Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Chapter 3 They Say I Say

The authors of They Say I say wrote Chapter three to demonstrate the correct usage of quotations in summaries. They explain that "quotations are orphans." This simply means that a writer, when quoting, takes a piece of work away from it's home or original place of existance and moves it. These "orphans" must be placed in a good home, where they fit. One can not just present a quote and than abondon it. Abondoning the quote after writing it is what the authors call a "hit and run quote". This takes away from the effectiveness of the quote. If the "orphans" aren't tied to an explanation it leaves the reader, who may not understand the quote, confused.
I agree with this point. Sometimes reading quotations within a paper is like reading poetry. Although the words may sound pretty, I don't always understand them. If poetry came with an explanation it would of course take away from the mystic tone, but a reader could more easily gauge the central point. An effective quotation must come with an explanation or be easily transistioned into the paper.

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