OR Dialectical Journal

Use this document to complete your first OR book assignment.

Step One:
1. Open this document and click File make a copy
2. Rename this document Last name, First name: Or Book #1
3. Move to your 9th Grade English folder (in Google Docs)
4. Submit your copy of this assignment to Canvas called OR Book Dialectical Journals
Step Two:
1. As you read your OR book,, fill in the chart below.
2. Each time you read, add a new passage and response.
What is a dialectical journal?

The term Dialectic means the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving
question and answer. Think of your dialectical journal as a series of conversations with the texts we
read. The process is meant to help you develop a better understanding of the texts you read.

What is the process?

As you read, choose passages that stand out to you and record them in the left-hand column the chart
(ALWAYS include page numbers).
In the right column, write your response to the text (ideas/insights, questions, reflections, and comments
on each passage). Your response should be a blended paragraph (meaning you need to have quotes in
the response). Also, you must label your responses using the following codes:
(Q) Question ask about something in the passage that is unclear
(C) Connect make a connection to your life, the world, or another text
(P) Predict anticipate what will occur based on whats in the passage
(E) Evaluate break down and analyze the beauty/imagery/figurative language in the passage.
Explain how it helps convey the theme.
(A) Analyze think deeply about what the passage means in a broad sense not just to the
characters in the story/author of the article. What conclusions can you draw about the world,
about human nature, or just the way things work?

Example:

Passage

Page

Response

Love. It was the beginning and end

of everything, the foundation and the
ceiling and the air in between.

(Hannah

158)

(E) In Nightingale, Kristin Hannah uses hyperbole and

metaphor to express the indescribable power of love. The
concept of love, whether it be familial or romantic, is
explored as the darkness of World War II invades the
characters lives. Isabelle, who is often cast aside and
viewed as a rebel, is hardened by her harsh childhood and
spends most of her life avoiding love. Eventually, after
meeting Gatan, she learns that love [is] the beginning
and end of everything (158). This hyperbolic statement
depicts Isabelles transformation, proving that her heart
has, ironically, softened during the war. Love becomes the
foundation...the ceiling and the air in between (158). This
metaphoric love is the only thing that enables Isabelle to
survive the tragedy that is World War II.

Passage
Vanity and pride are different things,
though the words are often used
synonymously. A person may be proud
without being vain. Pride relates more to our
opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would
have others think of us.

I would much prefer their minds be engaged

in the deadly arts than clouded with dreams
of marriage and fortune, as your own so
clearly is!

Page

Response

(Austen and
(A) In the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,
Grahame-Smith
the narrator, Elizabeth Bennet, is currently
19)
entertaining her sisters musings, as displayed in
this excerpt. Although Elizabeth believes her sister
to just be rambling once again, the reader can
withdraw things from the quote that can be
applied to the world and humanity as a whole.
Mary, the sister speaks of how Vanity and pride
are different things (Austen and
Grahame-Smith 19). She emphasizes upon this
once again when she points out that Pride relates
more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what
we would have others think of us (19). Todays
culture believes that pride is a negative thing, as
many view self-confidence and high self-esteem as
a negative things. Belief in oneself should not be
viewed as negative, or in many cases cocky, we as
humans should believe in both ourselves and each
other. In addition, Mary makes an excellent point
when she states that A person may be proud
without being vain (19). As stated before, vanity
and pride are not the same things, and many
suspect that the two words can be describing the
same thing. To develop more as a culture, humans
need to start realizing the difference between the
two.
(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
8)

(C) In the quote taken from Pride and Prejudice

and Zombies, Grahame-Smith paraphrases
Austen, and describes how even in a world stricken
by a zombie apocalypse, women such as Mrs.
Bennet, who Mr. Bennet is addressing in this
quote. It is appalling to the reader, as well as Mr.
Bennet that someone has their priorities so out of
line. Mr. Bennet clearly feels this way, as when he
says ... than clouded with dreams of marriage
and fortune, as your own so clearly is (8)! He
already stated their desires of what he wants his
daughters to pursue in life, if they are to endure
this plague that has so deeply affected the area. To
connect this to today, we do this on a much larger,
or sometimes, even a smaller scale. People show
everyday that they have the inability to prioritize
or put things that are more important over things
that are not as important. Although it may seem
painfully obvious to the reader that Mrs. Bennet
needs to sort out her priorities, we may not realize
it when we are doing it ourselves.

In my experience, a woman is either highly

trained or highly refined. One cannot afford
the luxury of both in such times.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
34)

(A) This excerpt adopted by Grahame-Smith

depicts a specific view that many have on women
back when this book was published, and still
today. Elizabeth retorts bitterly to a comment on a
womans ability to maintain so many skills in
housekeeping with her own quip that regards how
even women have been convinced by society that
they are just two-dimensional figures. The
narrator, Elizabeth, is a strong woman who firmly
believes in her abilities in the deadly arts. For her
to speak these words shows how much of an
influence society can have on a persons view on
oneself as well as others. Society has had such a
strong influence, even in the universe of Pride and
Prejudice and Zombies, that Elizabeth believes
...a woman is either highly trained or highly
refined. One cannot afford the luxury of both
(34). This just further exemplifies how the excerpt
shown can be connected to human nature.

Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed, said Miss

Bingley, but pride- where there is a real
superiority of mind, pride will be always
under good regulation.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
46)

(E) Austen and Grahame-Smith so eloquently state

the limitations of a persons pride through Miss
Bingley here, where they again state that there is a
difference between vanity and pride by saying ...
vanity is a weakness indeed (46). The authors
make it extremely clear that vanity and pride are
different things throughout the book, and they
once again do so through Miss Bingley. She also
states that through a correct mindset, one can use
pride to their advantage, instead of allowing it to
take over their personality, as many have done. So
again, this quote is an example of the theme
throughout the story, which talks about vanity and
pride.

