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Evaluating Wikipedia Article About "Indian Summer"

Evaluating content

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

While the term Indian Summer has integrated itself within the greater context of modern day society and has served a multitude of purposes as a result of this, the presence of this much additional information severely deviates from the Native American narrative.

Is any information out of date?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

There is some missing content about the Native American folklore that addresses the original onset of this term.

What else could be improved?

Additional Information could definitely be added onto the article in general - with particular emphasis on the folklore aspect of this subject. Evaluating tone

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

Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?

The article itself takes upon a neutral tone, but the underrepresentation of it Native American roots pose some unique issues with regards to the validity and integrity of the article as a whole.

Evaluating sources

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

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?

The citations do appear to work. Almost every fact is referenced with a reliable reference - save two or three. Most of these do appear to be neutral sources. The integrity of some of these sources does seem questionable.

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?

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How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?

The article is classified as start-class under the WikiProjects for Meteorology and Time. Most of the discussion in the talk page is surrounding the advent of the actual meteorological event itself and its occurrence with regards to time of the year and biome-based differences.

Evaluating Wikipedia Article About "A Handmaid's Tale"

Lead:

The lead section serves a mediocre role within the greater context of this article as it truly fails to address the post-racial aspect of this book in addition to failing to address the critical reception of the novel itself. Furthermore, the lead fails to give an adequate summary of the book as a whole, and instead gives a brief insight into what the book entails rather than an overarching overview of it.

Background:

Non-existent, so must be further implemented to help improve article.

Summary:

Multiple areas of the summary are worded awkwardly (too much fit in a singular sentence); sentence construction and cohesion is lacking in several areas as well

(ie. "Interspersed with her narratives of her present-day experiences are flashback discussions of her life from before and during the beginning of the revolution, when she finds she has lost all autonomy to her husband, their failed attempt to escape to Canada, her indoctrination into life as a Handmaid by the government-trained Aunts, and the successful escape of her friend Moira. At her new home, she is treated poorly by the Commander's wife Serena Joy, a Christian media personality who supported women's domesticity and subordinate role well before Gilead was established, but to her surprise, the Commander requests to see her outside of the "Ceremony", a sexual ritual obligatory for handmaids and intended to result in conception in the presence of his wife.")

Overall, however, the summary adequately communicates the general ideas of the novel, but does so in an unclear manner.

Genre:

While the genre section provides substantial detail about the diversity that this novel brings to the literary community, the sheer amount of information provided over-represents the importance of this particular section. Moreover, the historical context segment of this section could be reclassified under publication history or potentially even background.

Analysis:

There is no clearly defined analysis segment within this article, but the analysis is rather interspersed between the multitude of sections that exist within this article. Furthermore, it can be observed that a large majority of said analysis is stated without any sourced/referenced justification. For example this excerpt from the Politics segment of the setting section,

"In this book, the government appears to be strong though "no one in Gilead seems to be a true believer in its revolution" (Beauchamp). The Commanders, portrayed via Commander Fred, do not agree with their own doctrines. The commander takes Offred at one point to a brothel in order to have sex with her in an informal setting apart from the Ceremony. The wives, portrayed via Serena Joy, former television evangelist, disobey the rules set forth by their commander husbands. Serena smokes black market cigarettes, expresses the forbidden idea that men may be infertile, and schemes to get Offred impregnated by her chauffeur."

The character analysis/list also does appear to be excessively employed to the point that deviates from the focus of the article - making it almost taxing to venture further into the article.

Publication:

Non-existent, so must be further implemented to help improve article.

Reception:

The critical reception and academic reception segments of this article was rather well developed in comparison to the other components of the this article. A predominant majority of statements within the article were corroborated by referenced sources and it is structured in a relatively concise manner.

Others:

There appears to be an additional section that discusses the instructional uses of the novel within academic setting. While the information is supplemented with credentialed sources, it does appear to be excessive in the greater context of the page - not to mention it severe underrepresentation as a result of its lack of developed content.

Infobox:

The infobox seems to be absent of any particularly glaring issues.

Evaluating Wikipedia Article on "Fun Home"

Content

The majority of content present in this article does appear to be pertinent and contribute fo the whole despite the few lapses in organization. A primary criticism of the article would arise from the sheer length of the lead section itself. Wiki guidelines generally suggest a shorter lead section given the length of the article, however, it is notable that the content within the lead section is of particular merit. Content is only notably awry within the allusions segment of the Plot and Thematic Summary section as the continuous stream of allusions leads the reader to be inevitably forced to take in all those allusions at once

Tone

Overall, the page uses a generally academic tone of displacement and objective statement. There is not a particular bias with reference to the language or statements within the article itself.

