User talk:Meredithtibbals/sandbox

Draft of The Bluest Eye Wikipedia Page

Due to it’s controversial nature, The Bluest Eye has brought about disputes as to whether the book should be banned in schools. One example took place at Stevens High School in Claremont, New Hampshire in 1999 (Houtchens, 114). The case started when a parent complained to the school about the book’s inappropriate sexual content. As a result, the school decided to remove the book from freshmen and sophomore reading lists, and deemed that it was only “suitable” for juniors and seniors to read the book (Foerstel, 231). In addition, the school also ruled that teachers must send reading lists to parents early on in the year to get their approval as to which books their children could read and discuss in class (Foerstel, 231). While some parents would prefer heavier restrictions against the book at Stevens High School, they are glad that action was taken, as they view The Bluest Eye to be an “adult book” (Orlando Sentinel). Another example took place in Adams County, Colorado in 2013. Parents of students at Legacy High School tried to get the school to ban the book due to its sexual content and “subject matter” of a girl getting raped by her father (NCAC Staff). The parents’ petition argued that they “did not want developmentally inappropriate and graphic books used for classroom instruction"(NCAC Staff). However, a student heard of the possible removal of The Bluest Eye, and created a “counter-petition” to keep the book as part of the school’s AP English curriculum (Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 184). She claimed that "Banning and censoring [The Bluest Eye] tells students that … racism, incest, rape, abuse, are taboo subjects that should not be mentioned. It sends the message that (someone) experiencing these things should not reach out for help, because if it's too explicit to read, it's too explicit to talk about" (NCAC Staff). In order to compromise between the parent and student petitioners, Legacy High School decided to send home a notice to parents that explained which books students would be reading. The notice also indicated that there would be alternate assignments available if parents or students viewed certain books to be unsuitable reading material (Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 184).

Background Paragraph (edited original): Toni Morrison has been one of the most influential African American novelists of the 20th century. While Morrison’s work has been deemed controversial, it has received a variety of prestigious awards, including the the Nobel Prize and Pultzer Prize. What makes Morrison’s writing unique is that it draws upon her experience growing up in a black, working class family in the Midwest during the 1930s (nobelprize.org). The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature points to the fact that Morrison’s work “blends the realistic detail of black families and neighborhoods in an Ohio town that resembles her birthplace” as a way to convey her encounters with racism, white oppression, “violence within the black community” and “exploitation of blacks by other blacks” (Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature). When asked about her motivations for writing The Bluest Eye, Morrison replied, "I felt compelled to write this mostly because in the 1960s, black male authors published powerful, aggressive, revolutionary fiction or nonfiction, and they had positive racially uplifting rhetoric with them that were stimulating and I thought they would skip over something and thought no one would remember that it wasn't always beautiful, how hurtful racism is. I wrote The Bluest Eye because someone would actually be apologetic about the fact that their skin was so dark and how when I was a kid, we called each other names but we didn't think it was serious, that you could take it in, so the book was about taking it in, before we all decide that we are all beautiful, and have always been beautiful; I wanted to speak on the behalf of those who didn't catch that right away. I was deeply concerned about the feelings of being ugly."[5]refer to references on Wikipedia page Morrison’s intentions of addressing this idea of “ugliness” is conveyed through a variety of characters in The Bluest Eye. For example, Pecola, the main character of the book, wishes for blue eyes as a way to escape her abominable and oppressive reality of having dark skin. Through Pecola’s characterization, Morrison seeks to to demonstrate the negative impact racism can have on one’s self-confidence and worth. Meredithtibbals (talk) 15:04, 21 November 2016 (UTC)Meredithtibbals

Works Cited

"Censorship Dateline: Schools." Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom 62.5 (2013): 184-5. Web.

Davison, Dana Ernestine Johnson. "A Roadmap for Survival: A Literary Analysis of the Mother-Daughter Relationship in Toni Morrison's “The Bluest Eye” and “Sula”." M.A. Morgan State University, 2002. United States -- Maryland: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Web.

“English in the News.” The English Journal, vol. 89, no. 4, 2000, pp. 113–117. www.jstor.org/stable/821994.

Foerstel, Herbert N. Banned in the U.S.A. : A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. Westport, US: Greenwood Press, 2002. Web.

Kochar, Shubhanku. "Chapter 4: Conclusion." 01; 2016/11 2013: 606+. Literature Resource Center; Gale. Web. . "Morrison, Toni." Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature. London, United Kingdom: Continuum, 2005. Web.

Morrison, Toni,. The Bluest Eye. New York: Knopf, 2000. /z-wcorg/. Web.

"Toni Morrison - Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 16 Nov 2016. 

