Drama (graphic novel)

Drama
Author Raina Telgemeier
Language English
Genre Graphic novel, coming-of-age, children's book
Published September 1, 2012
Publisher Scholastic/Graphix
ISBN 9780545326995
Website goraina.com/drama

Drama is a graphic novel written by Raina Telgemeier, an American cartoonist, which centers on the story of Callie, a middle schooler and theater-lover who works in her school's drama production crew. While navigating seventh grade, she deals with tween hardship, including confusing crushes and budding friendships.

Drama is a coming-of-age story that explores themes of friendship, teamwork, inclusion, and determination through Callie and her relationship with the people around her.[1]

The novel has received both praise, in the forms of awards, and critiques. It has appeared in many challenges across the United States for inclusion of LGBTQ characters, landing it in the American Library Association's list of the top 10 most challenged books.

Background

In an interview with School Library Journal, author Raina Telgemeier responds to a question about her inspiration for the graphic novel by saying she wrote from her life experiences, what she felt, saw and knew.[2] 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.[3] Several characters in the graphic novel are based on real people. The gay twin brothers, Jesse and Justin, resemble two of Telgemeier's actual friends, and their in-book personalities mirror real life personalities.[2] Although Telgemeier originally intended the characters to be high schoolers, Scholastic believed the setting was more appropriate for middle school.[3]

The graphic novel itself combines both manga and comic forms, which the author frequently read while growing up.[3]

Summary

Drama follows Callie Marin, a seventh-grader at Eucalyptus Middle School. The novel opens with Greg, Callie’s long-time crush and the brother of her good friend, Matt. She confesses her feelings for Greg and they share a kiss. In school, Callie joins the stage crew for the production of Moon over Mississippi as the set designer. Later, when she looks for Greg, Callie finds out that Greg and his ex-girlfriend, Bonnie, are hanging out again. The following week, Callie proposes her ideas for the set design and suggests making a cannon that actually has an explosion. There is some doubt voiced by her peers, but Callie promises them that she can create one. Later on, while hanging up posters for the musical, Callie meets twins Justin and Jesse. Justin is eager to try out for the musical but Jesse tells Callie that he is too shy.

The next day, Callie and Matt are working on set design when Liz, another of Callie's good friends, asks them to accompany her to the basement because she is scared to go alone. On the way back up, they have an awkward exchange with Greg. Later on, Callie runs into the twins who invite her to go to the mall with them. Callie wants to walk past the baseball field with the two boys before leaving to make Greg jealous but it nearly backfires before Justin steps in. At the mall, Callie shows Jesse a book about set designs and describes her love for theatre production and her dreams for the future. As they wait for the twins' father to pick them up, Jesse and Justin sing one of the songs from the musical. Callie realizes that both boys have serious talent and urges Jesse to try out too, but he refuses. Callie then asks him to work on stage crew with her, which he enthusiastically accepts. The next day, an angry Matt confronts Callie, who is confused over his sudden aggression. At lunch, she sits with Justin, who tells Callie that he is gay. Callie is a little surprised, but accepting of him nonetheless.

During the following day, Callie and Jessie watch the auditions for the musical.To Justin’s dismay, the lead role is taken by West Redding. That night, Callie recalls how her love for theatre production began when her mother took her to see Les Miserables. The next day, during set production, Callie and Jesse take a snack break and Jesse reveals how he wants Justin to have his time to shine. Some days later, the stage crew accompanies Liz down to the basement again, where they find Bonnie and West kissing. Sometime later, Liz and Callie are hanging out and working on the musical production when Callie confesses her crush on Jesse. Liz tells her to ask Jesse to the dance, and Jesse enters the room shortly after. That night, Callie texts Jesse and asks if he wants to go to the bookstore with her, to which he never replies. The next day, Jesse is waiting at her locker and accepts the request in person. After school, Callie meets up with Jesse and Justin and their father who takes them to the bookstore. Upon waiting to be picked up, Callie asks if the twins' father knows that Justin is gay, to which Justin tells her no. The next day, Callie runs into Greg again and they exchange conversation about the upcoming dance, which Callie wishes for Jesse to ask her to. Callie is then busy with preparing for the musical, going through rehearsals and successfully trying to figure out the cannon. When sales for the production are low, she demonstrates her cannon in front of the student body and generates a lot of excitement.

The opening night of the musical is a success, but the second night is marred after West breaks up with Bonnie. Bonnie locks herself in a supply closet after one of the acts and refuses to come back out. The stage crew is in panic before Jesse dresses up as a girl and goes on instead of Bonnie. He performs well and then he and West share a kiss. Jesse is praised for his performance and then asks Callie to the dance. At the dance, Jesse disappears for a long time before Callie finds him, talking to West outside. He implies to Callie that he is gay, and Callie storms off after he makes a comment about her falling in love with every nice guy. Callie bumps into Greg and they go for a walk, where Greg tries to kiss Callie again but she refuses. Later, Callie meets with Jesse where he apologizes and thanks her for helping him break out of his shell. Later, Matt confesses his crush on Callie that made him act out of jealousy and lash out. Afterwards, Liz forgives Callie for choosing a boy over her. At the end of the novel, the stage crew celebrates the success of the musical and Callie is named stage crew manager for the following year, much to her excitement.