Sources

Almost every statement within the page is corroborated by a source - all of which are credible sources that do appear to be working. Furthermore, these are all generally neutral sources that prevent any further bias.

Talk Page

This article is classified as a featured article and is under the WikiProjects for Comics and LGBT Studies. Overall reception of the article is very positive and the only suggested edit within the discussion is with reference to link modification and the South Carolina reception segment.

Draft One of Contributions to Habibi(graphic novel)

Publication History

After the occurrence of the 9/11 attacks and widespread attention given towards the Middle East by the American society, Craig Thompson began working on Habibi at the end of 2004. Although the book is informed preceded by his previous work, Blankets, which autobiographically explored Thompson's Christian upbringing and beliefs, Thompson conceived Habibi as part of his desire in an effort to better understand ,and humanize Islam, and focus on the beauty of Arabic and Islamic cultures, in contrast to their vilification following the events of 9/11. After having worked on the piece for nearly 6 years, Thompson finally published the work in 2011 under Pantheon Books. The graphic novel has only been produced as a hardcover edition since its initial publication.

In the course of producing the story, Thompson was inspired by Arabic calligraphy, interpreting that form of writing as cursive shorthand for an idea, which Thompson says, is the origin of cartooning(seems off topic/does not flow)

Each of the book's nine chapters is given a distinctive visual style, and an Arab North African talisman is employed as a framing device. The book also quotes explicitly from 19th-century Orientalist paintings, particularly those of Jean-Léon Gérôme. (could be placed in the analysis section instead)

Plot Summary

Habibi takes place in the present day, albeit in a fictional "Orientalist landscape" named Wanatolia. which Thompson conceived in order to create a sprawling fairy tale that would allow him to depict a clash of the old world and the new, while allowing him to avoid depicting guns or warfare. While it is located in an Islamic country and features such elements as Arabic writing, Thompson is reluctant to say that it takes place in the Middle East, preferring to emphasize that it is a mythical landscape, and that the characters are vaguely Muslim as a result of the context in which they grew up. (Should be moved to analysis section)

Thompson explains that he borrowed elements from different geographies, and infused them with the elements that he wanted. (no source) The book intersperses stories drawn from the Koran with the main narrative that follows Dodola, a young girl who, despite being intelligent and literate, is prized for her beauty, and the younger Zam, a boy whose guilt-ridden relationship with his surrogate mother leads to destructive choices.

The story begins with Dodola, a nine-year old girl who is sold into marriage by her poverty-stricken parents. Her husband goes onto rapes her on their wedding night, but he eventually finds pity for her due to her young age. As a result, he teaches her how to read and write, which allow Dodola to understand and find appreciation for the Qur'an. However, one day, their home is broken into by thieves who murder Dodola's husband and kidnap her to be sold as a slave. During this captured period, Dodola witnesses the thieves preparing to kill an young boy - who she saves by claiming him to be her brother despite their evident ethnic differences. This child is the character known to be Zam.

Prior to being sold into the slave market, Dodola and Zam escape from their captors and find refuge within an abandoned boat in the desert. However, in order to survive and earn money towards food and clothing, Dodola scavenges the desert and prostitutes herself to passing travelers, which eventually earns her the title of “phantom courtesan of the desert”. As Zam grows older, he becomes increasingly reluctant to stay hidden within the boat until one day he decides to follow Dodola. Zam witnesses Dodola being raped by a passing traveler and Zam is beset by guilt. In an attempt to contribute, Zam goes off to search for water at a reservoir. Dodola, however, is found alone in the boat by a group of men who kidnap her for the Sultan of Wanatolia's harem. The Sultan, aware of her reputation and allure, makes a deal with Dodola claiming that he would grant her one wish if she is able to please him for seventy nights - otherwise, he would execute her. Dodola takes upon the conditions of the agreement and is bound to sexual servitude for seventy nights. However, on the very last night, the Sultan claims that he is not pleased by her and imprisons Dodola.

