Dialectical Journal Sample Entries
Below you will find an example of how you should not only set up your dialectical journal, but also how
you should format and formulate your evidence and analysis. Please refer to the PowerPoint
presentation, class notes, the dialectical journal rubric, and any class notes for assignment completion.
Evidence
Analysis
“For the first time, I felt anger rising in me. Why
Ellie is questioning not only his own faith, but also
should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the
God himself. He does not understand why God
Eternal and Terrible Master of the universe, chose
stands by as His chosen people face pain and
to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?”
suffering. He does not understand why God lets all
(Wiesel 33).
of this happen or why it is happening to him. Up
until this point Wiesel has been a devout believer,
and at this point he sees this as God’s return for
his unwavering faith. Elie is beginning to doubt if
his God is even worthy of prayer and praise.
A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
In the concluding speech of Romeo and Juliet, the
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Prince wraps up the tragic plot and suggests the
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
possibility of future peace between the Montagues
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished: For
and Capulets. He does describe it as a "glooming
never was a story of more woe
peace", which does not detract from the fact that
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
the play has reached a reconciliation, but it is also
(Shakespeare 5.3.304-309)
indicative of some more subtle points. First of all,
Romeo and Juliet is not truly a classical tragedy
because it ends with a reconciliation instead of
total annihilation. Romeo and Juliet's love leads to
positive changes in their world, even though they
are no longer alive. When the Prince notes that
the "sun…will not show his head," it reminds the
audience about the connection between daytime
and disorder. The lesson here seems to be then,
that tragedy can lead to change, if people are
actually willing to learn from it.
'The King upon his throne, with his crown upon his
Although Joe is not exactly a scholar, he is filled
'ed, can't sit and write his acts of Parliament in
with common sense which is wisdom in itself. Pip
print, without having begun, when he were a
is a very gifted individual. It seems that often the
unpromoted prince, with the alphabet-ah! and
only thing that keeps him from becoming briliant
begun at A, too, and worked his way to Z.'"
is himself.
(Dickens 82)
“Imagine a morning in late November. A coming
Capote begins his narrative by striving to not only
of winter morning more than twenty years ago.
establish the setting, but also create a connection
Consider the kitchen of a spreading old house in a
country town. A great black stove is its main
feature; but there is also a big round table and a
with the reader. Capote uses warm imagery to
create a “cozy”, “warm”, and “welcoming” mood
within the reader. This home is Capote’s, or
fireplace with two rocking chairs placed in front of
Buddy’s childhood home, but it could also be
it. Just today the fireplace commenced its seasonal
anyone’s. The kitchen and the stove are
roar.” (Capote 62)
immediately placed as the heart of the home both
literally and figuratively, and the added detail of
the of the fireplace being lit and reference “the
season” strive to evoke cozy winter memories of
the reader’s in order to help them identify with
the text and draw them into and care about the
narrative.