaking, where, and how; write and cite the quotation)
(Lead in to tell who is speaking, where, and how; write and cite the quotation)
College life provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students. This kind of engagement can be a powerful positive force, but it can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time. In this regard, Malcolm X states, “One of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions, too much panty-raiding, fraternities, and boola-boola and all of that” (227).
Second step: Explain the quotation.
(Write a purposeful paraphrase.)
(Write a purposeful paraphrase.)
College life provides a diversity of social, academic, and athletic opportunities for students. This kind of engagement can be a powerful positive force, but it can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time. In this regard, Malcolm X states, “One of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions, too much panty-raiding, fraternities, and boola-boola and all of that” (227). In this example, Malcolm X points out that the variety of activities that colleges offer students can keep them from succeeding as thinkers and researchers.
Third step: Explore the implications of the quotation for your own argument.
(Why is it relevant? What insights does it offer? How might you respond or build on it?)
(Why is it relevant? What insights does it offer? How might you respond or build on it?)
College life provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students. This kind of engagement can be a powerful positive force, but it can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time. In this regard, Malcolm X states, “One of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions, too much panty-raiding, fraternities, and boola-boola and all of that” (227). In this example, Malcolm X points out that the variety of activities that colleges offer students can keep them from succeeding as thinkers and researchers. While Malcolm X is certainly right that distractions can, in some cases, be problematic, he fails to consider the necessity of these social interactions among students. Without the “boola-boola and all of that,” students would miss out on essential parts of their education, like developing social intelligence and decision-making skills.
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(adapted from a handout authored by Professor Kim Emmons)
