As have learned that in order to use a quote, there has to be a reason behind. Quotations are to be used as textual evidence to support your claim. In the two examples that I have provided, I demonstrate the correct way to use quotes. I introduce the idea that the quote states to the reader, provide the textual evidence, and then go on to explain the meaning of the quote and why I am using it. Quotes cannot be left hanging on their own, without the explanation and meaning of the quote, the reader will be lost. In order to persuade your reader to consider your side of the argument it is necessary that the reader knows what your talking about. In some situations you need to debulk quotations because of limited amount of space in the writing assignment. Cutting the quote down to most concise possible outcome is best when dealing with word constraint. Unimportant words take away from your paper and end up taking space you cannot fail to lose. Two examples of cutting down quotes in Project #3 are quotation 1 and quotation 2:
“The lobster … behaves very much as you would behave if you were plunged into boiling water (without the obvious exception of screaming)” (Wallace 506).
“structures in the bee brain integrate spatial information in a way that is analogous to processes in the human midbrain… the honeybee brain contains only 1 million neurons to our brains’ 85 billion, but artificial-intelligence research tells us that complex tasks can sometimes be executed by relatively simple neuronal circuits.”(Andersen)
where I reduced the unnecessary wording that drew away for my main idea. The article sources used in this writing assignment were my greatest ally because you can you the textual evidence to prevent criticism and statements your ideas are false. You take your opponents words and ideas, then use it against them. The source usually provides the evidence needed to disprove your opponent. The “They Say/I Say” method, has taught to use the opponents words against them. If you can provide a scientific study where the results side in your favor, it bolsters your claim.
Quotation 1 (Background)
Maine Lobster Festival Council justifies boiling lobsters alive because of the apparent lack of the ability to feel pain because they do not have a brain. David Foster Wallace disproves Maine Lobster Festival Concl statement, by describing how humans would react in the same way if we were being tortured alive. As David Foster Wallace stated, “The lobster … behaves very much as you would behave if you were plunged into boiling water (without the obvious exception of screaming)” (Wallace 506). Even though lobsters cannot scream, they have ways to tell us that they are suffering, “the creature’s claws scraping against the sides of the kettle as it trashes around.” (Wallace 506). The lobster violently moves around in response to exposure to boiling water, this evidence indicates that lobsters feel pain.
Quotation 2 (Background)
A neuroscientist by the name of Andrew Baron has spent over a decade of his life researching and analyzing honey bee brains. Baron believes “structures in the bee brain integrate spatial information in a way that is analogous to processes in the human midbrain… the honeybee brain contains only 1 million neurons to our brains’ 85 billion, but artificial-intelligence research tells us that complex tasks can sometimes be executed by relatively simple neuronal circuits.”(Andersen), this means that bees have similar brain function to humans. This is enough evidence to conclude that bees have consciousness, it most likely different from humans and less sophisticated, but still there.
