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Margin Notes/Annotation

This document provides a sample format for annotating essays and papers with margin notes. The annotation should specifically relate to how quotes, topic sentences, and examples answer the assigned question or prompt. It then provides an excerpt from the story "Hills Like White Elephants" as a sample to analyze. Key details that could be annotated are highlighted, such as clues about the story's setting in Spain and the ambiguous relationship between the unnamed American man and girl. Their brief conversation hints at an issue they are struggling to agree on.

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rhaase2
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
505 views

Margin Notes/Annotation

This document provides a sample format for annotating essays and papers with margin notes. The annotation should specifically relate to how quotes, topic sentences, and examples answer the assigned question or prompt. It then provides an excerpt from the story "Hills Like White Elephants" as a sample to analyze. Key details that could be annotated are highlighted, such as clues about the story's setting in Spain and the ambiguous relationship between the unnamed American man and girl. Their brief conversation hints at an issue they are struggling to agree on.

Uploaded by

rhaase2
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Margin Notes/Annotation

Unless otherwise noted, use the following annotation/margin notes format for your essays and papers.
Annotation/margin notes will be more specifically related to the mechanics of your essay. For example you will talk
about your quotes, topic sentence, examples, etc. and explain how they answer the question/prompt. Pay attention to
class discussions and ASK QUESTIONS if you are confused. I hope to have a better example from one of your
classmates after the first essay has been completed. In the meantime this will do to get you started.

"Hills Like White Elephants" -- Sample Analysis


The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side Notice the clues to the location of
there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of the story: the river Ebro,
rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm Barcelona, and Madrid are all in
shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, Spain. And the setting is barren,
hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out flies. The American and hot, and dry. The only color is
the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very the white of the hills.
hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It
stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid.
"What should we drink?" the girl asked. She had taken off her hat and put The characters are given no
it on the table. names—they are just an American
"It's pretty hot," the man said. and a girl, apparently on a trip—-
"Let's drink beer." so we anticipate they might be
"Dos cervezas," the man said into the curtain. happy.
"Big ones?" a woman asked from the doorway.
"Yes. Two big ones."
The woman brought two glasses of beer and two felt pads. She put the felt The girl sees beauty in the dry
pads and the beer glasses on the table and looked at the man and the girl. hills, saying that they resemble
The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and white elephants, which he has
the country was brown and dry. never seen. However, "white
"They look like white elephants," she said. elephant" is also a term with many
"I've never seen one," the man drank his beer. meanings!
"No, you wouldn't have."
"I might have," the man said. "Just because you say I wouldn't have
doesn't prove anything."
The girl looked at the bead curtain. "They've painted something on it," A Puzzle: Their conversation
she said. "What does it say?" shows an irritability with one
"Anis del Toro. It's a drink." another-but she looks away at the
"Could we try it?" curtain, changing the subject and
The man called "Listen" through the curtain. The woman came out from avoiding confrontation. Why?
the bar.
"Four reales."
"We want two Anis del Toro." Notice they seem to have trouble
"With water?" deciding about a simple thing like
"Do you want it with water?" whether to have water in the drink.
"I don't know," the girl said. "Is it good with water?"
"It's all right."
"You want them with water?" asked the woman.
"Yes, with water."
Would you say the girl likes or
"It tastes like licorice," the girl said and put the glass down. dislikes the taste of the drink? Is
"That's the way with everything." she only talking about the drink?
"Yes," said the girl. "Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the What might she have "waited for
things you've waited so long for, like absinthe." so long" that now tastes bitter to
"Oh, cut it out." her?
"You started it," the girl said. "I was being amused. I was...

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