Name ______________________________________________________ Period ______________

Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver

Dialectical Journal - MAJOR GRADE

The term “Dialectic” means “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using
conversation involving question and answer.”

A dialectical journal is a series of conversations with the novel. It is an analytical

process intended to help you develop a better understanding of what you read.

Use it to record your personal responses to the text, your ideas about the themes
presented therein, and our class discussions. This will help you process what
you’re reading and prepare for group discussion as well as analytical writing and
creating.

IN COMPLETE SENTENCES, explain why you selected this novel:

At first it was because of my friend but now it’s not the reason. When I got explained
what this story was truly about I got more intrigued into the book.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

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1. As you read, CHOOSE TWO (3) passages/quotes that stand out to you and record them
in the left-hand column of the chart. ALWAYS include the page number of the passage.

2. In the “Code & Response” column, WRITE your response to the passage you selected
(ideas/insights, questions, reflections, and general observations). DO NOT simply
restate the passage or summarize what is happening in it.

3. CODE your responses according to the descriptions below:

CODES
Q Question Question something in the passage that is unclear or that you are
curious about. Why, why, WHY???

P Predict Predict what might occur later in the novel based on what’s in the
passage. DETAILS!!!

C Connect Connect the passage to your life, the world, or another text. DETAILS!!!

A Analyze Analyze the author’s diction (word choice), syntax (sentence structure),
or use of figurative language (metaphor, simile, symbolism, etc.) What
is the deeper meaning???

E Evaluate Evaluate and make a judgment about what message the author is
trying to convey. AUTHOR’S PURPOSE!!

R Reflect Reflect on what the passage means, not just to the characters in the
story or to the author. What conclusions can you draw about the
world, about human nature, or just the way things work?

Make sure to use a variety of codes.

Using the same codes for most of your entries will result in a LOWER GRADE.

EXAMPLE ENTRIES:
Entry # Quote Code & Response
Example 1 "The yellow marks in my college (C)
textbooks...did not help me very much.” I can relate since I often used to highlight what I
 Name ______________________________________________________ Period ______________

Well done! thought was important and then end up with

most of the page highlighted. I felt like a
p. 354 kindergartner with a coloring book, and
unfortunately having everything in neon green
was not helpful.
Example 2 When the main character told her bestie (P)
that her boyfriend was abusive I think her boyfriend will try to convince her to
Poorly fix it.
done :(

CHOOSING PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT

Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, provocative, or puzzling.

For example:
● Effective &/or creative use of stylistic or literary devices
● Passages that remind you of your own life
● Passages that remind you of another book, movie, TV show, etc.
● Structural shifts or turns in the plot
● A passage that makes you realize something you hadn’t seen before
● Examples of patterns: recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols or motifs.
● Passages with confusing language or unfamiliar vocabulary
● Events you find surprising or confusing
● Passages that illustrate a particular character or setting

SAMPLE SENTENCE STARTERS

I really dislike/like this idea because…
I think the author is trying to show that…
This passage reminds me of a time in my life when…
If I were (name of character), at this point I would…
This part doesn’t make sense because…
I predict that ___ because…
This character reminds me of (name of real or fictional person) because…
In this passage, I think ____ symbolizes…
This character is motivated by ___ because...
The theme of this passage is ____ because...
This passage compares to real life because...
 Name ______________________________________________________ Period ______________

Notable Characters in Before I Fall

Character Description

Samantha "Sam" The protagonist of the novel, Sam Kingston is an average teen girl: she is more
Kingston popular than most, but she has a lingering insecurity from years of having been
bullied as a younger girl.

Lindsay Edgecombe Lindsay Edgecombe is Samantha Kingston’s best friend—and, formerly, her worst
enemy. Lindsay is the ultimate cool high school girl—she is popular, beautiful, funny,
and turns heads in any room.

Juliet Sykes Juliet Sykes is a social outcast at Thomas Jefferson High, a strange and quiet girl with
no friends whose odd demeanor and unreadability have garnered her the nickname
“Psycho.”

Rob Cokran Samantha’s hot and popular but cruel, vapid boyfriend.

Kent McFuller Kent is Sam’s childhood sweetheart, and an offbeat but nonetheless likable nerd who
attempts, despite the social divisions now dividing them, to connect with Sam even
after all the years of estrangement between them.

