How to Analyze Quotes - Livingston Public Schools



Name _____________________________ KEEPER # English Period _______

How to Analyze Quotes

Shocking as this may seem, many of you will go to the high school next year. Some of you will not make it out of my English class and will be stuck with me forever, but let’s deal with those of you who will make it to high school.

On many occasions, you will have to analyze quotes from text. You might be doing this on a test or in an essay. The easiest way to analyze quotes is to think of the 5Ws from writing news articles: Who, What, Where, When, and Why.

Step 1 : WHO: Identify the speaker and to whom the quote was said. If the quote

is part of the narration or description, say that.

WHAT: What was said? Restate the quote

WHERE is the speaker WHEN the quote is said?

Step 2 : Explain WHY the quote is significant. This is the most important and difficult part. The good news is that this can be done many ways depending on the quote and the question you are addressing. Here are some examples of how you could begin.

This quote illustrates that the main character feels _________ because …

This quote illustrates the theme of the book because…

This quote is ironic because…

This quote is an example of foreshadowing because…

This quote illustrates _____ about this character because…

And many more…The important thing to consider is that you are explaining the meaning of the quote on a deeper level and why it is important.

Turn over for a wonderful look at how this all works!

For example, imagine that a mean English teacher asked you analyze the following quote from Night:

“Men to the left! Women to the right!” Eight words spoken quietly, indifferently, without emotion.”

Pg. 29 Chapter 3

Outline:

Who: Nazi officer to Wiesel

What: The quote

Where : Birkenau

When: When they first get off the cattle cars

Why: Shows inhumanity of the Nazis as they separated families

Final response:

In Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night, Wiesel lets the reader experience the pain of the Holocaust when he shares the words he remembers hearing upon arriving at Birkenau concentration camp after days of traveling in cattle cars. Wiesel stills remembers the Nazi officer ordering: “Men to the left! Women to the right.” It was at this point that Wiesel and his father were separated from his mother and younger sister forever; he never saw them again.

His description of these eight words, spoken “without emotion,” illustrates one of the major themes of Night, which is the inhumanity and cruelty experienced by victims of the Holocaust. It is so chilling to imagine that one human being could separate another human being from his family forever, without showing any emotion at all.

Furthermore, this quote shows us how concentration camps were run just like factories. People were handled the way any product in any factory would be: efficiently and with an emphasis on speed. The Nazi officer could have been ordering that canned goods be placed in one pile and cereal boxes in another. Wiesel’s choice of words make the reader feel angry at the Nazis not just because of the genocide that they took part in, but the fact that these horrible crimes were committed without even a trace of emotion.

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That’s awesome.

Yes, it is!

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