User:Isabelleb10/sandbox

Evaluation of Article "Native Americans in film"
Evaluating content

Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?

Yes, everything is relevant.

Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added? Identify content gaps.

All the information is still relevant, though more up to date information could be added. For example, the most recent movie mentioned was released in 2005 and the most recent documentary was released in 2012. Between these dates and now, there is certainly more material that can be added.

What else could be improved?

The writing can be improved. As this article is a start-class rating, the style can be edited. Many sentences can be revised for clarity and perhaps sections of the article can be reorganized.

Review the lead section. Does it follow Wikipedia’s guidelines to provide basic information and summarizes the entire article?

Yes it is relevant and summarizes the article, but the wording can be revised.

Evaluating tone

Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?

The article seems to include an implicit bias. Because there are many uncited claims, the article reads more argumentative than informative.

Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?

No.

Evaluating sources

Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?

The links for the citations work but it relies on primary sources too heavily. This is noted in the banner. Additionally, the banner notes that the article may include original research and that it needs more reliable citations.

Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted? For example, does the writer use signal phrases to clearly identify the source of the information?

No, a majority of the first paragraphs do not have any citations, and thus create a red flag for Wikipedia officials. Several facts lack citations. The article references many newspaper and journal articles. Some of the references look reliable, though there are some obscure blogs cited. The sources seem biased, for the most part. However, due to the fact that many primary sources are cited, an implicit bias is common to some of these articles. The books cited appear most objective and reliable.

Checking the talk page

Now take a look at how others are talking about this article on the talk page.

What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?

There is one comment that remarks on this articles lack of neutrality.

How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?

It is rated Start-Class. It is a part of WikiProject United States, WikiProject Indigenous peoples of North America, and WikiProject Film. How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

Not applicable. Though to use Cabrera's language, I think this article is an attempt to provide a counter narrative.

Evaluation of Handmaid's Tale Article
Lead Section:

I think that the lead section provides a good summary of background information and facts about Gilead. However, I do not think it complies with the guidelines to provide a summary of the book itself. There is not much about the plot of the book, rather the circumstances about the society in which the plot exists. It seems to include some analysis based on the connections drawn to Chaucher and an analysis might not fit with standards for a lead section.

Background:

There is no background information section included, but there is interspersed information that could be used to write a background sentence.

Summary:

The writing of the summary does not necessarily follow the order in which the events were written about in the book nor is it concise. It includes an informative introductory paragraph, but it does not capture the writing that Atwood employs. The summary includes a lot of outside information that is implied but not explicitly stated in the plot. There seems to be a disproportionate amount of writing for different sections of the book. The style of writing is somewhat difficult to follow and thus the summary is not as informative as it should be.

Genre or Style:

There is a classification of the Handmaid's Tale as a science fiction or speculative fiction novel. Before diving into interviews and historical context, I think the article could include a more comprehensive paragraph that provides an overview of this genre and why the Handmaid's Tale qualifies. The section provides an introductory clause to a large block quote which seems abrupt. I think that this section could also include some information on other writers and books in this genre that are similar to Atwood and the Handmaid's Tale.

Analysis:

The article writes a lot about each character and the qualities of the setting. Inserted in these section are bits of analysis. However, I think this article greatly lacks in depth analysis. Given the popularity of this book, there are many academic sources that could be cited for analysis. There is no formal analysis section despite the fact that this book is overflowing with literary devices such as similes and metaphors. There could be discussion of major themes and their symbolism. The summary of characters and setting occupies a large portion of the article that could be replaced with scholarly analysis.

Publication:

There is no publication section. The publisher is mentioned at the beginning of the article, but there is no information on formats or languages in which the book was published.

Reception:

There is a good amount of information on reception. There is a brief synopsis of its reception, though this could be honed. There is a reasonable section on the feminist reading, though given that this book centers around women and reproductive rights, there could be more added. Additionally, there is only one section on the portrayal of race in the book. This could be greatly supplemented. Additionally, a section on class could be added to the article since there is a lack of information of absence of intersectionality present. I would also include more information on reception among scholars, not just in classrooms.

Others:

There is information on other media in which the Handmaid's Tale exists.

Infobox:

There is an infobox that seems substantial.