"Schools Limit Readership Of Book By Nobel Winner." Orlando Sentinel. 18 June 1999. Web. 15 Nov. 2016. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-06-18/news/9906180152_1_bluest-eye-toni-morrison-stevens-high

Staff, NCAC. "In Broomfield, CO ‘Bluest Eye’ Is Removed Without Being ‘Banned’." National Coalition Against Censorship. N.p., 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Werrlein, Debra T. "Not so Fast, Dick and Jane: Reimagining Childhood and Nation in the Bluest Eye." MELUS 30.4 (2005): 53-72. JSTOR. Web.

Plans for The Bluest Eye Page: One way I would like to improve The Bluest Eye page is by updating the background paragraph. While this paragraph tries to give the reader background as to why Morrison wrote the book, I believe that it is disorganized and makes little sense. To make it flow better, I would like to provide information about Morrison’s own background, and how it influenced the views/ ideas she presents in The Bluest Eye. The article on Morrison in the Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature, the Kochar article, and the Werrlein article will help me develop this paragraph. Another change I would like to make is to update the character descriptions. As of now, many of them don’t flow or are lacking information. I would like to provide specific examples and references to the book so the reader can have a better understanding of who the characters are. For example, Davison’s article will help me explain Pauline Breedlove’s role in the novel and her relationship to Pecola. A third change I would like to make is to elaborate more on why the novel is controversial. I would like to include specific cases that involve different schools banning the book. Meredithtibbals (talk) 15:06, 21 November 2016 (UTC)Meredithtibbals

Comments:
Meredith, Below are my comments:

Censorship Cases Paragraph(s): I think that this was well written. As in my smaller comments section, I think this section should split the two different cases into two different paragraphs. Furthermore, I think I would watch out when describing the opinions of certain parties involved to ensure that the reader understands that those are the opinions of the parties, not a value judgment made by the writer of the page. I am not sure if the information is available, but a potentially interesting addition would be to see what happened after the fact of the ruling. Is the book still available? Do parents still have an issue with the system. This might not be available via news sources and the Journal on Intellectual freedom, but if it did, it would be something that would be beneficial to add to the article. Beside that, I thought this article very clearly summarized the cases of potential censorship and did a good job in putting the events that occurred in an easy to read format!

Background Paragraph(s): I liked this paragraph but I think you need to be especially careful here with your value judgments. In the small edits I sent you, I included where I thought you needed to re-word/add citations to some points as there seemed to be some non-neutral language. Besides that, I thought that this paragraph very clearly summed up the background.

Zac.schroepfer (talk) 15:32, 21 November 2016 (UTC)

Comments from Morgan
Hey Meredith,

Your draft is very informative and explicit with detail! You very well describe the cases and their outcomes. I have emailed you a copy of your draft with some edits, like grammar, neutrality, and more structural ideas. Largely, your "Background" paragraph almost leads into the themes of the novel, which could be a great section to create or allude to.

Overall, great job!

Morganvr12 (talk) 03:16, 24 November 2016 (UTC)

Controversial Cases in Schools
Due to its controversial nature, The Bluest Eye has brought about disputes as to whether or not the book should be banned in schools. One example took place at Stevens High School in Claremont, New Hampshire in 1999 (Houtchens, 114). The case started when parents complained to the school that they thought the book contained inappropriate sexual content. As a result, the school decided to remove the book from freshmen and sophomore reading lists, and deemed that it was only “suitable” for juniors and seniors to read the book (Foerstel, 231). In addition, the school also ruled that teachers must send reading lists to parents early on in the year to get their approval as to which books their children could read and discuss in class (Foerstel, 231). While some parents would have preferred heavier restrictions against the book at Stevens High School, they were glad that action was taken, as they viewed The Bluest Eye to be an “adult book” (Orlando Sentinel).

Another example took place in Adams County, Colorado in 2013. Parents of students at Legacy High School tried to get the school to ban the book due to its sexual content and “subject matter” of a girl getting raped by her father (NCAC Staff). In their petition to the school, the parents argued that they “did not want developmentally inappropriate and graphic books used for classroom instruction"(NCAC Staff). However, a student heard of the possible removal of The Bluest Eye, and created a “counter-petition” to keep the book as part of the school’s AP English curriculum (Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 184).  She claimed that "banning and censoring [The Bluest Eye] tells students that … racism, incest, rape, abuse, are taboo subjects that should not be mentioned. It sends the message that [someone] experiencing these things should not reach out for help, because if it's too explicit to read, it's too explicit to talk about" (NCAC Staff). In order to compromise between the parent and student petitioners, Legacy High School decided to send home a notice to parents that explained which books students would be reading. The notice also indicated that there would be alternate assignments available if parents or students viewed certain books to be unsuitable reading material (Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 184). Meredithtibbals (talk) 05:15, 30 November 2016 (UTC)Meredithtibbals

