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Literary analysis claims must be grounded in quotation and paraphrase from the primary text. Selecting evidence requires judgment about which textual moments most specifically and directly support a claim; using evidence requires embedding quotations grammatically, attributing them accurately, and — most critically — explaining how the quoted language does the interpretive work the analyst claims. The explanatory move after a quotation (often called 'unpacking' or 'warrant') is where analysis actually happens.
Practice the three-part structure for every piece of evidence: claim → evidence (quotation or paraphrase) → explanation. The explanation should be as long as or longer than the quotation itself. Avoid 'quote-dropping' — inserting a quotation without analysis.
You already know how to read a text closely and how to build an argument supported by evidence. Textual evidence in literary analysis applies these skills to a specific challenge: the primary text — the novel, poem, or play — must bear the weight of every interpretive claim you make. You cannot argue that a character's action reveals self-deception and then leave the reader to find the proof themselves. You must identify the specific moment, reproduce the language, and explain exactly what in that language supports your reading.
The structure of evidence use in literary analysis follows a clear three-part pattern: claim → evidence → explanation. The claim states what you are arguing; the evidence (a quotation or paraphrase) shows where in the text you see it; the explanation does the actual analytical work — it names specifically what elements of the quoted language (word choice, syntax, imagery, tone, repetition) perform the interpretive function the claim asserts. This explanatory move is where analysis actually lives. Without it, you have produced a claim and a quotation that the reader must connect themselves. With it, you have demonstrated that the connection exists and why it is meaningful.
Selecting the right evidence is a skill in itself. Quotation selectivity means choosing the smallest unit of text that still carries the full meaning you need — not a whole paragraph when a sentence will do, not a sentence when a phrase carries the weight. It also means choosing evidence that is specific rather than general: the more precisely a quotation speaks to your claim, the stronger the evidentiary foundation. Inexperienced analysts tend to choose long, "relevant-feeling" quotations and then explain them vaguely; stronger analysts choose sharp, targeted quotations and explain them in close detail.
Paraphrase is often underestimated as an analytical tool. Direct quotation is not always the cleanest approach — sometimes the language you need to discuss is spread across several pages, or the act of quotation would fragment the flow of your argument. A careful paraphrase that accurately represents the text (with a page reference) can be more analytically efficient. What paraphrase cannot do is substitute for close reading — you still need to know the exact language well enough to characterize it accurately, and your explanation must account for how the text actually works, not just how you are summarizing it. The standard is always: is this specific, is this accurate, and is the connection to my claim explicit?
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