Information to add from Merriman:

To address the article's lack of information on the book's handling of race, I would include Merriman's point that history does not function in a vacuum. There are many issues that reference slavery in Handmaid's Tale, yet there is one sentence on black people in the Handmaid's Tale.

Evaluation of Fun Home Article
Lead Section:

The Fun Home article does include a lead section. It is a long section, but does include a lot of information. The writing style is informed and includes citations for points. It provides an accurate layout of what the article is going to write about. There is a lengthy section about the musical in this section that could be shortened based on the fact that the musical has its own article.

Background:

There is no background section. However, the lead section includes information on how long the author took write the book and context surrounding it. I think that this information in the lead could be extrapolated in its own section.

Summary:

I think this article provides a concise and complete summary. Additionally, this article continues to cite its sources, much unlike the Handmaid's Tale article.

Genre/Style:

No information on Genre/Style.

Analysis:

The article includes Themes and Allusions underneath the plot summary section, which I think could be altered to stand alone as its own section. These topics address key analytical points of the book, and thus deserve their own section to comply with Wikipedia standards. The themes sections could also be expanded, as so much of this book relies on symbolism and literary references. I do think that the Allusions section is comprehensive and organized.

Publication:

The publication and reception sections are combined. It includes cited information and sentences about various mediums of publication. This is unlike the Handmaid's Tale, which doesn't have a publication section.

Reception:

Reception section is complete. Again, it cites claims with sources. It includes both positive and negative aspects of reception. There is a paragraph on attempts at banning the book.

Others:

There is a paragraph on musical adaptation. Though there is a wikipedia article on the musical, I think this information is relevant and not to lengthy. There is a media section in the Handmaid's Tale article but it is not fluid.

Infobox:

There is a complete infobox.

Wikipedia, Phase One Activity

 * General Observation: The Handmaid's Tale article does not follow Wikipedia's format, and thus includes both unnecessary information and omits sections that Wikipedia encourages to be included.
 * Concrete Point of Evaluation: The Handmaid's Tale lacks a publication section.
 * Actionable Item: Include a publication section with information from a reliable source.
 * These are some examples of reliable sources that can be cited in this section:
 * https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385490818
 * https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/6125/the-handmaids-tale-by-margaret-atwood/
 * http://margaretatwood.ca/full-bibliography-2/

Lead Section -- My own edits have been shown in bold
Looking for Alaska is John Green's first novel, published in March 2005 by Dutton Juvenile. '''Based on his time at Indian Springs School, Green wrote the novel as a result of his desire to create meaningful Young Adult Literature. The characters and main death in the plot are grounded in Green's life, while the story itself is fictional.'''

'Looking for Alaska'' follows the novel's main character and narrator Miles Halter, or "Pudge," to boarding school where he goes to seek the "Great Perhaps," the famous last words of Francois Rebelais. When his new friend and crush Alaska Young learns about Miles's obsession with last words, she shares Simone Bolivar's "Damn it. How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" which provide a framework for Miles's life throughout the rest of the novel. Miles and his friends Chip "The Colonel" Martin, Alaska Young, and Takumi Hikohito grow very close, bonding over the various pranks they pull at school and after a night of drinking Alaska receives a phone call that causes her to drunk drive and die in a car crash. In the second half of the novel, Miles and his friends work to discover the missing details of the night Alaska died. While struggling to reconcile Alaska's death, Miles grapples with Bolivar's last words and the meaning of life, leaving the conclusion to these topics unresolved.'''

'Looking for Alaska'' is a coming-of-age novel that touches on themes of meaning, grief, hope, and youth-adult relationships. The novel''' won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award from the American Library Association, and led the association's list of most-challenged books in 2015 due to profanity and sexually explicit scene. '''Schools in Kentucky, Tennessee, and several other states have attempted to place bans on the book. In 2005, Paramount Pictures received the rights to produce a film adaption of Looking for Alaska. However, the film failed to reach production. Looking for Alaska premiered as a Hulu Original on October 18, 2019.'''

