ENC 1102: Composition: Literature –
MLA Quiz #1
MLA Quiz (50 pts.): Using the reference area from Part IV of Kennedy and Gioa's
textbook, any writer's handbook or any library handouts illustrating the current
MLA documentation format, complete the answers to the following questions.
TOPIC: The first literary selection for this semester, Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles,” is
located in “Chapter 34: Reading a Play” (1109-1132) in Volume 3 of Literature: An
Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing 12th ed. New York: PearsonLongman, 2010. Edited by X.J. Kennedy, X.J. and Dana Gioia. All of the following
questions relate to how you would use MLA documentation and citation for a literary
analysis of this work.
Question 1:Set up your document in formal MLA FORMAT as outlined in your
syllabus or writer’s handbook noting elements such as a header, heading, title,
spacing, etc.
Question 2: Integrating primary text using signal phrases and direct quotes
In an early scene in the play when the Sheriff and the County Attorney are investigating
the scene of the crime, the County Attorney criticizes Minnie Foster’s dirty kitchen
towels. Mrs. Hale offers a reason for the dirty towels. Using a signal phrase to set off a
direct quote and appropriate parenthetical citation as you would for a paragraph within a
literary essay, create a complete sentence that illustrates Mrs. Hale’s answer to the
critique. Hint: The goal is the integration of primary text- Do NOT reproduce the
play’s script format.
Question 3: Locating a Secondary Source in the Literary Reference Center: A
student has located a journal article from the LSCC Databases A-Z in the Literary
Reference Center by Judith Kay Russell, “Glaspell’s ‘Trifles’” in the Explicator, Winter
1997, Volume 55, Issue 2 on page 88.
Locate Russell’s article in the LSCC databases, Literary Reference Center – sign on with
your XID and the last 4 digits of your social security number OR 6-digit date of birth and
answer the following question using appropriate citation and documentation.
Critic Judith Russell applies a mythological analysis to Glaspell’s short story and argues
that the female characters represent the “Fates” in Greek Mythology. At the end of the
first paragraph, what does Russell claim about “control”? Hint: SUMMARIZE Russell’s
argument – DO NOT USE A DIRECT QUOTE. Limit your answer to a onesentence summary.
Question 4: Create a Works Cited Page: Using correct MLA format, create a works
cited page for the above primary source (textbook) and secondary source (database
article).