DIALECTICAL JOURNAL

 

OBJECTIVE:  The student will write a dialectical journal. This assignment requires students to read with understanding, to select significant passages from text, and to clearly and meaningfully respond in writing to selected passages.

 

DESCRIPTION:  In a dialectical journal, students demonstrate analytical and interpretive skills in a carefully edited, precise format which includes responses to excerpts from text.  Dialectical journals may come from the following types of reading: novels, short fiction, poetry, drama or non-fiction.

 

ASSIGNMENT: Create a dialectical journal using approved classroom literature.  Your journal must have a minimum of 5, typed entries (12 point, approved font, or black ink) Each entry must have a passage from the literature, an explanation of each passage and a response to each passage.

 

Requirements for Journal entries:

 

            Passages (meaningful; from beginning, middle and end of the text)

                        Left column

                        Use quotation marks

                        Put Author’s name and page numbers (in parentheses)

                       

            Explanations (no person opinions or observations)

                        Right column

                        Identify thinker/speaker

                        Identify audience (speaking to whom?)

                        Identify “when” (after…, during…, conclusion etc.)

                        Identify the context (i.e. argument over stolen money)

                        Translate (use your own words to say what is being said)

 

            Responses

                        Right column

                        May include a personal reaction to the passage/text

                        Describe why the passage is significant (to the book, character, and theme)

Describe how you can relate to this passage using your experience (tie to passage)

Describe how this quote relates to society (tie this to global reflection to passage)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEXT (QUOTE)

 

Author, Page number and quote “Don’t forget to include quotation marks.”

 

  1. Quotes include any phrase, sentence or passage from the novel you are reading.

 

  1. Select phrases that, for some reason catch your attention.  These phrases could be part of a description or a place or individual, a piece of intense “action,” or an actual statement by an individual in the novel

 

 

RESPONSE

 

Explanation

1.      Provide any context the ready may need to understand the quote.

2.      Who is speaking? To whom? About what? What is going on?

3.      What is actually being said?

4.      Use details, No personal feelings

 

Responses

1.      First, react to the quote/text.  You need a solid connection here.  What do you think or feel about what is going on? Comments? Ideas? Opinions? Questions?

 

2.      Explain or show how this piece of text is important.  What is it showing? What do you learn or see? New insights? Significance… What do you learn from the quote/text?

 

 

3.      Next make a personal connection with the text.  I remember… I recall… I have seen… Once I read… Here you need to be very specific! Be sure to tie this back to the quote/text.

 

4.      Finally, a global reflection… Look back at what you               wrote in your reaction and connection.  What do your ideas say about society and the world in general?  What conclusions might you draw about people and/or life?  You need to try and tie your ideas back to your original idea of theme, character, or plot.  Your final quote and writing need to bring closure to the entire novel.

 

 

 

 

 

“It was a pleasure to burn.” (Bradbury 3)

 

 

Explanation:

 

These are the first words of the novel, and Bradbury is basically setting the stage for the reader.  With this small sentence, the reader gets to look into the initial mindset of Montag, the main character, and as Bradbury continues the description of a house burning, the reader sees how much pleasure Montag derives from doing his job.  The burning house, also, provides a background setting, and by having Montag enjoy destruction, the reader understands that he/she is looking at a world much different from the current one.

 

Importance:

            As Bradbury describes the burning of the house, the power of destruction becomes an obvious theme that the reader should study.  Perhaps the most important concept that the reader should understand is that it is the destruction itself that holds power over Montag.  As he watches the house go up in flames, he notices every “beautiful” aspect of the destruction.  This beauty seems to hypnotize Montag and allows him to escape from the hardships in life that Bradbury later addresses in the novel.  This destruction, and Montag’s concentration on the beauty of it, also empowers Montag to ignore the effects his actions have on other individuals.  The destruction of houses, books, and people’s lives not only holds power over those who face the destruction, but it also holds power over Montag by developing a sense of creation (or beauty) for him.  Bradbury uses this scene to allow the reader to understand how much power destruction has over Montag.

 

Personal Connection:

            I think that the most important aspect of this passage is Montag’s enjoyment of destroying things.  Later, he sees that this destruction is really not that “pleasurable,” and I, like Montag, have learned basically the same thing.

            I learned this lesson when I was six years old.  I had found a rather large anthill in an empty lot behind my house, and I began a war against these “defenseless” creatures.  Every day after school, I would run into the lot and watch this teeming little city of industrial workers.  I would watch as the thousands of little workers marched food in and as thousands laboriously cleaned up the mess I had created the day before. 

            My methods of warfare were not that simple.  Sometimes I would commence with a general stomping of the anthill and would watch with glee as the ants came streaming out looking for their attacker.  Other times, I would simply kick at the anthill launching hundreds of these little people miles from their home.  I even did the great magnifying glass trick for a few of those unlucky souls who became trapped under my surveillance.  Regardless of the method, everyday, some ants met their maker, and I assumed that God-like role for them.

            I, like Montag, enjoyed the destruction of “people’s” lives.  I didn’t think twice about the havoc I was rendering upon these innocent creatures.  I just did it, and believe me; it made my little six-year-old mind feel all powerful.  Montag felt justified in what he was doing because the law stated that those with books should have their houses burned.  I felt justified because I knew that no one wants to have ants in their house, and somehow I felt that if I destroyed them outside, then they would never come inside.  More important, though, I enjoyed the destruction.  Everything else was just an excuse to ruin things.

 

Global Reflection:

            The power of destruction presents itself in today’s world frequently.  In this particular instance, it is on a very personal level.  The reader sees Montag in a place where he thoroughly enjoys taking apart people’s lives based upon their possessions and their ideas.  Montag’s justification seems based upon his faith in the system with which he works.  He has faith that what he has been told is absolutely truthful and presents a good sense of justice.  As outsiders, the reader understands that the opposite is true.  This situation of having false information leading to the devastation of people’s lives is something that society faces today.

            One need look no further than the current situation in the Middle East to see how individuals rely upon false teachings to enact destruction.  Islamic extremists have taught their followers that killing others is an acceptable practice to get their message across.  Unfortunately, the method of attack is often through suicide bombings, and in that action of faith, there is a great destruction of life and property.  Families are torn apart, histories are destroyed and created, and most of all, people face the powerful nature of destruction.  Like Montag, these bombers feel justified in their actions because their faith is placed in false doctrine.  Their ideas are manipulated and controlled by those in power, and the end result is a world full of pain and suffering. 

            In the world of Fahrenheit 451, readers see an end result of a basic extinction of those in power.  Hopefully, the lesson that Bradbury tries to teach does not fall upon deaf ears.  Bradbury’s initial concern is a look at the individual, and as he gets Montag to change, the reader begins to get a sense of hope.  Likewise, hopefully in this world, individuals will learn similar lessons so that change can occur before the end result presented by Bradbury.

 

 

Response

 

 

2nd Quote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Quote

 

Explanation:

 

 

Importance: 

 

 

Personal Connection:

 

 

Global Reflection:

 

 

Explanation:

 

 

Importance: 

 

 

Personal Connection:

 

 

Global Reflection