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But sometimes what a character says (and how he says it) is just as important as what
happens. It can give us clues about that character’s identity, or it can hint at what has
happened in the past or what will happen in the future.
When characters talk to each other in a story it is called ______________________________. A
single line is usually called a _______________________________.
You can learn a lot from a quote by explaining it in four parts using a "quote analysis:"
1. Write the quote and the page on which it appears. Put it in quotation marks.
2. Explain who said those words, and to whom they were speaking.
3. Paraphrase the quote. That means put it in different words that mean the same thing.
(Don't use quotation marks because quotation marks would mean that you are writing
exactly the words that were said).
4. Explain what this quote tells you about this character or the plot of the story. What kind
of person would say these things? What traits are revealed? Why would they say it?
What would they have to know, or be thinking about, to say it?
Analyze this quote from Palomino: "A word to the wise: The world is a big fat scary place filled
with people who’ll chew you up and spit you out if you give them half a chance. Consider this
your first life lesson." (p. 38)
Characters: _____________________________________________________________
Paraphrase: ____________________________________________________________
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What does it tell you? ___________________________________________________
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