Dialectical Journals
Finding the truth in literature through
your thoughts and analysis
What is a dialectical journal (DJ)?
 dialectical (die-uh-LEKT-i-cul), n. : the
art or practice of arriving at the truth
through logical arguments.
 journal (JUHR-nul), n. : a personal
record of events, experiences, and
reflections kept on a regular basis; a
diary.
Huh?!

Simply put, if “dialectical” means the art or
practice of arriving at the truth by the
exchange of logical arguments, then a
dialectical journal, is used to arrive at the
“truth” of a written work through the written
response to quotations from that work.
So, how do I start and what do I need?
Materials needed:
 A book
 Writing utensils
 Post-Its notes
or index cards
 A brain (hint: if you are breathing and sitting
here in class, you have a brain.)
What to look for in your reading
Whether you are reading a poem, article,
short story, or novel, DJ is an essential way
to study literature and find a deeper
meaning. Some dialectical assignments
will ask for you to look for specific items
such as, rhetorical devices, author’s point
of view, or cultural context. Some ask for
you to give your thoughts, questions,
making connections...
…some ask you to do both!
For example, here is a quote from
Gone with the Wind

Literary Device:
Simile
“She looked-and was-as simple as earth,
as good as bread, as transparent as
spring water”(7).
M. Mitchell
Reader’s Response
Scarlett’s description of Melanie is a simile.
She is compared to simple objects by the
word “as.” Scarlett is not a plain, simple
woman; in fact, the exact opposite. She is
pretty and complex. So, Scarlett compared
Melanie to what she thought as simple
objects: bread, water, earth. Ironically, all
three objects are just as complex as
Scarlett.
Reader’s Response
Scarlett’s description of Melanie is a simile.
She is compared to simple objects by the
word “as.” Scarlett is not a plain, simple
woman; in fact, the exact opposite. She is
pretty and complex. So, Scarlett compared
Melanie to what she thought as simple
objects: bread, water, earth. Ironically, all
three objects are just as complex as
Scarlett.
Reader’s Response
Scarlett’s description of Melanie is a simile.
She is compared to simple objects by the
word “as.” Scarlett is not a plain, simple
woman; in fact, the exact opposite. She is
pretty and complex. So, Scarlett compared
Melanie to what she thought as simple
objects: bread, water, earth. Ironically, all
three objects are just as complex as
Scarlett.
How do I lay out my DJ?
SIDE BY SIDE
Quote
 Response
In the left-hand column,
Your response will go in
you write out the quote
the right-hand column.
from your reading.
This is where you will
write out your
questions, reactions,
connections, analysis,
and thoughts.

Of Mice and Men
Concrete Details from text
DJ#1
My thoughts, reactions,
analysis
For example, when Lennie feels
Curley’s wife’s hair, she says,
“Don’t you muss it up” (90).
How naïve can she be! I can’t
believe she thinks this guy with big
bear hands can be gentle—that’s
HUGE foreshadowing. Don’t you
get to know a guy before letting
him feel you?
In addition, when Curley’s wife
starts screaming, Lennie breaks
her neck and comments,
“George’ll be mad if you
yell” (91).
Lennie is such a child; he has no
cognition of the severity of his
situation yet. It seems he has no
sense of cause and effect, he only
knows how to follow directions.
OVER UNDER
Quote
The quote from the reading will go first.

Response
Followed by your response underneath. This is
where you will write out your questions, reactions,
connections, analysis, and thoughts.

Cultural Context – local dialect
For example, in the bunkhouse, Carlson says, “Look,
Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If
you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back
of the head…why he’d never know what hit him” (44).
My thoughts, reactions, analysis
The local dialect was a little hard to read at first, but it shows the lack of
education that was prominent during the Great Depression.
I noticed that everyone on the ranch has a blatant disregard for Candy’s old
dog. Now that the dog is no longer of use to anyone, the ranchers just want to
dispose of him. I wonder if Steinbeck is using the killing of the dog to
represent what happens to people that are weak and no longer needed? Is
there a place for weak people in the society George and Lennie live in?