1. Dialectical Journaling
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
AP English Language and Composition

2. Why?
The art of “dialectic” is finding the truth through conversation and investigation
Adding entries to your dialectical journal keeps you engaged with the text
Rhetoric is active, not passive

3. Select four themes from the following list to focus your analysis
Masculinity
Love
Religion
Role models
Tradition
Identity
Education
Discrimination
Social class

4. Journal setup Theme Quote Analysis (options) Identify the theme
Quote the section from the text that addresses the theme (pg. #)
Analyze the text for use of rhetorical strategies and how they contribute to the theme/purpose
Identify connections between different people or events in the text
Identify connections to a different text, historical event, or current event
Consider an event or description from the perspective of a different character
Analyze a passage and its relationship to the story as a whole

5. Sample Theme Quote Analysis
Discrimination
“white rule used that animosity to divide and conquer…these groups were given differing levels of rights and privileges” (3)
Noah explains how the white South African minority used long-seated animosity (emotional appeal) to pit the warring groups of black South Africans against each other, essentially using an argument of degree (logical appeal). Which is worse—being controlled by an unknown entity or conquered by a familiar foe?
This practice reminds me of the podcast, Seeing White. In America, the rich white landowners utilized racial privilege to maintain allegiance with poor white workers. The belief in white superiority led the poor white workers to vote for policies that not only led to structural racism but benefitted the rich.