IB READING JOURNAL
“A reading journal is a place where you should be noting your thoughts and impressions during your act of reading. It will help you to build up your own stock of ideas on a given text.”
I suggest you start a new section of the text on a new page.
You should reflect and comment on any aspect of the text that draws your attention and you should write as much as you like. Treat the journal as an opportunity to jot down ideas, experiment and test out thoughts.
Your reflections ought to comment on such things as plot, structure, characterisation, setting, language, themes, etc
Genre – in drama you must consider stage directions, dramatic techniques, dialogue, symbolism, contrasts, costumes etc
Context – consider where and when the play was first performed, the relevant political, economic, ideological, cultural influences of that period etc. As important you must also consider the relevant contextual factors of the present society in which you are reading the text. For example evaluate the attitudes and assumptions made about Blanche’s husband in the play and how these have changed and developed in today’s society.
Literary context - how has the literary establishment responded to this text? Consider how this has changed over time.
But really you should just read and respond to the text as ideas come to you.
