Just as in any interpretation, you need to support your ideas by citing textual evidence. But in the case of a literary analysis—where the particulars of choices of language are central—textual evidence is a make-or-break feature of your essay. Remember that your own ideas should be central. Thus, for every quotation or reference to language in the piece, you should provide at least two sentences of commentary discussing what is significant about the example you selected.

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Commentary after a quotation is important because we don’t all read the same way. Think about that metaphor the grandfather uses to describe his son:

I wanted to yell at him that he was just a rice barrel thinking of nothing but food, but I controlled my anger.

Some might say that the grandfather’s metaphor shows that he is intolerant. Others might see it as evidence of his frustration that his son refuses to follow the rules of a patriarchal family tradition. You might see that metaphor as proof that even the grandfather’s thinking process is limited to his cultural boundaries, in this case, the staple of Chinese food. The point is that you need to explain to the members of your audience precisely how you interpret this figure of speech because you cannot assume that everyone shares your interpretation.