MLA defines the way your analysis will look. It generally uses 12 pt. Times New Roman font with double line spacing and 1-inch margins all around. There are also rules for headers, pagination, paragraph indents, italics and underlining, as well as writing numbers and abbreviations.
You will be using a combination of direct quotation and paraphrase to incorporate research into your analysis. MLA provides rules for seamlessly inserting this information into the body of your paper and for adding brief citations that point to your source material without breaking up the flow of the reading.
The final page of the analysis is an alphabetical listing of all your sources of information. The format of each item varies, depending on the source. The MLA has rules for books, journals, websites, art works, movies, recordings, personal interviews and many more. Every in-text citation in your paper refers to a listing on this page.
The MLA periodically updates its rules. Be sure that you are using the current formatting. Also, your instructor may have specific guidelines regarding your analysis, which will supersede all others.
MLA style pertains to writing in the humanities. Other styles include those of the American Psychological Association, which covers the social sciences, and the Chicago Manual of Style, which usually applies to historical writing. Each format has its own standards.