The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Dialectical Journal Assignment/Reading Schedule
As you read Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you will identify
different issues for discussion and practice close reading of a text. You will identify these
issues through the location of pertinent and significant passages based on a topic
individual to you. A passage, for the sake of this assignment, is about half a page typed
(which may be a page from the book, as most of Twain’s paragraphs can be short) or a
conversation among characters that is about the same length. It is about being thorough
with your focus, no matter the amount. The passages can’t be shorter than a half page
typed in the column.
To prepare for and promote class discussion, you will be recording your thoughts in a
dialectical journal as you read the novel. A dialectical journal is structured in two
columns. On the left side, you will record your relevant quoted passages, properly
documented with page numbers and organized around chapter titles and numbers. You
should find one passage per chapter.
You have been given a topic to use as your focus for your journal entries. On the right
side, you will write 1) an explanation of the context of the quote as related to your topic
as well as 2) an analysis of its significance with topic relevance. For the context, you will
explain what has been happening in this chapter that aids in understanding this passage,
and you will explain what has been happening immediately before the passage. Types of
analysis that you may do include:
1. Apply the situation in the book, referred to by the quote, to what you know or can
research about the time period of the novel.
2. Explain the imagery, foreshadowing, or symbolism in the quote.
3. Identify other literary devices and explain their effect.
4. Make predictions about future plot twists based on the quote.
5. Explain a theme of the novel as related to the quote.
6. Identify and give evidence for the tone of the passage.
7. Identify with evidence and explain the effect of the point of view.
8. Examine the differing perspectives of the characters.
9. Explain how the passage examines a major theme of the novel.
10. Examine the effects of diction or language.
11. Identify literary devices and explain how they are used for an effect.
If you cannot find much to say about a passage, you did not choose a significant one.
You will need to write four dialectical journal entries for every eight chapters of the
novel. Be sure to label these journals by chapters. I will check these four entries for
completion each week, then take them up upon completion of the novel. These entries
must be typed. The advantage to typing is that you should be able to find an online copy
of the text, so you could cut and paste your chosen passages rather than copy them down.
You must use passages from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, not any adaptation or
study guide.
Scoring Guide:
Due Date: ________________________
Points Possible: 100 pts.
Completeness: 15 pts.
All 12 entries--15 pts.
11 entries--14 pts.
10 entries--13
9 entries--12
8 entries--11
7 entries--10
6 entries--9
fewer than 6--0 pts.
Format: 10 pts.
Table or columns
Typed or handwritten NEATLY
Entries labeled by chapter numbers and titles
MLA parenthetical documentation for page numbers
Quotation marks around quotations
Close Examination of 3 entries: 75 pts
Each entry is 25 pts. You may pick two of the three for me to grade and I will choose the
third. I will look for a correct explanation of the context, an understanding of the
significance of the quotation, and the level of insight into the relevance and significance
of the quote.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Schedule
Wednesday, December 3rd: Chapters 1-15 quiz, discussion, and dialectical journal
Monday, December 8: Chapters 16-30 quiz, discussion, and dialectical journal
Monday, December 15: Chapters 31-43 quiz, discussion, and dialectical journal