|- |Callie |The main character of Drama. A middle school girl who is passionate about theater and set production. Has a complicated love life but ends up having a crush on Jesse. |- |Greg |Kisses Callie at the beginning of the story but begins to ignore her later on. Has awkward e |- |Matt |Another student interested in theater and set production. Has a secret crush on Callie and reveals his feelings in the end. Greg’s brother. |- |Bonnie |Greg’s ex-girlfriend. Dates West throughout the middle of the story and breaks up with him before the play. She was meant to play Miss Maybelle but was later replaced by Jesse when she refused to play the part. |- |Liz |One of Callie’s friends who is also part of the set production team. Frequently hangs out with Callie and supports her with set production as well as problems in her social life. |- |Jesse |The twin brother of Justin. He is hesitant to audition for the play at first but is convinced by Callie and Justin. He replaces Bonnie as Miss Maybelle last minute and does an excellent job. He kisses West in the finale of the play. |- |Justin |The twin brother of Jesse. He is eager to audition for the play but the lead male role, Mr Johnson, is taken by West Redding. |- |West |A tall handsome boy who gets selected for the lead male role, Mr Johnson. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He kisses Jesse in the finale of the play. |}

Themes

Presentation of Questioning Identity and Coming Out

Eti Berland has credited Raina Telgemeier as using Justin’s coming out story to show that sharing one’s sexual identity to a confidant is an important aspect of middle school life, whether it is to a family member, friend or an adult in school. Justin casually reveals his sexual orientation to Callie, conveying the message that coming out has become increasingly normalized in young people’s lives.[4]

They further state that Jesse’s case unravels more complexity in the narrative, given that throughout the story he grows to come to terms with his sexual identity. His process of coming out is slow and closely related to his fear of being judged. Performing in the play is a major catalyst to his “process of identity formation”, as he comes to terms with his sexuality. Despite the initially worrisome situation Jesse finds himself in after ditching Callie in the school play, his coming out story is “challenging but affirming” where he finds an accepting and supportive community.[4]

West’s process of coming out is still burgeoning. He displays signs of perpetually self-questioning tweens who “recognize the fluidity of identity”. He represents the idea that the “gay-straight divide” is slowly fading by continuously doubting his sexuality without selecting a label (“still doesn’t know if he’s really gay, or, I dunno, bi, or whatever”). West is able to decide for himself what he wants to self-identify as.[4]

Portrayal of Hegemonic Masculinity

Berland states that Raina Telgemeier demonstrates instances of hegemonic masculinity several times in Drama through the characters of Matt and Jesse, who struggle against the institutional and “social structures” such as dating and sports, that categorize men into hierarchies. In Matt’s case, the pressure of society to conform into “real men” is more pronounced, saying “Their stuff’s way too cutesy for me”, in an attempt to assert masculine authority over Callie. Another instance of this is when he displays his “craving for dominance” by telling Callie to focus less on the performers with the “intention of becoming the object of her affections”. In the end, Matt expresses remorse for his actions, and resists hegemonic masculinity.[4]

Jesse’s fight against masculine norms is subtler than Matt’s. His hidden desire to perform in stage is held back by his fear of being judged for what he enjoys. He also encounters expectations of masculinity from his father, when asked whether Callie was his girlfriend. This served to reinforce the “patriarchal approach to male-female relationships”. Once Jesse faces hegemonic masculinity and plays the role of Miss Maybelle (resisting gender norms), he is finally able to “undergo a time of self-discovery” and come out.[4]

Reception and awards

Drama has received largely positive reviews by book critics. Publishers Weekly said Drama presents the challenges that are associated with “school production” in a complex “middle school” setting.[5] Booklist Review said "Telgemeier is prodigiously talented at telling cheerful stories with realistic portrayals of middle-school characters."[6] Ada Calhoun of the NY Times Book Review said that as a former tech director, she Can vouch for the genuineness of the novel in that it is through the monotone routines of the “backstage world” that “friendship and romance flourish”[1].

Drama has won a 2013 Stonewall Book Award in Children's and Young Adult Literature, an award given by the American Library Association that serves to recognize authors who tackle LGBTQ related topics.[7]

Drama has been nominated for a Harvey Award by a group of comic-book professionals for excellence in comics.[8]

Controversy

Drama has been challenged by some parents and critics for being "sexually explicit" and for having "subject matter too advanced for elementary students."[9][10] 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.[11] At Kirbyville Junior High in Kirbyville, Texas, the book was also banned for being "politically, racially, or socially offensive."[12] Its use has also been restricted in Seele Elementary School in New Braunfels, Texas.[10] Responding to criticism, Telgemeier has said she is "grateful Scholastic has been willing to stand behind me on Drama."[13]

Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit that rates and reviews media by age-appropriateness, has marked Drama as appropriate for readers over 14 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."[14]

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.[2] 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."[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Calhoun, Ada (2012-08-23). "'Drama,' by Raina Telgemeier". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Interview: Raina Telgemeier on 'Drama' — Good Comics for Kids". blogs.slj.com. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  3. 1 2 3 "Interview with Raina Telgemeier | Teenreads". www.teenreads.com. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Berland, Eti (2017-04-27). "The Drama of Coming Out: Censorship and Drama by Raina Telgemeier". Graphic Novels for Children and Young Adults: A Collection of Critical Essays. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781496811684.
  5. ↑ "Drama". Publisher Weekley. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Summary/Reviews: Drama /". Buffalo & Eerie County Public Library. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  7. ↑ "Stonewall Book Award List". American Library Association. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Drama". GoRaina. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books Lists of the 21st Century". American Library Association. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Banned Books". ACLU of Texas. 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  11. ↑ "Case Study: Drama". Comic Book Legal Defense. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  12. ↑ "Banned Books". ACLU of Texas. 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  13. ↑ Cavna, Michael. "'Persepolis,' 'Saga' and 'Drama' among 'Most Challenged' books in U.S. libraries". The Washington Post.
  14. ↑ "Drama - Book Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
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