Choosing the right evidence isn't always easy, especially when it comes to choosing the very best quote to support your claim. When you're choosing a quote, it's important to consider what exactly it is that you're trying to illustrate.
Let's say I'm answering the prompt, How does Rosaura misinterpret her role at the party? I will want to give various examples of maid's work that Rosaura does while thinking she is just being helpful. However, I don't just need to prove that she does this work; I also want to show that she's misinterpreting each one. That means I'm looking for quotes that show her thoughts so I can argue that she's misunderstanding things. I might also be looking for how these tasks are presented to Rosaura to show that her role is ambiguous; no one explicitly treats her like a maid.
A common error is to choose quotes that just show plot, like this one: Rosaura is "allowed into the kitchen" (2). This isn't useful; there's nothing to analyze in this quote. Paraphrase the fact that Señora Ines lets Rosaura spend time in the kitchen and find a quote that shows her misinterpretation instead.
"Rosaura was the only one allowed into the kitchen. Señora Ines had said: “You yes, but not the others, they're much too boisterous, they might break something.” Rosaura had never broken anything" (2).
If I want to prove that Señora Ines's treatment of Rosaura is confusing, I need to quote something Señora Ines says and analyze how it has the potential to confuse Rosaura about her role at the party:
[P] Señora Ines's treatment of Rosaura is confusing; she makes it unclear whether she lets Rosaura into the kitchen as a maid or just as a helpful guest. [I] Señora Ines says, "'You yes, but not the others, they're much too boisterous, they might break something'" (2). Señora Ines makes it sound as though Rosaura is allowed in the kitchen because she is more careful than any of the other guests. However, the kitchen is also where maids work, and so Rosaura is likely just being treated as a maid.
If I want to prove that Rosaura believes she is special (while actually being treated as a maid), I need to quote something that reveals Rosaura's thoughts:
[P] Rosaura believes she is special, thinking that Señora Ines lets her into the kitchen because of how careful she is. She responds to Señora Ines letting her into the kitchen by reflecting on the fact that she "had never broken anything" (2). In focusing on her own good qualities, Rosaura overlooks the fact that maids would typically be the only ones allowed into the kitchen during a party.
Notice that I didn't use the quote "Rosaura was the only one allowed into the kitchen" (2) to show that she is allowed in the kitchen. Instead, my points mention that Señora Ines lets Rosaura into the kitchen to establish that fact. My illustration and explanation can then go deeper into the significant details.
"She even managed the jug of orange juice, carrying it from the kitchen into the dining room. She held it carefully and didn't spill a single drop. And Señora Ines had said: “Are you sure you can manage a jug as big as that?” Of course she could manage. She wasn’t a butterfingers, like the others" (2).
If I want to prove that Señora Ines's treatment of Rosaura is confusing, I need to quote something Señora Ines says and analyze how it has the potential to confuse Rosaura about her role at the party:
[P] Señora Ines's treatment of Rosaura is confusing; she encourages rather than commands her to do chores. [I] She acts impressed with Rosaura's ability to carry the orange juice, asking, “Are you sure you can manage a jug as big as that?” (2). [E] This question draws Rosaura's attention to her skill at carrying the large vessel, deemphasizing the detail that what she is skilled at is maid's work.
If I want to prove that Rosaura believes she is special (while actually being treated as a maid), I need to quote something that reveals Rosaura's thoughts:
[P] Rosaura believes she is special; she thinks she is performing extra tasks because she is the only child who can handle the responsibility of serving the others. [I] While carrying the orange juice, Rosaura thinks, "Of course she could manage. She wasn’t a butterfingers, like the others" (2). [E] Rosaura is so proud of how well she handles this task—much better than "the others"—that she does not realize she is serving the other children.
Notice that I didn't use the quote "She even managed the jug of orange juice" (2) to show that she carries orange juice. Instead, I established this fact with my lead-in phrases: She acts impressed with Rosaura's ability to carry the orange juice, asking, and While carrying the orange juice. Then I illustrated and explained Rosaura's thoughts while doing this to show her misunderstanding.