Throughout this episode, Zam is stuck in desert and is confronted with starvation and thirst. In an attempt to retrieve some water, Zam journeys back to the reservoir where he is assaulted by the tradesmen. Zam befriends a eunuch in the nearby village and begins to undertake random tasks and jobs in order to survive. He eventually becomes a eunuch for the Sultan's court where he is finally reunited with Dodola. They escape from the Sultan's palace and attempt to find another place for refuge.

Zam and Dodola come across their abandoned boat in a garbage dump. Rather than live in the garbage dump, they decide to move to another place upon seeing the impoverished conditions of the individuals scavenging the garbage dump for survival. They sneak onto a garbage truck, which takes them into the city of Wanatolia - an area that is extremely developed and filled with high-rise buildings. They feign being a married couple and Zam finds work within the city as a factory worker. Despite their ameliorated condition, Zam's conscious is disturbed by previous Dodola's treatment and his status as a eunuch to the point where he contemplates suicide. The novel concludes with Dodola and Zam saving a slave girl to prevent her from being subject to the same fate as Dodola and with them making plans to move out of the city.

Genre/Type (new section)

Habibi is considered by scholars and other literary experts as a graphic novel, which falls under the greater umbrella of the comics form. A key differentiating factor for this particular type of literature is the employment of braiding - essentially the function of making connections across the multiframe. It is primarily focused on the relationship of the visual composition within a panel to others on a page and other panels scattered throughout the broader work, such as thematic elements and their significance in reference to their positioning within the graphic novel. Habibi has also been considered as a satire due its emphasis of Islamic influence that is countered by the advent of castration as a means of expressing the impossibility and undesirability of living as a heterosexual, reproductive male. Yet, Habibi is most typified by the dramatic elements within its panels that lead many scholars to characterize this novel as being part of a Drama-Romance genre.

Critical Reception & Distinctions

Douglas Wolk of Time magazine called the book "as grand and sustained a performance as any cartoonist has published... and that every mark on the page can be a prayer". Lisa Shea of Elle magazine wrote, "Thompson is the Charles Dickens of the genre... [and] Habibi is a masterpiece that surely is one of a kind" Neel Mukherjee of Financial Times observed that the book was "executed with enormous empathy and something that in earlier times would have been called divine inspiration." Laura Miller of Salon stated, "a big, rousing, unabashedly tear-jerking Dumas novel, with fascinatingly intricate designs and fabulous tales on almost every page." Inbali Iserles of The Independent predicted that "The book is destined to become an instant classic, confirming the author's position among not only the most masterful of graphic novelists but our finest contemporary writers, regardless of medium." Glen Weldon of NPR commented, "Of all the books I've read this year, the mysterious, marvelous Habibi is the one I most look forward to meeting again." Jacob Lambert of The Millions called the book "The Greatest Story Ever Drawn." John Hogan of the Graphic Novel Reporter commented, "I don’t usually look at books in-depth here in the introduction to the newsletter, but I have to make an exception in the case of Habibi", and proceeds to call Habibi "easily the best graphic novel of the year, and probably the decade...This is a work that truly changes the game and sets a new standard for all the graphic novels that follow it."

Michel Faber of The Guardian praised Habibi as "an orgy of art for its own sake", and calling Thompson an "obsessive sketcher" whose artwork he categorized with that of Joe Sacco and Will Eisner. Although Faber lauded the book's visuals and its message, he found both its length wearisome and its treatment of sex to be problematic, in particular the repeatedly sexual cruelty visited upon Dodola, which Faber felt caused the story to fold in on itself.

Natalie du P.C. Panno, writing for The Harvard Crimson, called Habibi "exquisite", seeing Thompson's use of Arabic calligraphy and geometric designs as a third dimension that, when added to the familiar graphic novel languages of image and text, broadened the possibilities for expression, perhaps more so for readers who do not know what it means, and must be guided in its interpretation. du P.C. Panno also praised the sensitivity with which Thompson executed his portrayal of Orientalist tropes, particular by the end of the book.

