Stealing Thunder

In this universe, there actually exist people who love details and enjoy citing references. I am not one of them but do see the absolute necessity of saying where information or a quotation originates when it is not something of my own.

The question for writers who use another’s material, ideas, words, etc., is when is it necessary to cite the original author. The answer to that question is that if the information used in an essay is paraphrased, summarized or quoted, a citation is in order.

While it may be difficult to imagine owning an idea, the fact remains that intellectual property involves ownership.  To remain honest, a writer has to credit his sources; otherwise, he may be deemed a plagiarist.

Below is a paragraph from an original source and works cited entry, followed by examples of summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting.

Original source material:

John Dennis, English critic and playwright, invented a new way of simulating the sound of thunder on stage and used the method in one of his plays, Appius and Virginia. Dennis "made" thunder by using "troughs of wood with stops in them" instead of the large mustard bowls usually employed. The thunder was a great success, but Dennis's play was a dismal failure. The manager at Drury Lane, where the play was performed, canceled its run after only a few performances. A short time later, Dennis returned to Drury Lane to see Shakespeare's Macbeth. As he sat in the pit, he was horrified to discover that his method of making thunder was being used. Jumping to his feet, Dennis screamed at the audience, "That's my thunder, by God! The villains will not play my play but they steal my thunder."

“Origins of Sayings-Steal My Thunder.” Trivia-Library.com. 2004. Web. 30 October 2012.

 Summary:

According to the web site Trivia-Library.com, the phrase “Steal my thunder” originated in 1709 when John Dennis’ play Appius and Virginia failed, but his technique for making the sound of thunder was used in a more successful theatrical enterprise, Shakespeare’s Macbeth (“Origins”).

Paraphrase:

Dennis was in the audience when Macbeth was performed and was shocked to hear his own invention used as a sound effect in the play (“Origins”).

Direct quote (quote within a quote):

Dennis allegedly “…screamed at the audience, ‘That’s my thunder….The villains will not play my play but they steal my thunder’” (qtd. in “Origins”).  

The Internet has much information on the ins and outs of citing sources, both for in-text (parenthetical) citations and the works cited pages most instructors require. The SWC also provides handouts on the subject.

The main idea to remember is that writers actually do own their words. When we repeat what they have said to illustrate, make a point,  or support an idea in an essay, it is up to us to make sure our readers know that we have used someone else’s ideas or words by citing the original author. No one should have his thunder taken from him, not without giving him full credit for the booming sounds.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! ‘Til then, hang ten!