Holes quote analysis

An author can describe important events in a story by telling you about them:
“He checked Stanley's backpack and allowed him to keep it. Then he led Stanley outside into the blazing heat.”(p.14)

Sometimes what a character says (and how he says it) is just as important as what happens. It can tell us what the person talking is like, and what has happened in the past or will happen in the future.

You can learn a lot from a quote by explaining it in four parts, called a "quote analysis:"

1.   Write the quote: And the page it comes from. Put it in quotation marks.

2.   Characters: Who said it, and to whom were they talking to (sometimes this can be more than one person).

3.   Paraphrase: Put it in different words that mean the same thing.

4.   What does it tell you? What kind of person would say these things? Why would they say it? What would they have to know, or be thinking about, to say it? Does this imply any foreshadowing?

Example:

Quote: “If it makes you feel better to call me Mom, Theodore, go ahead and call me Mom.”
Characters: Mr. Pendanski says this to one of the boys.
Paraphrase: If you want to call me Mom, it's okay with me.
What does it tell you? Mr. Pendanski wants them to feel comfortable with him. He doesn't want to scare them.

Your Turn!

1.   Mr. Sir is a different kind of person than Mr. Pendanski. Analyze this quote from him:

Quote: "Whenever you speak to me, you must call me by my name. Is that clear?" (p. 13)
Characters:
Paraphrase:
What does it tell you? 

2.   With your partner, find your own.

Quote:

Characters:
Paraphrase:
What does it tell you?