Greetings!
Your question isn't confusing, but citations certainly can be! It can vary a little depending on whether the essay is an original or reprint, from an online datebase, or something else, but here is the general form:
To cite the anthology itself, here is an example:
Smith, R.S., ed. The Norton Anthology of The Awakening [or whatever the title of the anthology is]. 5th ed. New York: Norton, 2000.
To cite the essay, instead of the entire anthology, it goes: name of the author of the essay cited, the title of that work, anthology title, editor's name, edition number, and publication information. For example:
Lake, Madge. "The Answer." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Ed. R. S. Smith. 4th ed. New York: Norton, 2000. 120-129.
Use the essay author's name and the page number in the parenthetical citation (Lake 121).
I hope this helps!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
Sarah, EssayForum.com