Detailed Study Notes on Citation Practices and Literary Analysis

Citation Fundamentals

  • Importance of Accurate Citations
    • Essential for academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism.

Editors and Citing Sources

  • Common Mistakes in Citation Generation

    • Citation generators may incorrectly classify editors as authors.
    • Example: EasyBib pulling editor names into author spaces mistakenly.

  • MLA Format for Citing Editors

    • In MLA format, unnamed editors LACK citation importance.
    • If a source has no identified author, it must be cited by title.
    • Editors are acknowledged only when identifiable.

  • Impact on Works Cited Entries

    • The citation entries will erroneously list the source under "editors" rather than recognizing there is no author.
    • In-text citations will likewise feature incorrect author identification as editors instead.

Metadata and Source Identification

  • Generated Metadata Issues

    • Upon hovering over a webpage tab, metadata may incorrectly identify article titles.
    • Example: Source title might combine the webpage title with additional descriptive tags (e.g., prohibitionhistory.com, April 2019).

  • Recommendation

    • Manually verify and correct citation details, ensuring only relevant title info (e.g., "Prohibition") is used.

Proofreading Citations

  • Need for Vigilance
    • Instances may occur where random authors' names are generated from unrelated parts of a webpage (e.g., comments).
    • Always verify that the listed author in a citation is indeed correct.

Manual In-text Citation

  • Differentiating Between Citation Styles

    • Emphasis on manually citing literature, as citation generators can fail; need for understanding citation practices.

  • Example: Citing The Great Gatsby

    • Format: (Author Last Name, Page Number)
    • For the example:
    • Citation in-text: "In the novel, Nick says that they were careless people" with citation as (Fitzgerald 18).

Works Cited Formatting

  • Handling Online Citations
    • Titles of webpages (e.g., history.com) should be enclosed in quotation marks, titles of websites in italics.
    • Example of Correct Citation:
    • Title: "Prohibition." Access date is optional in MLA format as of last year.

Clarity in Citing Sources

  • General MLA Guidelines
    • If material referenced in the sentence, no parenthetical citation is needed.
    • Always conclude sentences with a period after citations, not before.

Citation Styles and Formatting

  • Italics vs. Quotation Marks

    • Use italics for long works (e.g., books, movies, musical albums) and quotation marks for shorter works (e.g., articles, songs).
    • Examples:
    • Book: The Great Gatsby (italics)
    • Article: "Prohibition" (quotation marks).

  • Understanding Work Categorization

    • Long Works: Characterized by larger content volumes, deserving italics.
    • Short Works: Represented as segments of longer works and thus quoted.

Literary Analysis of The Great Gatsby

  • Discussion of Class in The Great Gatsby

    • Focus on class division between old money and new money.
    • Notion of generational wealth promoted through Tom Buchanan's portrayal.

  • Depiction of Geography in The Great Gatsby

    • Notable locations include:
    • East Egg (old money)
    • West Egg (new money)
    • Valley of Ashes (underclass).
    • The Valley of Ashes characterized as a desolate area symbolizing the neglect of lower classes.

  • Character Connections

    • Tom Buchanan's affair with Myrtle in the Valley of Ashes serves to highlight class disparity.
    • Myrtle's husband, George Wilson: car mechanic living in the Valley, highlighting economic struggles.

Movie Adaptation Observations

  • Visual Imagery in Film Adaptations
    • The film emphasizes the Valley of Ashes differently than the text, showcasing the futility of labor among the underclass.
    • Visual storytelling relies on images reflecting the characters’ struggles contrasted against Gatsby’s wealthy lifestyle.