Ally Harris Ally is a member of Sam Kingston’s core group of friends. Sweet and lovesick, Ally
engages in the cruel behaviors she sees her friends and classmates perpetrate against
one another.

Elody Elody is one of Sam Kingston’s closest friends. Flamboyant and confident, Elody is the
“nicest” member of their clique, according to Sam.

Izzy Kingston Izzy is Sam’s eight-year-old sister. The intrepid and independent Izzy talks with a
pronounced lisp and refuses to go to speech therapy

Prologue & Chapter 1 - Part 1 (p.1 - 22, linebreak)

Entry Quote Code & Response
#
(including page #)

1 “The road was narrow and winding, and on (E) The author wants to show the place where they
either side of us the dark, stripped branches of were driving to show a creepy/spooky feeling that
something bad is going to happen.
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trees lashed back and forth, as if the wind had

set them dancing.”
p.6
2 “You forget your gloves…. I say, poking her in the (R) Usually in this world older siblings would yell at
middle of the forehead. “Don’t touch my stuff”. their younger sibling for touching their stuff. However
sometimes when the younger sibling is just trying to
p.9 help their older brother/ sister they still don’t get the
respect they deserve. Sam’s sister was just trying to
help Sam by giving her gloves.
3 “Sometimes I feel like out of the four of us I’m (C) In my personal life, I have a friend group of 4. I
always the one tagging along…” would sometimes be the one who walks behind the
group when we walk. I feel like I’m just there but
p.14 nothing special. I would usually just listen and nod my
head.

Chapter 1 - Part 2 (p.22, linebreak - 44)

Entry Quote Code & Response
#
(including page #)

4 “As usual, when he smiles my stomach does a little (A) I think the author wanted to express how she felt
flip” a physical sensation of romantic anxiety. It’s like the
expression having butterflies in your stomach. She
p. 29
had a nervous/ happy feeling in her body

5 “Psycho killer, qu’est-ce que c’est” (Q) This part doesn’t make sense because I’m
confused about what is qu’est que c’est. Is it a code
p.
word for her friend group that they only know?

6 “She has twelve, and I feel a momentary twinge of (R) Most people in this world love to compete.
jealousy” We compete for better grades, having better
p.38 things than others or like in a race. We usually
like to be better than other people and some of
us sometimes get jealous if someone else has a
higher praise or better things than them. When
Sam saw how her friend got more rose than her
she got jealous.

Chapter 1 - Part 3 (p.45 - 61)

Entry Quote Code & Response
#
 Name ______________________________________________________ Period ______________

(including page #)
7 “The situation is beyond awkward, so I blurt out, (C) I can relate to this because sometimes my
“Sesame chicken?” friends would fight. When it keeps going I would
p.48 interrupt them on purpose and say things like
“So what do you wanna do now” so we could
switch the subject.
8 “The stairs are soo narrow we have to squeeze (E) I think the author is trying to show how chaotic
up in single file because people are coming the party was. It says how they had to squeeze up in
a single file line. This shows how many people were
down in the opposite direction, empty beer
there and how it was compacted.
cups in hand.”
p.48
9 “... Rob unzips it and moves his hands along my (P) I predict that they are going to break up. I
waist and then under my tank top… “Nobody’s predict it because Rob is just using Sam for her
watching,” he says, and clamps on me again” body but not for who she is. He would always
p.61 find an opportunity to make a move on her.

Chapter 1 - Part 4 (p.62)

Entry Quote Code & Response
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(including page #)

10 “... I see something flashing there-something (Q) I wonder what she saw when she saw
familiar-but just as quickly it’s gone” something flashing? Is it something that she
p.69 remember about Juliet?
11 “I want to rewind the whole evening, rewind the (A) There is no way someone can travel back in
past…” time and rewind. Sam meant that she wants to
p.76 redo the day because of how messed up the
day was. She wanted to where no one
remembered what happened.
12 “Is it really so much worse than what you do” (E) The purpose the author put this was to
p. 81 probably make us think. The author probably
wants us to answer the question ourselves and
think about if we would do something worse.

