Short Stories and Characters
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BriefMLAReviewENC1102ShortStoryEssayAct6.pptx
MLA Review for the Short Story Essay
Common Knowledge
In-Text Citations
Parenthetical References
Works Cited Entries
Information Requiring No In-Text Citations, Parenthetical References, or Works Cited Entries
Common Knowledge
Literary Common Knowledge
It does not require in-text citations, parenthetical references, or works cited entries. Writers must use their own words with common knowledge; they cannot copy it verbatim from the original source.
It refers to general information that most individuals already know or can verify in several common reference works (an encyclopedia such as the Encyclopedia Britannica or a credible online biography of Toni Morrison).
It generally takes the form of widely known and undisputed geographic, historical, and literary facts.
Some Illustrations of Literary Common Knowledge
Toni Morrison was born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio.
She received a Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 29, 2012.
The short story "Recitatif" was published in 1983.
"Recitatif" chronicles the lives of Roberta and Twyla from childhood to adulthood.
Information Requiring Citations
MLA In-Text Citations
MLA Parenthetical References
MLA Works Cited Entries
MLA In-Text Citations
A sentence with borrowed information, such as a definition, quotation, statistic, etc., requires a citation.
With an in-text citation, an author's last name or a name of an article appears somewhere in the sentence with the borrowed information.
The author's last name or name of the article appears at the beginning of the corresponding works cited entry for the source from which the information was borrowed.
In-Text Citation with an Author's Last Name
In “Recitatif,” by Toni Morrison, of Roberta's wealth, Twyla notes, "Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think that they own the world" (147).
The works cited entry begins with the author's last name, and her last name appears in the sentence with the quotation.
The (147) indicates the page number on which this quotation appears in the short story.
Corresponding Works Cited Entry for the Short Story as It Appears in the Textbook
Morrison, Toni. “Recitatif.” The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly J. Mays, portable 12th edition, Norton, 2017, pp. 138-155.
In-Text Citation with the Name of an Article
In the article "Disparity in Recitatif,” a literary scholar includes Twyla's reaction to Roberta's wealth, "Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think that they own the world."
The works cited entry begins with the name of an article, and its name appears in the sentence with the quotation.
With some databases, the name of the author is not included as part of the article. In such an instance, the name of the article appears in the sentence with the quotation and at the beginning of the corresponding works cited entry. Sometimes, the name of the article and the name of the short story are identical.
Corresponding Works Cited Entry for the Short Story with an Article with No Author’s Name
"Disparity in Recitatif." Short Stories for Students, edited by Mary Ruby, vol. 5, Gale, 1999, pp. 275-288. Gale eBooks, https://link-gale-com.db29.linccweb.org/apps/doc/CX2691300030/GVRL?u=lincclin_vcc&sid=GVRL&xid=0f57299e. Accessed 20 July 2020.
MLA Parenthetical References
A sentence with borrowed information, such as a definition, quotation, statistic, etc., requires a citation.
With a parenthetical reference, an author's last name or a name of an article appears in parentheses at the end of the sentence with borrowed information.
The author's last name or name of the article appears at the beginning of the corresponding works cited entry for the source from which the information was borrowed.
Parenthetical Reference with an Author's Last Name
In “Recitatif," of Roberta's wealth, Twyla notes, "Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think that they own the world" (Morrison 147).
The works cited entry begins with the author's last name, and her last name appears in the parentheses after the quotation.
The (147) indicates the page number on which this quotation appears in the short story.
Corresponding Works Cited Entry for the Short Story as It Appears in the Textbook
Morrison, Toni. “Recitatif.” The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly J. Mays, portable 12th edition, Norton, 2017, pp. 138-155.
Parenthetical Reference with the Name of an Article
A literary scholar includes Twyla's reaction to Roberta's wealth, "Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think that they own the world" ("Disparity in Recitatif").
The works cited entry begins with the name of an article, and its name appears in the parentheses after the quotation.
With some databases, the name of the author is not included as part of the article. In such an instance, the name of the article appears in the parentheses and at the beginning of the corresponding works cited entry. Sometimes, the name of the article and the name of the short story are identical.
Corresponding Works Cited Entry for the Short Story with an Article with No Author’s Name
"Disparity in Recitatif." Short Stories for Students, edited by Mary Ruby, vol. 5, Gale, 1999, pp. 275-288. Gale eBooks, https://link-gale-com.db29.linccweb.org/apps/doc/CX2691300030/GVRL?u=lincclin_vcc&sid=GVRL&xid=0f57299e. Accessed 20 July 2020.
What about Electronic Copies of a Short Story?
MLA In-Text Citations
MLA Parenthetical References
MLA Works Cited Entries
Electronic Copies of a Short Story
The in-text citations and parenthetical references for an electronic copy of a short story are the same as those for a printed copy.
The works cited entry is written to reflect an electronic rather than a printed source.
Corresponding Works Cited Entry for an Electronic Copy of a Short Story
Morrison, Toni. “Recitatif.” Short Stories for the Masses, University of Vermont, 2019, http:www.uofv.edu. Accessed 20 July 2020.
Writer's name. Name of the short story. Name of the website, creator or sponsor of the website, the year of publication, and the URL. The access date is the day when you went online and found this electronic copy.
The creator or sponsor of the website, as well as the year of publication, usually appear at the bottom of the homepage.
What about Two Works Cited Entries Beginning with the Same Phrase or Word?
Choosing
Supplying
Two Works Cited Entries Beginning with the Same Phrase or Word
Works cited entries beginning with the same phrase or word can create problems for MLA in-text citations and parenthetical references.
To avoid such problems, choose which word or words from the works cited entries are needed for readers to distinguish between the two entries.
When writing the in-text citation or parenthetical reference, supply the chosen word or words.
Two Works Cited Entries Beginning with the Same Author’s Last Name
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Vintage International, 1970.
Morrison, Toni. “Recitatif.” The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly J. Mays, portable 12th edition, Norton, 2017, pp. 138-155.
Two Works Cited Entries Beginning with the Same Author’s Last Name
In “Recitatif,” by Toni Morrison, of Roberta's wealth, Twyla notes, "Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think that they own the world" (147).
By including the name of the short story, the writer enables the reader to determine that this quotation is associated with the second works cited entry rather than the first one.
Two Works Cited Entries Beginning with the Same Article Name
“Morrison’s Greatest Works.” America’s Greatest Poets, University of Ohio, 2019, http://www.uofc.edu. Accessed 20 July 2020.
“Morrison’s Greatest Works.” Short Stories for the Masses, Short Story Foundation, 2016, http://www.shortstoryfoundation.org. Accessed 20 July 2020.
Two Works Cited Entries Beginning with the Same Article Name
In “Recitatif,” by Toni Morrison, of Roberta's wealth, Twyla notes, "Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think that they own the world" ("Morrison's Greatest Works," America's Greatest Writers).
By including the name of the website, the writer enables the reader to determine that this quotation is associated with the first works cited entry rather than the second one.
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