1. Dialectical Journals

2. DIALECTICAL JOURNAL
di•a•lec•tic (n) 1. The art or practice of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments.

3. DIALECTICAL JOURNAL Discover the “KEY” to the text.
In everything we read, the author attempts to reach a TRUTH or convey a certain meaning.
Our goal when we read is to arrive at that TRUTH.
However, often times upon reading something for the first time, we have a lot of questions. It is these questions, that when discussed, help us to figure out the meaning and the truth of what we are reading.

4. What does a DJ look like?
The Left Side of Dialectical Journal is where you input a direct quote from the text.
This is the side you will think of first… the parts that make you go “hmmmm,” “ahhhhh,” “huhhh?” or ewww”… you get the idea?
You may want to mark these parts of the book with stickies so the DJ won’t slow your reading so much.
Of Mice and Men by J. Steinbeck
Passages from the text
For example, when Lennie feels Curley’s wife’s hair, she says, “Don’t you muss it up” (90).
In addition, when Curley’s wife starts screaming, Lennie breaks her neck and comments, “George’ll be mad if you
yell” (91).

5. What does a DJ look like? Comments
The RIGHT side is where you put your thoughts, reactions, and analysis.
Types of responses:
(Q) Questions
(C) Connect
(P) Predict
(CL)Clarify
(R) Reflect
(E) Evaluate
(L) Literary Devices
Comments
(Q) How naïve can she be! I can’t believe she thinks this guy with big bear hands can be gentle—that’s HUGE foreshadowing. Don’t you get to know a guy before letting him feel you?
(E) Lennie is such a child; he has no cognition of the severity of his situation yet. It seems he has no sense of cause and effect, he only knows how to follow directions.

6. What does a DJ look like? Passages from the text Pg. # Comments
Example using Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Passages from the text
Pg. #
Comments
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
For example, when Lennie feels Curley’s wife’s hair, she says, “Don’t you muss it up” (90).
Pg. 90
(Q) How naïve can she be! I can’t believe she thinks this guy with big bear hands can be gentle—that’s HUGE foreshadowing. Don’t you get to know a guy before letting him feel you?
In addition, when Curley’s wife starts screaming, Lennie breaks her neck and comments, “George’ll be mad if you
yell” (91).
Pg. 91
(E) Lennie is such a child; he has no cognition of the severity of his situation yet. It seems he has no sense of cause and effect, he only knows how to follow directions.

7. Examples of DJ entries Were you confused when you read?
Write your question and try to explain it. (i.e. attempt to answer it on your own without asking the teacher.)
Copy the part of the text that confused you.
Sample
DJ entry
Passage from text
Pg. #
Comments
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
For example, in the bunkhouse, Carlson says, “Look, Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head…why he’d never know what hit him” (44).
Pg. 44
(Q) I noticed that everyone on the ranch has a blatant disregard for Candy’s old dog. Now that the dog is no longer of use to anyone, the ranchers just want to dispose of him. I wonder if Steinbeck is using the killing of the dog to represent what happens to people that are weak and no longer needed? Is there a place for weak people in the society George and Lennie live in?

8. Examples of DJ entries
Could you connect/relate to the story, or did it remind you of another story/movie/novel?
Copy the part of the text that you related to.
Explain what that connection is for you.
Sample
DJ entry
Passage from the Text
Pg. #
Comment
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
In addition, in the bunkhouse, Carlson says, “Look, Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head-” he leaned over and pointed, “-right there, why he’d never know what hit him” (45).
Pg. 45
( C) Today it is not unusual to put an animal to sleep if it is suffering; it is considered the humane thing to do. This reminds me of the time we had to put our golden retriever, Cider, to sleep. He had severe arthritis in his hips and couldn’t walk down the steps of the deck to go to the bathroom. It was such a difficult decision because we knew how much we would miss him, but weighing our own selfish wishes with the amount of pain he was in convinced us to have him put to sleep.

9. Examples of DJ entries
Were you able to predict the ending or other events in the story? (Foreshadowing)
Copy the part of the text that made you think of a possible outcome
Explain your prediction and why you believe that will happen.
*Limit one per DJ
Sample
DJ entry
Passage from the text
Pg. #
Comment
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
For example, when Lennie and George first arrive at the ranch, Lennie foresees that they will have trouble, and he says, “Le’s go George. Le’s get outta here. It’s mean here”(33).
Pg. 33
(P) Lennie says this after being warned by George about Curley’s wife. Lennie feels frightened by her presence and senses that trouble is looming. I believe that Steinbeck is foreshadowing a disastrous event that will take place in the novel. It will involve Lennie and Curley’s wife, as he is the character who is feeling the most threatened.

10. Examples of DJ entries
Were you able to evaluate a character’s action(s) or event?
Explain what you were able to infer and what insight it gave to into the event or character.
Copy the part of the text you evaluated with a direct quote.
Sample
DJ entry
Passage from the text
Pg. #
Comment
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
For instance, at the end of the book, Curley’s wife tells Lennie, “I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella” (89).
Pg. 89
(E) Curley’s wife attempts to reach out to others and share her disappointment that she married a man who doesn’t really love her but just wants to show her off. Sadly, Lennie can’t understand her, nor can he empathize with her pain. When Curley’s wife shares this frustration, she gives an indication as to why she flirts for attention.

11. Examples of DJ entries
Were you able to pick out any literary devices in the story that led you to understand a character or an event better?
Copy the part of the text with the literary device you identify.
Explain the literary device and what insight it gave to into the event or character.
Sample
DJ entry
Passage from the text
Pg. #
Comment
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Furthermore, George and Lennie first arrive at the Salinas River on their way to the ranch and see “willows fresh and green with every spring, … sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs,” and “the split-wedge tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark” (1).
Pg. 1
(L) This place symbolizes serenity with all the vivid nature description. This will either contrast with something stark in the future or it will come back to this place of safety. Since it later George tells Lennie to come back here, I think this place represents his “happy place.”

12. Technicalities you must know
All passages from text should be at least 3 sentences long.
Responses must be in complete sentences with correct use of spelling and grammar.
Try to avoid short or simplistic sentences and be insightful.
Sentences should connect/relate to each other in some way (not sound like a list).
NEATNESS COUNTS!! 

13. REVIEW
The RIGHT side is where you put your thoughts, reactions, and analysis.
Types of responses:
(Q) Questions
(C) Connect
(P) Predict
(CL) Clarify
(R) Reflect
(E) Evaluate
(L) Literary Devices
The LEFT side is where you copy the quote from the text.

14. DJ: Why? (just in case you forgot)
Dialectical Journals are a way to help you arrive at the truth/meaning of a piece of literature.
Writing Dialectical Journals forces you to ask questions and get responses that will help you to better understand a text, sometimes even without the teacher’s help.