Chapter 2 - Part 1 (p.82 - 103, linebreak)

Entry Quote Code & Response
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(including page #)

13 “When I saw younger I would lie on the floor (C) I can relate because I would also lay on the
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all summer…; it was the only place that stayed floor. My floor would be cold since it has
cool. concrete underneath the carpet so I would lay
p. 84 on the floor. I would also get in trouble for
laying on the floor which is full of dust but I say
it’s worth it than being hot.
14 “I loved the silence- the only sound the steady (C) I love the silence, but having music in the
drum of the hooves and the horse’s breathing background. I love painting and when I work in
p. 96 silence I’m more concentrated. I would always
ask my teachers to work outside when the
classroom is too loud.
15 “... I still don’t know when she started hating Juliet (Q) When did Lindsay hate Juliet? Also Why did
Sykes so much either” she hate her so much more than the rest? Is it
p. 96 because of what Juliet probably did in the past?

Chapter 2 - Part 2 (p.103, BEFORE I WAKE)

Entry Quote Code & Response
#
(including page #)

16 “Lindsay yells back to me, “It’s like a maze up (A) There wasn’t an actual maze in the house.
here.” She said it to describe how complicated it
p. 111 is to navigate the house. The house was
crowded with people and it was big.
17 ”The clock on the dashboard is glowing: 12:38.” (E) The author’s purpose was to show that the
p.125 accident might happen again. It was close to
the same time the accident happened the
other night. The author might wanted to sign
that she might die again but wake up.
18 “Then all of a sudden there’s a flash of white in (P) I predict that they will get into the accident
front of the car again. This is because the same thing
p.129 happened before. I feel like she will also wake
up to the same day again and do about the
same thing.

Chapter 3 - Part 1 (p.130 - 152, linebreak)

Entry Quote Code & Response
#
(including page #)

19 “The idea of school makes me want to curl up (R) Sam wanted to stay home knowing she
 Name ______________________________________________________ Period ______________

in a ball and sleep forever” has to face the day all over again. Wanting to
p. 132 stay home from school is something a lot of
students want to do. Just thinking about
school or if we have a test tomorrow just kills
students. We would rather stay home in our
bed sleeping.
20 “Lindsay leans back in her chair and stares at me” (Q) Would Lindsay make her good to the
p.150 party? Would Sam have to go through
everything again? Would the day restart all
over again if she goes?
21 “I could kiss her right now” (A) She didn’t literally want to kiss her. She
p. 150 said this to show how happy she was that she
didn’t have to go to the party again. Since
Lindsay agreed with Sam, Sam said that to
show how much she love Lindsay reply.

Chapter 3 - Part 2 (p.152, YOU CAN’T JUDGE A GYM TEACHER

BY HIS HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE)
Entry Quote Code & Response
#
(including page #)

22 “Twelve thirty-three. Twelve thirty-four. I've (E) The author is trying to show how she was
never seen seconds and minutes rush by so looking at the time constantly in worriness.
fast…” She was scared about the time getting to
p. 165 12:39 thinking she would have to redo the
day all over again.
23 ”That was the year it was cool to dress up like your (Q) What happened to their friendship if they
friends—your best friends.” were so close to each other? Who broke the
p.180 friendship first? Is Lindsay hiding something
from Sam?
24 ””Jesus.” I bring my hand to my chest, trying to (C) This character reminds me of me because
press my heart back to its normal rhythm. “You for example I would go to the bathroom at
scared me.”” night. When I get finished and open the door
p. my sister would be there saying “what are
you doing”. My heart would jump.
 Name ______________________________________________________ Period ______________

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Chapter 4 - Part 1 (p.184 - 202)

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Chapter 4 - Part 2 (p.203 - 223, line break)

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Chapter 4 - Part 3 (p.223, THE PUGS)

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Chapter 4 - Part 4 (p.247, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU

NEVER SAY)
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Chapter 5 - Part 1 (p.268 - 290)

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Chapter 5 - Part 2 (p.291 - 315)

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Chapter 5 - Part 3 (p.316)

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Chapter 6 - Part 1 (p.342 - 368, linebreak)

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46 “Everything looks so stupidly, happily normal: (

everyone just wasting time because they
have so much of it to waste, minutes slipping
by on who’s with who and did you hear.”
p.
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Chapter 6 - Part 2 (p.368, THE ROOT AND BUD - p.391)

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Chapter 6 - Part 3 (p.392)

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Chapter 7 - Part 1 (p.416 - 445, linebreak)

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Chapter 7 - Part 2 (p.445, FRIENDSHIP, A STORY - Epilogue)

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Name ______________________________________________________ Period ______________

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