Reception -- I restructured the order of the controversy section to reflect chronology and added information on positive reviews
Looking Alaska has received both positive reviews and attempts at censorship in multiple school districts. Positive reviews include comments on the relatable high school characters and situations as well as more complex ideas such as how topics like grief are handled  . Overall, many reviewers agree that this is a coming of age story that is appealing to both older and younger readers  . Reviews also highlight the unique way Green wrote the novel as each chapter is divided chronologically leading to the climax of the plot  . There has been much controversy surrounding this novel, however, especially in school settings. Parents and school administrators have questioned the novel's language, sexual content, and depiction of tobacco and alcohol use. Looking for Alaska has been featured on the American Library Association's list of Frequently Challenged Books in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. The novel was awarded the Michael L. Printz award in 2006 and has also won praise from organizations such as the American Library Association, School Library Journal, and the Los Angeles Times among others.

Reviews
Positive reviews of Looking for Alaska have been attributed to John Green's honest portrayal of teenagers and first love. The novel's review in The Guardian describes the story’s honesty, writing that "the beauty of the book is that it doesn't hide anything." '''Others cite John Green's success as a result of his candidness in portraying death, loss, and grief. In a journal article titled “Although Adolescence Need not be Violent...” scholars Mark A. Lewis and Robert Petrone comment on the novel’s ability to portray loss in a format relatable to high-school readers. They write that many teenagers experience loss throughout adolescence and Green’s portrayal of real characters aids in this relatablity.'''

Additionally, many educators and librarians recommend Looking for Alaska to their students because of the powerful themes it addresses.  Don Gallo, English teacher and editor for the English Journal writes that Looking for Alaska is “the most sophisticated teen novel of the year.”

Awards and Accolades
'Looking for Alaska'' has won and been nominated for many prestigious literary awards. The novel has also appeared on many library and newspaper recommended booklists. In 2006, Looking for Alaska won the Michael L. Printz Award, which is awarded by the American Library Association.[7] The annual award honors the best Young Adult novel written each year.[8] Additionally, Looking for Alaska was a finalist in 2005 for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, which recognizes new and noteworthy writers.[9] Looking for Alaska has been featured on the 2006 Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults, 2006 Teens' Top 10 Award, and 2006 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.[10] It has also been noted as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, a Booklist Editor's Choice Pick, Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, and Borders Original Voices Selection.''' [11]

Knox and Sumner Counties, Tennessee[edit]
In March 2012, the Knoxville Journal reported that a parent of a 15-year-old Karns High School student objected to the book's placement on the Honors and Advanced Placement classes' required reading lists for Knox County, Tennessee high schools on the grounds that its sex scene and its use of profanity rendered it pornography. Ultimately, students were kept from reading the novel as a whole, but Looking for Alaska was still available in libraries within the district. In May 2012, Sumner County in Tennessee also banned the teaching of Looking for Alaska. The school's spokesman argued that two pages of the novel included enough explicit content to ban the novel.

Depew High School, Buffalo, New York[edit]
Two teachers at Depew High School near Buffalo, New York, used the book for eleventh grade instruction in 2008. Looking for Alaska was challenged by parents for its sexual content and moral disagreements with the novel. Despite the teachers providing an alternate book, parents still argued for it to be removed from curriculum due to its inappropriate content such as offensive language, sexually explicit content, including a scene described as "pornographic", and references to homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, and smoking. The book was ultimately kept in the curriculum by the school board after a unanimous school board vote with the stipulation that the teachers of the 11th grade class give the parents a decision to have their children read an alternate book. Looking for Alaska was defended by the school district because they felt it dealt with themes relevant to students of this age, such as death, drinking and driving, and peer pressure.

Controversy due to cover design[edit]
Further controversy came from the cover art. In August 2012, Green acknowledged that the extinguished candle on the cover leads to "an improbable amount of smoke", and explained that the initial cover design did not feature the candle. Green said that certain book chains were uncomfortable with displaying or selling a book with a cover that featured cigarette smoke, so the candle was added beneath the smoke. In John Green's box set, released on October 25, 2012, the candle has been removed from the cover. Further paperback releases of the book also have the candle removed.

West Ada School District, Idaho[edit]
In 2016, the West Ada School District in Meridian, Idaho removed Looking for Alaska from all of its middle school libraries. The school district found the content of the book to be too inappropriate for middle school students. The school district originally received a complaint from a parent on the grounds of the presence of foul language and mentions of actions like smoking and suicide. The district librarian looked into parental complaints along with reviews of the novel suggesting that it was best suited for high schoolers and made the decision to pull the book from the middle school library.

