Name__________________
Littell
English _____ Period _____
Date___________________
Dialectical Journals for Huckleberry Finn
______
Littell 1
Directions: Complete three dialectical journals for each reading assignment of Huckleberry Finn (see
page 3). You will complete a total of 22 journals, which will be submitted each class day and not
cumulatively.
Re-create the format used below on your own paper. Using a two-column format like the one
modeled below, copy a quoted line or passage in the left column. For the quoted line or passage,
choose something that strikes you as interesting, important, memorable, or even questionable. For
the personal response, you might think about the following:
• How do the ideas in the text relate to our lives?
• What is the main idea or underlying value (theme)?
• What is the author’s purpose/perspective?
• What does the passage mean?
• What is the importance of its structure?
• How does the author’s style help its meaning?
Each of your responses must take up the page. If you decide to type them, you should double-space
your entries. A minimum of twelve of the dialectical journals must discuss the style of the
author. Point out the figurative language, sentence structure, diction, etc. (See Walden handout for
questions on how to look at author style.) How does Twain’s use of style enhance his text?
Journal for:____________ (title, author’s name, chapter)
Quoted line/passage (include internal
citation)
Your Response
Example:
Example:
“The synagogue resembled a large railroad
station: baggage and tears. The altar was
shattered, the wall coverings shredded, the
walls themselves bare. There were so many
of us, we could hardly breathe. The twentyfour hours we spent there were horrendous”
(Wiesel 22).
Wiesel is about to be deported from his
hometown. The imagery he creates through
the parallel structure of the second sentence
not only describes the physical destruction but
also how the people must feel. The reader
travels the same scene as Wiesel’s eyes as he
takes in the different aspects of the
synagogue. The fused sentence that follows
aids the reader’s feelings of being smashed in
there like the sentences. This is the place that
Wiesel spent so much time at the beginning of
the book and now the time there is
“horrendous.” His simplistic diction throughout
the passage is highlighted by this final word,
convincing the reader of the atmosphere.
(*the sample is single-spaced for space constraints)
Littell 2
Essential Questions, Themes, Motifs, and Guiding Concepts
Huck Finn’s moral journey parallels Mark Twain’s questions about slavery. Twain, a Realist, struggled
with how best to portray fictionalized characters, while still expressing truth and creating social
commentary.
1) Huckleberry Finn forces the reader to address issues of conflict between personal and
public/social conscience. What does Twain tell us about personal morality? What can we
learn from Huck? How Does Twain develop this concept?
2) Huckleberry Finn repeatedly addresses race, stereotypes, and prejudices. After reading the
novel, examine the theme of “race.” What does the book say about race in America?
Directions: As you read, look for examples of the following theme ideas. Write down a few words to
describe the scene, but be sure to include the page numbers of the scene to help you reference back.
Try to find examples from the beginning, middle, and end of the novel.
Beginning (ch. 1-16)
Civilization vs.
"natural life"
(Hypocrisy)
Honor
Religion,
Superstition,
Spirituality,
and Morality
Slavery/Human
Rights (Race)
Money
Truth
Middle (ch. 17-29)
End (ch. 30-end)
Littell 3
Reading Schedule 2012-2013
We are going to read the novel Huckleberry Finn on the following schedule. We will read in class
each day for part of the class period. Then, you are to finish the reading assignment before you return
to class with dialectical journals. Any class day has the opportunity for a reading quiz. On the reading
quizzes, you may use your notes on the packet, any journals, and any other handwritten notes you
take while reading.
Date
In Class Reading
HW:
Ch. 1 – 3 (Huck & Tom)
DUE:
Ch. 4 - 7 (Huck & Pap)
HW:
Ch. 8 – 11 (Jackson Island)
DUE:
Ch. 12 – 14 (The River 1)
HW:
Ch. 15 – 16 (The River 2)
DUE:
Ch. 17 – 18 (Grangerfords)
HW:
Ch. 19 – 23 (King & Duke)
DUE:
HW:
Ch. 24 – 29 (Wilkses)
DUE:
HW:
Ch. 30 – 31 (Jim Betrayed)
DUE:
Ch. 32 – 33 (Phelpses)
HW:
Ch. 34 – 38 (Jim’s Escape)
DUE:
HW:
DUE:
Ch. 39 – 43 (The Return)
Pages
Dialectical Journals
o 1
o 3
o 3
o 3
o 3
o 3
o 3
o 3
Littell 4
Huck Finn Character Sheet
Directions: Record information about specific events from the novel for each character.
Huckleberry Finn
Tom Sawyer
Jim
Widow Douglas/Ms. Watson
Judge Thatcher
Pap
King and Duke
Minor Characters
Ben Rogers
Joe Harper
Grangerfords
Shepardsons
Mrs. Judith Loftus
Boggs
Sherburn
Peter Wilks
Mary Jane, Susan, and Joanna
William and Harvey
Dr. Robinson
Levi Bell
Rev. Hobson
The Phelps
Littell 5
Character Development
Directions: The development of Huck’s character and the way he changes his view of Jim are
critical to understanding this book. Track how Twain fashions the changes in Huck through this book
using this chart.
Chapter 4
What Huck learns about Jim:
How Huck sees Jim:
Chapter 8
What Huck learns about Jim:
How does Huck’s understanding of Jim change?
Chapter 15
What Huck learns about Jim:
How does Huck’s understanding of Jim change?
Chapter 18
What Huck learns about Jim:
How does Huck’s understanding of Jim change?
Chapter 23
What Huck learns about Jim:
How does Huck’s understanding of Jim change?
Chapter 31
What Huck learns about Jim:
How does Huck’s understanding of Jim change?
Littell 6
Literary Concept: Humor
One of the reasons Huckleberry Finn is so well-loved is its humor. Mark Twain uses virtually every
comedic device in this book, all aided by a narrator who is so literal-minded he seems to see no
humor in any situation whatsoever. As readers, however, we are luckier. When Huck describes the
Grangerford house admiringly, he may not be able to see the absurd pretension there – but we do.
Directions: Go through the book and find examples of these humorous devices. Be sure to cite
them in the box. Find one example of each. There could be crossover with your dialectical journals.
Exaggeration
Humorous Aside
Irony
(verbal, situational,
or dramatic)
Amusing Description
Humorous Situation
Satire
Understatement
Caricature
Slapstick
(physical humor)