Charles Hatfield of The Comics Journal conducted a round table discussion of the book featuring himself, Hayley Campbell, Chris Mautner, Tom Hart, Katie Haegele, and Joe McCulloch. Most of the panelists applauded Thompson's visual storytelling, calling it "gorgeous", "mind-altering", "lavish", and singling out elements such as Thompson's use of false light, and the "poignant" image of the wooden ship in the desert. More than one panelist compared Thompson's artwork positively to that of Will Eisner, in particular the fisherman from the story's final act. Also praised were the use of Arabic calligraphy and numerology, the intertwining of Biblical and Koranic vignettes as subplots with the main story, the scripting of Dodola's challenge to "turn water into gold", and the parallels between motifs such as chapter numbers and their content, and between the river and blood. Hatfield thought that the book's range of themes, from environmentalism to anti-Islamophobia, to thinly-veiled allegories about water rights, racism, pollution, slavery and rape made the book "way too big for elegance". By contrast, Mautner in particular thought Habibi was a smoother read than Blankets, which he felt featured too many subplots. Hart and McCullough agreed that Thompson's tendency to delineate every little detail which such obviousness left little to the reader's imagination or interpretation. The most recurrent complaint was with the book's bleak outlook on life and humanity, and the sexual cruelties inflicted upon the characters, which some of the reviewers thought was excessive, in particular Hatfield and Haegele, who felt that Thompson was condemning such atrocities while simultaneously luxuriating in them. Haegele did not care for the depiction of black characters in the book, finding them comparable to racial caricatures, and calling them "inappropriate" and "disgusting", and pointed to the "cornball" humor in these scenes in particular, and throughout the book in general. Both Hart and Haegele also pointed to Hyacinth's use of black American vernacular as implausible. Campbell partially disagreed, saying that much of the humor was carefully used to defuse scenes of tension, singling out the flatulent palace dwarf and the fisherman, which others mentioned they enjoyed as well.

Robyn Creswell of The New York Times called the book "a mess", and "a work of fantasy about being ashamed of one's fantasies", an anxiety that he attributed to American comics produced by white males in general, pointing to elements in Habibi that recall the work of R. Crumb in particular. Echoing some of the Comics Journal roundtable's complaints, Creswell took fault with the book's depictions of racism and sexism, and its apparent exotification of the Muslim world without differentiating between fact and fantasy, saying, "It’s often hard to tell whether Thompson is making fun of Orientalism or indulging in it...Thompson the illustrator is...apparently unable to think of Dodola without disrobing her...it is a conventional sort of virtuosity, in the service of a conventional exoticism."

Nadim Damluji of The Hooded Utilitarian called the book "an imperfect attempt to humanize Arabs for an American audience", taking issue with Thompson's ignorance of the Arabic language, his depiction of Arab culture as "cultural appropriation", and the revelation in the later chapters of a modern, Westernized city in proximity to a primitive harem palace typified by sexual slavery. Though Damluji expressed awe of Thompson's technical skill, and found his artwork "stunning" and his ideas derived from his research "fascinating", he observed that Dodola and Zam arrive are given depth by contrasting them against "a cast of extremely dehumanized Arabs", and summarized the work thus: "Habibi is a success on many levels, but it also contains elements that are strikingly problematic...The artistic playground [Thompson] chose of barbaric Arabs devoid of history but not savagery is a well-trod environment in Western literature....The problem in making something knowingly racist is that the final product can still be read as racist."

On November 5, 2019, the BBC News listed Habibi on its list of the 100 most influential novels.

Bibliography of sources for editing Habibi(graphic novel)

Beineke, Colin. “The Expanding Art of Comics: Ten Modern Masterpieces by Thierry Groensteen.” Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, vol. 3, no. 2, 2019, pp. 213–216., doi:10.1353/ink.2019.0018.

Canvas, Michael. "‘HABIBI’: The Illustrated Review of Craig Thompson’s Ornate New Epic." September 23, 2011, Web. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/habibi-the-illustrated-review-of-craig-thompsons-ornate-new-epic/2011/09/22/gIQAWSxSqK_blog.html (Links to an external site.)>.

Groensteen, Thierry. "The Art of Braiding: A Clarification." European Comic Art 9.1 (2016): 88. CrossRef. Web.

Hoving, Isabel. "Desire at Risk: Queer Reconfigurations of Sexuality and Race in Contemporary Flood Narratives." Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses.77 (2018): 91-104. CrossRef. Web.

Maity, Nandini. "From Comic Culture to Cyber Culture: Cultural Imperialism and its Impact on the Youth since 1960s." IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 8.4 (2013): 10-4. CrossRef. Web.

Panno, Natalie. "'Habibi' Gracefully Subverts Orientalist Tropes." September 20, 2011, Web. <https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/9/20/habibi-one-thompson-new/ (Links to an external site.)>.

Rebeccah Griffith. A Container Reshaped by its Contents: The Boyndaries of Language in Craig Thompson's "Habibi". 4 Vol. Web.