How can I support my answers in English Literature with evidence from the text?

In English Literature, to support a point you want to make about a novel or a poem, you need to provide evidence from the text that supports the claims or suggestions you are making about the text. You then need to explain why this evidence goes some way in proving the point that you are trying to make. One helpful way of providing evidence is by quoting directly from the text. You should then explore why the quote you have chosen is relevant to your answer. You may also want to analyse how the language, and/or imagery used adds further emphasis to the argument you are highlighting within the text.

An example might be:

Question:'How far and in what ways can the character of Tess in Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the D'Ubervilles' (1891) be considered a victim of society?'

Part of your answer: ' In Hardy's novel, society is portrayed in conflict with nature. Tess Durbeyfield breaks 'accepted social law' by giving birth to a child while unmarried. However, Hardy contends that she breaks 'no law known to the environment.' He describes her baby as a 'bastard gift of shameless nature, who respects no social law.' The language used here envokes concepts of shame and illigitimacy, ideas emphased in Victorian culture, especially regarding unmarried women with children. It also highlights the percieved clash between the rules of 'nature' and society in the text. Hardy emphasises that Tess is a victim of arbitrary social laws, which are in opposition to nature, which does not judge Tess as harshly as society. Nature exhibits a complete disregard for the rules prescribed by society, 'shamelessly' giving her the 'bastard gift' of a child.