Marion County, Kentucky[edit]
In 2016 in Marion County, Kentucky, parents urged schools to drop it from the curriculum, referring to it as influencing students "to experiment with pornography, sex, drugs, alcohol and profanity." Although the teacher offered an opt-out book for the class, one parent still felt as though the book should be banned entirely and filed a formal complaint. After the challenge, students were given an alternate book for any parents who were not comfortable with their children reading the book. One parent still insisted on getting the book banned and filed a Request for Reconsideration on the basis that Looking for Alaska would tempt students to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex despite the decisions made after the challenge.

Author's response to controversy[edit]
Green defended his book in his vlog, Vlogbrothers. The video, entitled "I Am Not A Pornographer", describes the Depew High School challenge of Looking for Alaska and his frustration at the description of his novel as pornography. Green explains the inclusion of the oral sex scene in Looking for Alaska stating, "The whole reason that scene in question exists in Looking for Alaska is because I wanted to draw a contrast between that scene, when there is a lot of physical intimacy, but it is ultimately very emotionally empty, and the scene that immediately follows it, when there is not a serious physical interaction, but there's this intense emotional connection." Green argues that the misunderstanding of his book is the reason for its controversy, and urges people to understand the actual literary content before judging specific scenes. He also disagrees with the way that groups of parents underestimate the intelligence of teenagers and their ability to analyze literature. He ends with encouraging his viewers to attend the Depew School Board hearing to support the choice of parents, students, and teachers to have Looking for Alaska included in public schools.

Search for meaning[edit]
After Alaska's death, Pudge and Colonel investigate the circumstances surrounding the traumatic event. While looking for answers, the boys are subconsciously dealing with their grief, and their obsession with finding answers transforms into a search for meaning. Pudge and Colonel want to find out the answers to certain questions surrounding Alaska's death, but in reality, they are enduring their own labyrinths of suffering, a concept central to the novel. When their theology teacher Mr. Hyde poses a question to his class about the meaning of life, Pudge takes this opportunity to write about it as a labyrinth of suffering. He accepts that it exists and admits that even though the tragic loss of Alaska created his own labyrinth of suffering, he continues to have faith in the "Great Perhaps,'" meaning that Pudge must search for meaning in his life through inevitable grief and suffering. Literary scholar Barb Dean analyzes Pudge and the Colonel's quest for answers as they venture into finding deeper meaning in life.[12] Because this investigation turns into something that is used to deal with the harsh reality of losing Alaska, it leads to Pudge finding his way through his own personal labyrinth of suffering and finding deeper meaning to his life.[12]

Grief[edit]
When Alaska dies unexpectedly, the repercussions in the lives of her friends are significant, especially for Pudge and the Colonel. Scholar Barb Dean concludes that the characters' desire to seek answers is normal.[12] She also notes that in writing Looking for Alaska, John Green displays a desire to grapple with the question "how does one rationalize the harshness and messiness of life when one has, through stupid, thoughtless, and very human actions, contributed to that very harshness? "[12]  Pudge and the Colonel blame themselves for Alaska's death because they do not stop her from driving while intoxicated. Because of this, their grieving process consists of seeking answers surrounding her death since they feel that they are responsible. Ultimately, Miles is able to come to the conclusion that Alaska would forgive him for any fault of his in her death and thus his grief, though not completely resolved, is better and more healthily understood.

Coming of age[edit]
Throughout the book, the events that Miles and other characters experience are typical coming-of-age situations. ''' Literary critics often note this theme as these characters retrospectively examine moments of grief from a more mature perspective. In addition to the altering experiences the characters endure, they themselves are experiencing the changes that accompany high school. Therefore, the characters themselves further the theme of coming-of-age. ''' Scholar Barb Dean also concludes that the characters grow up faster than expected while investigating Alaska's death because exploring the concept of the labyrinth of suffering is Miles' "rite of passage" into adulthood, and he learns more about himself through grieving for Alaska[ 12]. Reviews also note activities such as drinking and smoking, which, though controversial, are often viewed as rites of passage by the teenagers in this novel.