About the Author
Toni Morrison has been one of the most influential African American novelists of the 20th century (Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature). While Morrison’s work has been deemed controversial, it has received a variety of prestigious awards, including the the Nobel Prize and Pultzer Prize (Kochar). What makes Morrison’s writing unique is that it draws upon her experience growing up in a black, working class family in the Midwest during the 1930s (nobelprize.org). The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature points to the fact that Morrison’s work “blends the realistic detail of black families and neighborhoods in an Ohio town that resembles her birthplace” as a way to convey her encounters with racism, white oppression, “violence within the black community” and “exploitation of blacks by other blacks” (Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature). Meredithtibbals (talk) 05:17, 30 November 2016 (UTC)Meredithtibbals

Author's Intentions
When asked about her motivations for writing The Bluest Eye in an interview, Morrison claimed that she wanted to remind readers “how hurtful racism is” and that people are “apologetic about the fact that their skin [is] so dark” (Morrison). Reminiscing on her own experience, she recalls, “When I was a kid, we called each other names but we didn't think it was serious, that you could take it in… The book was about taking it in…I wanted to speak on behalf of those who didn't catch that [they were beautiful] right away. I was deeply concerned about the feeling of ugliness…I wanted people to understand what it was like to be treated that way" (Morrison). As seen throughout The Bluest Eye, this idea of “ugliness” is conveyed through a variety of characters. For example, Pecola, the main character of the book, wishes for blue eyes as a way to escape her abominable and oppressive reality of having dark skin. Through Pecola’s characterization, Morrison seeks to to demonstrate the negative impact racism can have on one’s self-confidence and worth. Meredithtibbals (talk) 05:21, 30 November 2016 (UTC)Meredithtibbals

Final Draft
Controversy:

Due to its controversial nature, The Bluest Eye has brought about disputes as to whether or not the book should be restricted in schools. One example took place at Stevens High School in Claremont, New Hampshire in 1999 (Houtchens, 114). The case started when parents complained to the school that they thought the book contained inappropriate sexual content. As a result, the school decided to remove the book from freshmen and sophomore reading lists, and deemed that it was only “suitable” for juniors and seniors to read the book (Foerstel, 231). In addition, the school also ruled that teachers must send reading lists to parents early on in the year to get their approval as to which books their children could read and discuss in class (Foerstel, 231). While some parents would have preferred heavier restrictions against the book at Stevens High School, they were glad that action was taken, as they viewed The Bluest Eye to be an “adult book” (Orlando Sentinel). Another example took place in Adams County, Colorado in 2013. Parents of students at Legacy High School tried to get the school to remove the book from AP English curriculum due to its sexual content and “subject matter” of a girl getting raped by her father (NCAC Staff). In their petition to the school, the parents argued that they “did not want developmentally inappropriate and graphic books used for classroom instruction"(NCAC Staff). However, a student heard of the possible removal of The Bluest Eye, and created a “counter-petition” to keep the book as part of the school’s AP English curriculum (Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 184).  She claimed that "banning and censoring [The Bluest Eye] tells students that … racism, incest, rape, abuse, are taboo subjects that should not be mentioned. It sends the message that [someone] experiencing these things should not reach out for help, because if it's too explicit to read, it's too explicit to talk about" (NCAC Staff). In order to compromise between the parent and student petitioners, Legacy High School decided to send home a notice to parents that explained which books students would be reading. The notice also indicated that there would be alternate assignments available if parents or students viewed certain books to be unsuitable reading material (Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 184).

About the Author:

Toni Morrison has been one of the most influential African American novelists of the 20th century (Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature). While Morrison’s work has been deemed controversial, it has received a variety of prestigious awards, including the the Nobel Prize and Pultzer Prize (Kochar). What makes Morrison’s writing unique is that it draws upon her experience growing up in a black, working class family in the Midwest during the 1930s (nobelprize.org). The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature points to the fact that Morrison’s work “blends the realistic detail of black families and neighborhoods in an Ohio town that resembles her birthplace” as a way to convey her encounters with racism, white oppression, “violence within the black community” and “exploitation of blacks by other blacks” (Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature).

Author’s Intentions:

When asked about her motivations for writing The Bluest Eye in an interview, Morrison claimed that she wanted to remind readers “how hurtful racism is” and that people are “apologetic about the fact that their skin [is] so dark” (Morrison). Reminiscing on her own experience, she recalled, “When I was a kid, we called each other names but we didn't think it was serious, that you could take it in” (Morrison). Expanding on this point of self-esteem, Morrison elaborated that she “wanted to speak on behalf of those who didn't catch that [they were beautiful] right away. [She] was deeply concerned about the feelings of ugliness" (Morrison). As seen throughout The Bluest Eye, this idea of “ugliness” is conveyed through a variety of characters. For example, Pecola, the main character of the book, wishes for blue eyes as a way to escape the oppression that results from her having dark skin. Through Pecola’s characterization, Morrison seeks to to demonstrate the negative impact racism can have on one’s self-confidence and worth. As she concluded in her interview, she “wanted people to understand what it was like to be treated that way” (Morrison). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Meredithtibbals (talk • contribs) 18:25, 13 December 2016 (UTC) Meredithtibbals (talk) 18:29, 13 December 2016 (UTC)Meredithtibbals