Exercises

Directions: Using the starters below, "break up the block quotation" and create paragraph variety by turning the block quotations into embedded quotations. Stay close to the language and you will have achieved the three goals of "breaking up the block quotation":

1. Create paragraph variety

2. Stay closer to the language of the quotation

3. Let the essay writer's commentary have equal time with the author’s commentary.

STARTERS:

-The author concludes that " ." In these lines the speaker claims that ___________________.

-Describing how __________________________________, (author's name) writes, " ."

-Continuing on (insert character / speaker / author) states, " ."

-Developing the notion that ___________________________, the speaker of the poem states, " ."

-Illustrating the idea that ________________________________, the narrator states, " ."

-When the author says, “ ,” he means that ___________________________.

-In (insert text name), (insert author's name) discusses ______________________; he states, " ."

-The speaker of the poem develops how ________________________________ ; he states, " ."

-(Character's name) develops how ________________________________ ; he states, " ."

- " ," writes (author's name) about _______________________________.

" ," states the poem's speaker about _______________________________.

" ," states (character's name) about _______________________________.

Exercise #1: Change the block quotation into embedded quotations.

As with most things, Gus learns to muddle through his aversion to a God who we are not able to readily perceive. He recognizes the importance of seeing whatever deity he chooses to worship in everything, that everything is connected to everything else, and all of these things, down to the tiniest grain of sand, has some importance, some “divine plan”. Gus is able to convey this message by saying:

I remembered the Tillamook elders’ saying, the source

is everywhere. And I began to appreciate their meaning,

maybe not on any profound level, but at least on some

kind of meteorological level…What I realized was that a

mecca isn’t worth much if it’s not a place inside you more

than a place in the world.

(Duncan 246)

In order to come to this realization, Gus hiked to the source of the Tamanawis only to find himself. He left his house with no food, and no water, only a pipe and some tobacco. Then he set out into the woods where few had traveled before him. During Gus’s trek up to the source of the Tamanawis he remembers the tale of the Tillamook tribe. The Tillamook tribe would send their young men into the woods to find their true names and then come back to them a man. Gus hopes to do the same, until he realizes that, not only is he the “wrong color”, but he’s about “two hundred years too late” to practice such a tradition. However there is some significance to the Tillamook tradition for Gus. He learns that the young people of the Tillamook tribe didn’t have to travel to a certain destination, rather it was somewhere within that they had to journey to. Gus realizes that the source of the Tamanawis is just as much the clouds, the ocean, and the snow as it is the actual spring. He recognizes the fact that everything connected and everything is “the source”. Because of his revelation, Gus is able to appreciate the fact that God, or “the source”, has to be found within himself instead of in what he sees. He becomes conscious of the existence of belief within one’s self, not in something tangible. Now that Gus has grasped the notion of spirituality and its source he is able to change his perception to view the world as Concordia Discors, and see everything as it is, orderly in its own disorder. He finally comprehends the idea that everything is as it is supposed to be. This is relevant because, though one may not have a sudden epiphany such as Gus does there is a point in one’s life when one begins to understand the connection of things.

Exercise #2: Change the block quotation into embedded quotations.

Just as he attempted to become friends with Antonio, Shylock also recognized that Antonio sees him as an enemy, as less than human and could never view him as an equal. Shylock builds his case for equality between those of different faiths in a famous soliloquy. When taken out of context this passage seems to make The Merchant of Venice a play that rejects anti-Semitism, but one must consider the whole character of Shylock and the whole play. Lamenting his mistreatment by Antonio, Shylock blares:

He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses,

mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends,

Heated mine enemies – and what’s his reason? I am a Jew.

Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections passions?

Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases,

Healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is?

(III, i, 53-63)

Up until this point, Shylock has lost a large amount of his money, and his daughter has left him. The serving men of Antonio say that his daughter isn’t even his flesh and blood and call him a “devil.” Shylock replies saying that he is equal to them. In possibly one of the most famous speeches written by Shakespeare, Shylock declares Jews equal to Christians in every way. He states that nothing more than religion separates their people and one cannot be judged based on one’s spiritual beliefs because in the end nothing divides them. Some critics would say that this is one speech out of an entire play in which there are any positive connotations to Shylock’s character. They might also say that this speech is an argument toward Shylock’s ultimate goal –revenge. Shylock’s speech is book ended by thoughts of revenge, and there are very few other lines in which Shakespeare directly depicts Shylock as a positive character. However, this passage reveals that Shylock is a reasonable character that believes in the equality of all man. Shylock is able to explain that even though he is a Jew it doesn’t make him any less a human, or any more a “devil” as some would say. He argues that he is made of the same matter as a Christian, so is he not subject to the same laws and rights? Why should the Christians mock him if he is the same as he is? Shylock uses his argument on equality as a base for his petition for judgment and revenge.

