Lord of the Flies Dialectical Journal



Lord of the Flies Dialectical Journal

A dialectical journal, also called a reader-response journal, is a method of identifying important passages or quotes in a text and analyzing their significance.

It is a form of annotating text to gain a deeper understanding of the material. It is also a useful tool for learning how to identify textual evidence needed for timed writing and literary analysis. Think of it as a conversation between you and what you are reading.

You will have the opportunity to earn extra credit by keeping a dialectical journal for Lord of the Flies. The dialectical journal will also be a requirement for any summative reassessments. In other words, if you do not have an up-to-date journal, you cannot retest.

Your journal should be divided into three columns, with each corresponding to a major thematic idea from the novel (civilization vs. savagery; loss of innocence; innate evil in all humans). You must have at least three entries per chapter.

In each column, you should write quotes or passages that support that thematic idea. Please note the page number and the speaker if it is a quote. Underneath the quote or passage, note how that textual evidence supports the idea.

Here is an example using Antigone as a model:

Treachery vs. loyalty Fate determines our lives The crime of extreme pride (hubris)

“As long as I am king,

no traitor is going to be

honored with the loyal

man.” (P. 1076. Creon).

Creon’s words reinforce

the idea that loyalty is

valued above all else.

“A good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.” (P. 1098. Teiresias).

The prophet’s words emphasize the belief that hubris deserves punishment.

“Big words are always punished.”

(P. 1106. Choragus).

The closing lines of the play sum up Sophocles’ moral: that boasting sparks

the anger of the gods.

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