User:C battin21/sandbox

Article evaluation

- Examine sources (inline sources)

- Pecola is taunted for not only her skin color but also because of her other physical appearances

- emphasize blue eyes (comes from dolls)

- Perhaps mention Soaphead Church as the reason for Pecola believing she has blue eyes

- Include that the behaviors of those around her have changed not only because of news of her rape but because she is losing some sense of reality and acting strangely.

- Perhaps include information about Maureen Peal in the plot summary.

- provide more information about Cholly and Pauline's past. Especially the scene with Cholly and Darlene.

- In the controversy section perhaps give more specific examples/scenes for why the book is debated.

Pecola speaks as though her wish for blue eyes has been granted, and believes that the changed behavior of those around her is due to her new eyes, rather than the news of her rape and her new strange behavior resulting from her diminishing grip on reality.

Soaphead Church: Born Elihue Micah Whitcomb, he is a light-skinned West Indian misanthrope and self-declared "Reader, Adviser, and Interpreter of Dreams". He hates all kinds of human touch, with the exception of the bodies of young girls. He is a religious hypocrite. When Pecola approaches him asking for blue eyes, he tells her to give meat to his landlord's dog, and that her wish will be granted if the dog has a reaction. However, he secretly poisons the meat, and the dog dies, leading Pecola to believe she has blue eyes. [4]

Drama Edits

Drama has been challenged by some parents and critics for being "sexually explicit" and for having "subject matter too advanced for elementary students." In 2014, Drama made the American Library Association list of top 10 banned books due to a ban in Chapel Hill Elementary School in Mount Pleasant, Texas. At Kirbyville Junior High in Kirbyville, Texas, the book was also banned for being "politically, racially, or socially offensive." Its use has also been restricted in Seele Elementary School in New Braunfels, Texas. Responding to criticism, Telgemeier has said she is "grateful Scholastic has been willing to stand behind me on Drama."

Proposed revisions to article

- I propose to add images to the Wikipedia page because there are currently no pictures on the page. "Drama" is a commonly used term and adding a picture may clarify which page Wikipedia users are viewing.

- I propose to add a background section on the author (Raina Telgemeier) and her motivations for writing the graphic novel. This book has come under some controversy and adding a perspective from the author strengthens Wikipedia's criteria that the article have balanced coverage.

- I propose to add to the lead section to include more information about the graphic novel and the rest of the Wikipedia page. The lead paragraph right now is weak and a strong Wikipedia article needs a strong lead section that clearly lays out the article.

- I am going to add to the summary because it is very basic in its current state. The summary is perhaps the most important section of the Wikipedia page, but it is shorter in length than others sections such "controversy" or "reception and awards". Again, a strong Wikipedia needs balanced coverage.

- In the controversy, I propose to add more specific details about the actual controversy from reliable sources in order to provide more neutral coverage and information.

- Delete "publication information section" as the majority of the information is already at the top of the article.

Background Information

In an interview with School Library Journal, author Raina Telgemeier responded to a question about her inspiration for the graphic novel by saying, "I wrote from life, I wrote from what I felt, I wrote from what I saw, I wrote from what I know." Although Drama is a work of fiction, she draws from her personal experiences to create content. In high school, Telgemeier was in the choir and sang in the ensemble for many school plays, which ultimately drew her inspiration for writing Drama. Several characters in the graphic novel are based off of real people. The gay twin brothers, Jessie and Justin, resemble two of Telgemeier's actual friends, and their in-book personalities mirror real life personalities. Although Telgemeier originally intended the characters to be high schoolers, Scholastic believed the setting fit better for middle schoolers.

The graphic novel itself combines both manga and comic forms, which the author frequently read while growing up.

Controversy

Drama has been challenged by some parents and critics for being "sexually explicit" and for having "subject matter too advanced for elementary students." In 2014, Drama made the American Library Association list of top 10 banned books due to a ban in Chapel Hill Elementary School in Mount Pleasant, Texas. At Kirbyville Junior High in Kirbyville, Texas, the book was also banned for being "politically, racially, or socially offensive." Its use has also been restricted in Seele Elementary School in New Braunfels, Texas. Responding to criticism, Telgemeier has said she is "grateful Scholastic has been willing to stand behind me on Drama."

Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit that rates and reviews media by age-appropriateness, has marked Drama as appropriate for readers over 10 years of age. Common Sense Media acknowledges that "some readers may be uncomfortable with the graphic novel's depiction of homosexual crushes between young teens" but that "the author treats the subject with discretion."

In response to backlash for portraying gay characters in a children's book, Telgemeier responded by saying "Sexuality is a part of your identity that doesn’t necessarily apply to what you are doing with other people when you are eight or nine years old" and that she doesn't attempt to force her viewpoints on anyone. She said that her "agenda is love and friendship. People will make of it what they will and I can’t let that sway the things I believe and the things I write about."