The more I see of the world, the more am I

dissatisfied with it; and every zombie
confirms my belief that God has abandoned
us as punishment for the evils of people such
as Miss Bingley.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
103)

(Q) Elizabeth expresses her dissatisfaction with

the world in this quote here. There is much left
unclear in the excerpt, especially here The more I
see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it
(Austen and Grahame-Smith 103). The
audience may inquire what horrific things has
Elizabeth seen that causes her to feel this way
about the world. We can assume this has
something to do with her having to live in a world
infected by the living dead. A world in which
zombies roam the Earth can most definitely cause
a person to have such a pessimistic view on the
world. This is a question that can be drawn from
the quote, and can be answered through the
inferring things about the world around Elizabeth.

True, said Mr. Bennet, but it is a comfort to

think that whatever of that kind may befall
you, you have an affectionate mother who will
make the most of it.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
105)

(E) The quote shown represents a bit of verbal

irony from Mr. Bennet, Elizabeths father. In this
situation, he and his daughter are discussing
marriage, and how if her sister, Jane, has found
love, then she shall not be far behind. Hearing this,
Elizabeth replies that she will be perfectly content
with not being wed until her final breath. Now,
throughout the story, it is seen that Elizabeths
mother, Mrs. Bennet, shows an extreme need to
have her daughters married off to wealthy,
handsome men. The verbal irony comes in, as Mr.
Bennet replies to Elizabeths quip of refusing
marriage with you have an affectionate mother
who will make the most of it (Austen and
Grahame-Smith 105). He is using sarcasm here to
derail to the audience his exasperation with his
wifes endless screaming of having to marry their
daughters off. So, this is how verbal irony was used
in the example shown.

Her home and her housekeeping, her parish

and her poultry, and her ever deepening lust
for tender morsels of savory brains, had not
yet lost their charms.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
171)

(E) In this quote from Elizabeth, she is describing

her good friend Charlotte, who has unfortunately
succumbed to the horrible outbreak and is now
slowly turning into a zombie. We can evaluate the
situational irony taking place here, as besides
Elizabeth and the audience, no one else is aware of
Charlottes slow descent towards Hell. This is quite
frustrating towards the reader and Elizabeth, as
Charlotte has shown several symptoms; her
changing appetite for one, is described when
Elizabeth says her ever deepening lust for
tender morsels of savory brains (Austen and
Grahame-Smith 171). There are many more
symptoms that she shows as the story progresses,
such as her labored speech, lack of color, and
unusual skin sores. For the many characters of
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to not realize
this until Charlottes final moments is an excellent
use of situational iron by the authors.

Have these unmentionables no sense of

decency? They know nothing of the sort,
said Elizabeth, staring mindlessly out of the
coachs window, and neither must we.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
173)

(A) Life will never be easy in a zombie apocalypse,

and although Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has
shown light-hearted moments between the
characters, there are still many reminders that it is
a serious problem in the story. For example, the
quote shown here takes place after Elizabeth and
Mary enter a church filled with the countless dead
bodies of men, women, and children; they were all
killed by the unmentionables. Here, Elizabeth
bitterly reminds Mary that zombies are not aware
of decency, she reiterates that here They know
nothing of the sort (Austen and Grahame-Smith

173). Seeing the brutal aftermath reminded

Elizabeth that zombies shall never show mercy,
and in response, she says neither must we
(173). This can be connected to today, as there are
many situations where there is a need for mercy,
but it is not shown. People sometimes do not know
where to draw the line. If there are situations
where mercy is unnecessary, then that needs to be
recognized as well.
Of all the weapons she had commanded,
Elizabeth knew the least of love; and of all the
weapons in the world, love was the most
dangerous.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
213)

(A) In many literary works love can be

It was gratitude; gratitude, not merely for

having once loved her, but for loving her still
well enough to forgive all the petulance and
acrimony of her manner in rejecting his offer
with a kick to the face, and all the unjust
accusations accompanying her rejection.

(Austen and
Grahame-Smith
212-213)

(C) Once again, love has taken a role in Pride and

Prejudice and Zombies. Amidst the zombie
apocalypse in England, Elizabeth is able to find
someone who will go through great lengths to stay
with her and love her. This can be connected to
today of course; life is filled with love and
unwavering loyalty, just like shown in this quote
here. Elizabeth is amazingly surprised by Mr.
Darcys immovable affections, and expresses so
when she says It was gratitude; gratitude, not
merely for having once loved her, but for loving
her still (Austen and Grahame-Smith 212-213).
She says she is grateful for loving her then, and
sticking through all of her idiocy to love her still.
In many cases of today, this is true. Who will love
you, and endure all that you do to continue loving
you until the end? It is difficult to find someone
like that today, and even harder in England during
the zombie apocalypse.

described in several ways. Sometimes as a

weapon, like shown here, or an everlasting
power. Throughout the story, Elizabeth has
expressed her distaste regarding love or
marriage, and even when she struggles in her
own endeavors of love, she still views it in a
mostly negative light. The way she talks about
it shows the way she feels about the emotion,
and that can be said the same for people
today. For example, she says Of all the
weapons she had commanded, Elizabeth
knew the least of love (Austen and
Grahame-Smith 213). Elizabeth may describe
love as a weapon to be held against an enemy,
and others may describe it as a blessing. This
exemplifies how love can be described in
many different ways, in literary works or by
people living today.