MLA Style for Explanatory and Bibliographic Notes

MLA style recommends explanatory notes for information or commentary that does not readily fit into your text but is needed for clarification or further explanation. In addition, MLA style permits bibliographic notes for citing several sources for one point and for offering thanks to, information about, or evaluation of a source. Use superscript numbers (1) in the text to refer readers to the notes, which may appear as endnotes (typed under the heading Notes on a separate page after the text but before the list of works cited) or as footnotes at the bottom of the page.

1. SUPERSCRIPT NUMBER IN TEXT

Stewart emphasizes the existence of social contacts in Hawthorne’s life so that the audience will accept a different Hawthorne, one more attuned to modern times than the figure in Woodberry.3

2. NOTE

3 Woodberry does, however, show that Hawthorne was often an unsociable individual. He emphasizes the seclusion of Hawthorne’s mother, who separated herself from her family after the death of her husband, often even taking meals alone (28).