Possible Answers:

Exercise #1: Change the block quotation into embedded quotations.

As with most things, Gus learns to muddle through his aversion to a God who we are not able to readily perceive. He recognizes the importance of seeing whatever deity he chooses to worship in everything, that everything is connected to everything else, and all of these things, down to the tiniest grain of sand, has some importance, is evidence of some “divine plan.” Gus is able to convey this message by saying, "I remembered the Tillamook elders’ saying, the source is everywhere." (Duncan 246). The Tillamooks are Native Americans who lived and still live in what we now call Oregon. Their spiritual beliefs included the pantheistic belief that all in nature is connected ecologically and spirtually. So when Gus claims that the cource is everywhere, he is referring to the literal source of the Tamanawis River, but he is figuratively saying that the ecological source of the river is all things in nature and that all of nature finds its origin in a spiritual source.Gus begins "to apprecitate the meaning" of the source is everywhere and concludes that "mecca isn’t worth much if it’s not a place inside you more than a place in the world. " (Duncan 246). In order to come to this realization, Gus hiked to the source of the Tamanawis only to find himself. He left his house with no food, and no water, only a pipe and some tobacco. Then he set out into the woods where few had traveled before him. During Gus’s trek up to the source of the Tamanawis he remembers the tale of the Tillamook tribe. The Tillamook tribe would send their young men into the woods to find their true names and then come back to them a man. Gus hopes to do the same, until he realizes that, not only is he the “wrong color”, but he’s about “two hundred years too late” to practice such a tradition. However there is some significance to the Tillamook tradition for Gus. He learns that the young people of the Tillamook tribe didn’t have to travel to a certain destination, rather it was somewhere within that they had to journey to. Gus realizes that the source of the Tamanawis is just as much the clouds, the ocean, and the snow as it is the actual spring. He recognizes the fact that everything connected and everything is “the source.” Because of his revelation, Gus is able to appreciate the fact that God, or “the source” has to be found within himself instead of in what he sees. He becomes conscious of the existence of belief within one’s self, not in something tangible. Now that Gus has grasped the notion of spirituality and its source he is able to change his perception to view the world as Concordia Discors, and see everything as it is, orderly in its own disorder. He finally comprehends the idea that everything is as it is supposed to be. This is relevant because one may not have a sudden epiphany such as Gus does but we all want to believe in and understand the interconnectivity of things and possess the inner "mecca."

Exercise #2: Change the block quotation into embedded quotations.

Just as he attempted to become friends with Antonio, Shylock also recognized that Antonio sees him as an enemy, as less than human and could never view him as an equal. Shylock builds his case for equality between those of different faiths in a famous soliloquy. When taken out of context this passage seems to make The Merchant of Venice a play that rejects anti-Semitism, but one must consider the whole character of Shylock and the whole play. Lamenting his mistreatment by Antonio, Shylock blares, "He hath disgraced me and

hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, / Mocked at my gains, scorned my nation." (III, i, 53-55).Up until this point, Shylock has lost a large amount of his money and his daughter has left him to elope with a Christian. Here Shylock moves from listing the personal injustices dones to him by Antonio to the the larger injustices doe to the Jewish "nation" by Christians. This would have unsettled the late 16th century audience in England because Jews had been expelled from England at that time. Continuing on Shylock states, "(Antonio has) thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, / heated mine enemies – and what’s his reason? I am a Jew." (III, i, 56-57). Shylock is specifically referring to the Christian laws that prevent Jews from owning property in Venice and make usury-loaning money at high interest- illegal. "Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections passions? / Fed with the

same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject tothe same diseases, / Healed by the same means,

warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is?" questions Shylock as he lays claim to the essential equality of all humans. (III, i, 60-63). In possibly one of the most famous speeches written by Shakespeare and 180 years before the freedom to choose one's religion is protected by the U.S. Consitution, Shylock (via Shakespeare) declares Jews equal to Christians in every way. He states that nothing more than religion separates their people and one cannot be judged based on one’s spiritual beliefs because in the end nothing divides them. Some critics would say that this is one speech out of an entire play in which there are any positive connotations to Shylock’s character. They might also say that this speech is an argument toward Shylock’s ultimate goal –revenge. Shylock’s speech is book ended by thoughts of revenge, and there are very few other lines in which Shakespeare directly depicts Shylock as a positive character. However, this passage reveals that Shylock is a reasonable character that believes in the equality of all man. Shylock is able to explain that even though he is a Jew it doesn’t make him any less a human, or any more a “devil” as some would say. He argues that he is made of the same matter as a Christian, so is he not subject to the same laws and rights? Why should the Christians mock him if he is the same as he is? Shylock uses his argument on equality as a base for his petition for judgment and revenge.