![]() Excerpts from the journals feature in The Freedom Writers Diary. Erin talked to PBS SoCal about how she got her students to share their journal entries: They also learned of the destructive potential of racial stereotypes and the ruin racial wars had brought upon the world.Įrin encouraged her students to journal their experiences, bringing them closer together. Gruwell’s approach worked as the students learned of the power of personal storytelling. ![]() They listened to Miep Gies, the woman who hid Anne Frank from the Nazis. Gruwell’s pupils read The Diary of Anne Frank and Zlata’s Diary instead of Shakespeare and the classics. So, Gruwell modified her syllabus to educate her students on the history of racial feuds in the world. She compared the racist remark to Nazi propaganda and was surprised to learn that only one of her students knew of the Holocaust. Gruwell’s desire to effect change sparked after she found several students ridiculing their classmate’s race. I was basically this new teacher given the students that nobody else wanted.” It happened to the kids I ended up teaching because I had all the kids who were busted, kids who had learning disabilities and kids had trouble with the law. “What I found, because I was brand new and I didn’t live in the city, was that there was a lot of intrinsic separation and masked racism. Erin talked to PBS SoCal about her group of students: She taught a diverse group of students, many of whom came from supportive families and a few who’d endured sexual abuse, domestic violence, and homelessness. Paramount, 2007.Erin Gruwell arrived at Woodrow Wilson High School in 1994 as a student-teacher. However, their stories and background prove to be similar in many ways. Being exposed to violence from a young age, they both appear to be tough and bad-tempered at first. Eva and Sindy, considering themselves very different, both find themselves vulnerable inside. Moreover, the film shows how each of the characters changes due to the lessons of Erin Gruwell. In conclusion, Freedom Writers talks about the difficult fate of students, exposing their feuds and conflicts. Both students suffer because of their past and do not want to repeat the previous mistakes in the future. Observing what the girls wrote in their diaries, the teacher noted that each of them experienced all the moments they have lived in their own way. Eva and Sindy both witnessed violence and brutality from a young age, which brings these two characters together. Both girls turned out to be truly vulnerable natures, which shows their similarity as individuals. Also, Erin Gruwell’s lessons have greatly helped both Eva and Sindy unlock their inner potentials. On the other hand, it is this fact that brings the two high school students together, intertwining their personalities. As noted earlier, both girls are members of rival gangs, which leads to numerous conflicts. Following the character’s development, it is seen that she did not accept this fate rather, she was its hostage.ĭespite the differences, Eva and Sindy are more similar than they have anticipated. This can also be seen in the scene where Sindy openly tells Erin Gruwell that life in the camp seemed like a real prison to her (Freedom Writers). Thus, she realized from an early age that such a life was not suitable for her. Sindy, living in a refugee camp, saw this place as a prison, not a home. Moreover, as already mentioned, girls differ from each other in several aspects. Being in different gangs, the girls see each other as rivals and enemies, which is manifested in their quarrels and disagreements. Sindy is a gang member, which leads to a conflict with her classmate Eva. Certainly, her childhood cannot be called happy, and it affects the character of the young women. At an early age, Sindy witnessed such a terrible event as war, during which she was forced to live in a refugee camp. Just like Eva, Sindy Ngon had a difficult and traumatic childhood, full of violence and sadness. On the other hand, Eva sees such a life as normal and believes that she does not deserve anything better. Seeing the same cruelty and violence from an early age, some of her classmates realize that such a life does not suit them, and they are its hostages. These differences consist in her acceptance and non-resistance of this cruel fate. However, in some ways, she differs from her classmates, and particularly from Sindy. Like her father, she becomes a member of a gang, skips school, and commits various illegal actions. In the past, her father was a gang member and a prisoner, which certainly left its mark on the character of the girl. Eva Benitez is portrayed as a rude and short-tempered girl who constantly gets into fights and makes bad decisions.
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