Although you often read silently, reading is an active process. As you read each line on the page, you change the letters and words into mental images. The words have the power to affect you in many ways. The purpose of this response journal is to help you to verbalize several different types of responses immediately after you have read, and to assist you in recalling the experiences of reading prior to discussion with your classmates.

Your response journal is a place for you to react to what you read. This is a place to begin piecing together your understanding of the novel. Your journal is a place to think aloud on paper and not have to worry too much about grammatical correctness or punctuation. You may prefer to write as you read or immediately upon finishing a reading session. It wont be nearly as effective if you put it off!  

There are four types of responses you should make each time.

1. Respond emotionally.  How does the novel make you feel at this point?

Record your feelings in a few sentences and then explore your feelings for a few sentences as you try to figure out why you feel as you do.

2. Make associations between events, situations and issues in the novel and your own experiences.  In what situation have you felt similar to the character?  What persons, places and ideas from your own experiences came to your mind while you were reading this portion of the novel? Try to list three to five associations.

3. Record any question you have about the actions of characters or problems you have with the way they behave.  Express any concerns or questions you have related to the content of the novel or the themes that are presented.

4. Make predictions about the characters and the plot.

Also, you my find it helpful to consider the following questions as you write your responses:

• What discrepancies exist between a characters view of him or herself and other characters reactions, the authors portrayal, and/or reader inference?

• What types of images are used in conjunction with the character? What do they symbolize? 

• What symbols are used in the course of the story? What do they symbolize?

• What myths are at work in different parts of this work? What features of the story are reminiscent of other stories you know?

• Do any characters perform uncharacteristic actions? If so, what? What could these actions mean?

• What archetypes seem to be present?

• Do any characters have dreams or inner monologues? What is revealed about a character through dreams that would not otherwise be revealed? 

The Book Name is Fifth Business