Hope[edit]
The theme of hope plays a major role in Looking for Alaska. Even though some of the novel's prominent themes are about death, grief and loss, John Green ties hope into the end of the novel to solve Pudge's internal conflict brought on by Alaska's death. In Barb Dean's chapter about the novel, she takes a closer look into Mr. Hyde's theology class where he discusses the similarity of the idea of hope between the founding figures of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism [12]. Mr. Hyde also asks the class what their call for hope is, and Pudge decides his is his escape of his personal labyrinth of suffering. For Pudge, his call for hope is understanding the reality of suffering while also acknowledging that things like friendship and forgiveness can help diminish this suffering. Dean notes that Green has said that he writes fiction in order to "'keep that fragile strand of radical hope [alive], to build a fire in the darkness.'" [12]

Youth-adult relationships[edit]
Looking for Alaska is a novel that exposes readers to the inter personal relationships between the youth and adult characters in the novel .[6] Green presents specific adult characters, like The Eagle who is the dean of students, whose main focus is to eliminate the rebellious tendencies of various students. On the contrary, certain characters, like Dr. Hyde, the school's religious studies teacher, express positive beliefs in his students, while still maintaining an authoritative role within the classroom environment. The relationship that exists between Dr. Hyde and his students' illustrates how mutual respect can lead to positive interpersonal relationships between youth and adults.

Style
'''Looking for Alaska is divided into two halves. Each chapter is denoted through the number of days before Alaska’s death or the number of days after. The genesis of this structure resulted from Green’s influence of public reactions to the events on September 11, 2001.  In an interview with Random House Publishing, Green recalled that newscasters stated that people would now view the world through the lens of either before or after 9/11. Green says in the same interview, “We look back to the most important moment in our history, and that becomes the dividing line between what we were and what we are now. So I wanted to reflect on the way we measure and think of time.” For the characters in Looking for Alaska, Alaska’s death proved a life altering moment, and Green wanted to reflect this importance by creating the structure of the novel around the axis of Alaska’s death.'''

Genre
Looking for Alaska is classified as Young Adult Fiction. '''While John Green used his own life as a source of inspiration, the novel itself is entirely fictional. In an interview with Random House Publishing, John Green states that the intended audience for the novel is high-school students. In a separate interview, Green comments that he wrote the novel intending it to be Young Adult Fiction because he wished to contribute to the formation of his readers’ values in a meaningful way. Furthermore, themes of sex, drugs, alcohol, first love, and loss classify the book as Young Adult Fiction.'''

Bibliography of Sources for Edition Looking for Alaska Article
Barkdoll, J. K., & Scherff, L. (2008). "Literature is not a Cold, Dead Place: An Interview with John Green." The English Journal, 97(3), 67-71. doi:10.2307/30046834

Bennett, S. (2011). "Looking for Alaska." The School Librarian, 59(3), 176. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/890182467?accountid=11091 (Links to an external site.)

Cooper, I. (2005), "Last Words from a First Novelist." 101, 1181. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A131082448/LitRC?u=wash43584&sid=LitRC&xid=be97446d (Links to an external site.)

Dunder, E. (2017). The Manic Pixie Dream Girls in John Green’s Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. Retreived from shorturl.at/jxLR0

Gallo, D. (2006). "Bold Books for Teenagers." English Journal, 95(6), 92-96. doi:10.2307/30046636

Heryani, Y. (2016). "Miles's Character in Looking for Alaska: A Psychological Perspective." Indonesian EFL Journal, 2(2), 136-144. doi:10.25134/ieflj.v2i2.646

"Issues and trends." (2017). American Libraries, 48, 12-18. Retrieved from http://proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=122521319&site=ehost-live&scope=site (Links to an external site.)

Lewis, M. A., & Petrone, R. (2010). "Although Adolescence Need not be Violent...: Preservice Teachers' Connections between  Adolescence and Literacy Curriculum." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(5), 398-407. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25614573 (Links to an external site.)

Ritchie, J. (2005). "Looking for Alaska."  ALAN Review, 32(3), 36. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/212201181?accountid=11091 (Links to an external site.)

Tribunella, E. L. (2017). "Southern Children's Literature and the de Grummond Collection: An Interview with Ellen Ruffin." Southern Quarterly, 54(3/4), 15-163,181. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1983632896?accountid=11091 (Links to an external site.)