Character Analysis Dialectical Journal
Procedure:
In the left column
 Record evidence about a character that directly describes a character or
indirectly by what the characters says, what the character does, what the
character thinks, or the reactions of other characters.
 Use quotation marks around quotes and cite page numbers.
 Note the context of the quotation or detail from the text.
In the right column
 Based on the evidence, make an inference about the character (underlined).
 Write commentary that explains how and/or why the evidence leads to or
supports the inference.
The following chart shows an example of a student journal. The student examples
are based on the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst.
Doodle
Evidence (Context and Concrete Detail)
Context: Doodle’s brother has taken him
to a beautiful place.
CD: “His eyes were round with wonder as
he gazed about him, and his little hands
began to stroke the rubber grass. Then he
began to cry” (Hurst 191).
CT: To help pass the time, Doodle and his
brother make up stories.
CD: “My lies were scary, involved, and
usually pointless, but Doodle’s were twice
as crazy. People in his stories all had wings
and flew wherever they wanted to go”
(Hurst 193).
Inference—Commentary
Sensitive, appreciative
CM: Doodle reacts emotionally to the
wonders of nature, moved to tears of joy at
the beauty of simple things. He is attuned
to nature and in awe of its beauty.
Imaginative, dreamer
CM: Doodle’s fantasies reveal his vivid
imagination as well as his desire to be able
to move freely and easily. Through his
imagination he can escape the physical
handicaps that hold him down in real life.
Dialectical Journal –
Character Analysis
Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
Evidence (Context and Concrete Detail)
Inference—Commentary
Context (CT): (what was happening at the Inference (I): (adjectives that describe the
time of this CD)
character in the CD- your opinion)
Commentary (CM): (explain how or why
the CD leads you to the inference above)
Concrete Detail (CD): (specific detail
from the text, include author & page #)
CT:
I:
CM:
CD: