Graff - Whole/Parts

I guess I never looked to closely at how I insert quotations into a text. It may just have something to do with the constant practice of doing it for the last few years as an English major. I do not mean to discredit this look at it, however. I believe that my own quotation usage needs to be questioned. The connection between what we say in our writing and what our quoted authors are saying is especially important, as it not only points out our expanse of knowledge or what we've read, but also our understanding of that text. Quotations are parts of the whole; parts that are necessary (they are often required in lower level writing classes, and highly recommended elsewhere) in order to build ones argument, which is the whole. As Graff points out, "your readers need to see what you make of the material you've quoted, if only to be sure that your reading of the material is on the same page" (46). These quotes supplement our commentary on the subject, as well as support our agenda. I just think that it is interesting that I've never explicitly thought of it that way.