Dialectical Journal
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
By: Mark Twain
DIRECTIONS:
1. As you read the novel, mark passages that help you understand the following elements in the novel
and how they express Mark Twain’s style of writing:
a. Characterization: Please focus on attitudes and behaviors that Twain reveals about Huck,
Jim, Tom and Pap. (We learn about characters through their thoughts, actions, words,
physical traits, and how others react toward them.)
b. Dialect: Reflect on the purpose and effect of dialect. (Refers to the way in which people
speak; could include idioms, phonetic spelling to indicate pronunciation, and/or language
unique to a certain culture or region. Be sure to include some of Jim’s dialect.)
2. Then create a typed dialectical journal for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In this journal, you
will take the quotes/passages that you identified as you read and analyze HOW your quotes
illustrate the author’s style.
Your DJ will have THREE SEPARATE sections (10 TOTAL ENTRIES):
o 8 entries for Characterization (2 for each character: Huck, Jim, Tom and Pap)
o 2 entries for Dialect
See the example entries on the following page.
Your work will be graded holistically, based on completeness, accuracy, robustness,
and maturity.
10 points per entry
Set up your PART I journal to look like the following chart:
DJ ONE (Characterization): 8 entries
Number the entry and
include chp. #
Quote (correct MLA format)
Analysis/Explanation
1. Chapter 4
“I don’t want it at all—nor the six thousand,
nuther. I want you to take it; I want to give it to
you—the six thousand and all” (20).
Huck is giving the money that he found
to Judge Thatcher because Huck realizes
that his father is back in town and will be
demanding that Huck hand over the
money. Twain illustrates Huck’s ability
to think on his feet and use his street
smarts to survive.
DJ TWO (Dialect): 2 entries
Number the entry and
include chp. #
Quote (correct MLA format)
Analysis/Explanation
1. Chapter 28
“Pray for me! I reckoned if she knowed me she’d
take a job that was more nearer her size” (224).
Huck’s thoughts reveal that he is
surprised that Mary Jane Wilkes would
be willing to pray for his safety since he
considers himself a bad person. His
dialect is colloquial in that he uses words
such as “reckoned” and “knowed”
instead of the more formal or educated
“figured” and knew.”
WHY ARE THESE GOOD JOURNAL ENTRIES?
1. The citations in the middle column are in correct MLA format (quotation marks and page references).
Notice the single AND double quotes for the Literary Devices example. This is because the passage chosen
has someone’s dialogue as well as Huck’s narrator voice.)
2. The citations illustrate the required key elements of the author’s style AND the terms are bolded in the
explanations.
3. The citations reveal key personality traits of main characters.
4. The analysis/explanations identify the person speaking and to whom or describes the scene.
5. The analysis/explanations are written in PRESENT TENSE and analyze, or explain, one of the key elements in
the story and add to the understanding of the author’s style.
6. Notice: the analysis DOESN’T begin with “In this passage…” OR “This quote shows…” Or any variation of
that wording.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
DUE: First Day of School -- August 27,2013
It will count as a test grade
100-97
Excellent
Journal
96-90
Very Good DJ
DJ Format: professional
looking and demonstrates
outstanding quality.
• Typed in easy-tofollow format
• Extremely
Organized
• Terms are bolded
• Analysis is in
present tense
• Complete
Effectively edited for
content, spelling, grammar
and sentence structure
DJ Format is high quality.
Correct MLA Format:
consistent throughout journal.
• Writer’s Block
(heading) on first page
of each journal.
• Headers on each
subsequent page.
• “Word for word quote”
(page number only).
• Correct Works Cited
Content:
choice of passages and
analyses consistently
demonstrate keen insight to
author’s style, complex
thought, and excellent depth of
understanding.
Correct MLA Format
throughout majority of journal.
Content demonstrates insight,
comprehensive thought, and
some depth of understanding
throughout majority of journal.
Missing or incorrect Works
Cited entries
89-80
Above
Average DJ
DJ Format shows some lack
of editing or organization.
Might not be totally
complete.
79-70
Average DJ
DJ Format needs to be
more organized and/or
more complete. Student
needs to edit more
carefully.
69-60
Below
Average DJ
DJ Format is not honors
level.
Correct MLA Format
throughout much of the
journal.
Content demonstrates fairly
good understanding of the
novel. Analysis might not be as
complete or mature as those in
the A-B range.
Missing Works Cited entries
Most passages are good
choices to support the ideas.
Inconsistent MLA Format.
Content demonstrates general
understanding of the novel.
Ideas need to be expanded or
clarified. Passages choices
aren’t the most sophisticated.
Missing Works Cited entries
Student does NOT
demonstrate understanding of
correct MLA Format
Missing Works Cited entries
Content is unsophisticated,
immature and/or simplistic.
Demonstrates lack of
comprehension of the novel or
of the elements required for
analysis.