FRANKENSTEIN DIALECTICAL JOURNALING

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Mary Shelley came to be known as the “mother of science fiction” through this, her

first and best-known novel. The familiar image of a green flat-headed monster

complete with a bolt through his neck, however, is not the Frankenstein we will

come to know in this novel. Shelley’s Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein, a scientist

driven by his obsession to create life, and the Creature who becomes his nemesis.

During our reading of Frankenstein, you will be keeping a dialectical journal. The dialectical journal is a double-entry note taking system. The purpose of this activity is for you to be an active reader and thinker during your reading of the text. It is a place to record and explore ideas using writing as a tool for learning. This journal, in essence is a log which records the conversation that you are having with the book. This journal will assist you in compiling textual evidence to be used for various writing assignments/quizzes.

THE DEFINITION

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.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DIALECTICAL JOURNAL

1. Draw a line down the middle of the paper, making two columns.

2. The left column is used for notes - direct quotations or summaries from the reading.

3. The right column is used for commenting on notes in the left column. Personal reactions to the

notes on the left go here.

4. Your journal must be a composition notebook, a spiral notebook, loose-leaf paper or folder . You will use your journal for this class only. You need to be able to turn in your journal and leave it with me without worrying about your Science or Math or Reading notes.

5. You must have your journal in class EVERY DAY. They will be collected and graded at random, and those who do not have their journals will receive zeroes. Sometimes, I may check journals instead of giving a reading quiz. Or, I may give a quiz and check journals. If you do not have a journal when it is requested, you will receive a zero (1/2 credit for 1 day late)!

6. Journal entries will be at least five sentences long. I will grade journals in a variety of ways; I may spot check for 5 or 10 points, or I may collect to read and grade thoroughly for significantly more points. The grading criteria for the journal will remain the same—only the points will be adjusted.

As you take notes in your journal, you should regularly reread the previous pages of notes and comments, drawing connections in a right-column summary before starting another page of the journal.

How many do I do?

·  1-3 per chapter depending on the length and richness of the chapter. 1 entry per chapter is the minimum. For example, if you do one entry for all chapters, you will receive no higher than C. 2 entries per chapter, a B. 3 entries per chapter, an A.

·  There will be some chapters that are chock full of quotes you will want to say something

about, and some that don’t resonate as much for you as a reader.

·  Also, although you should somehow mark the quote you plan to discuss later on, you

should wait to write your response until you have finished reading for the day.

How does the journal work?

Pick a quote that jumps off the page for you. Choose one that you want to interact with.

This quote may:

·  Exemplify a particular characterization

·  Show use of certain tone or style

·  Represent writing that you have a question about or truly like

·  Show you something new about the world.

·  What the passage prompts in thinking or memory associations;

·  Feelings toward the author’s words;

·  Words or passages not understood;

·  Words or passages that look important; and

·  Connections among passages or sections of the work.

On the other side of the paper (see example below) you will write your thoughts on that

particular quote. Your responses may actually end up being a page long or even longer!

FRANKENSTEIN SAMPLE

QUOTE RESPONSE

“’I have a pretty present for my Victor. Tomorrow he shall have it!’”(21). / From the time he was a toddler, Victor has been instructed to consider women
his playthings. Furthermore, they must be pretty in order to be worthy
possessions. Will all female characters be viewed in this way?
“Having parted from my friend, I
determined to visit some remote part of
Scotland and finish my work in solitude. I
did not doubt but that the monster followed
me, and would discover himself to me
when I should have finished, that he might
receive his companion” (148). / Victor doesn’t want company because his
guilt is so intense that the sight of another
human being reminds him of the horrible
creature he has created. He lives in constant
fear of his creation and is convinced that
the creature is a fiend. His decision then to
make another fiend may prove even
deadlier than his first creation.