Freedom Writers is an inspirational drama based off the book The Freedom Writers Diary. The movie takes place in the early and mid 90’s beginning with scenes of actual footage from the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Teacher Erin Gruwell, played by actress Hillary Swank, wanted to be a part of the integration plans put in place at that time and decides to leave the security of Newport Beach to teach at a school in Long Beach, where crime rates are much higher. This school is full of teachers and administration that are bitter because their high achieving school has been going downhill ever since this integration plan has been put in place putting blame on the “unteachable” students. Erin, being the passionate teacher she is, helps the “unteachables” …show more content…
Social stratification, the systematic inequalities between groups of people that arise as intended or unintended consequences of social processes and relationships, is one of the main problems in freedom writers (Popp). The Society of Los Angeles in the 90’s was very gang oriented. The students, at first, have the motive and beliefs that school is unimportant, and instead decide to involve themselves with disruptive behavior, however, Erin came in and changed the way they thought of themselves by believing in them and proving to them that she …show more content…
Gruwell is writing sentences on the chalk board. Tito, a Hispanic student, draws a picture of a black student, Jamal. In the picture Tito uses a stereotype, a well-known idea or image of a person that is held by a number of people. by drawing Jamal with big fat lips. Once Mrs. Gruwell discovers the picture she stops class to talk to the students about what pictures like that can do to a group of people. She used examples like how the Nazis posted pictures all-around of Jews with big long noses and explained to them that this is how a holocaust happens. During the debate Eva chimes in accusing Mrs. Gruwell of not knowing anything about what they have to deal with on a day to day basis because she is white, another stereotype(Freedom Writers). You better understand how the students fell about the hierarchy of success. They believe that white people are at the top and have all the power while they are all left at the bottom fighting one another for the title of “the best”. Freedom writers is set in an open class system, where everyone is born into a certain class but still have the opportunity to climb up(Popp). The students only see a life where they have to fight to protect their own and to stay alive. They have no motivation to be in school or to better themselves because they do not believe it is possible, until Mrs. Gruwell steps in and provides them an ear to listen and a place to go if ever and whenever they need
For instance, Staples faces many stereotypes. He is a journalist who is consistently judged due to his appearance. In paragraph 1, “As I swung onto the avenue behind her, there seemed to be a discreet, uninflammatory distance between us.” Staples creates an image by describing himself as a monster but his description is based on how the outside world see him. He considers his presence a cause for altering others emotion. According to Stereotypes by Rachel E, “In the United States, some of the longest-held and potentially most detrimental stereotypes are those about African Americans.” This relates to Staples crucial journey to greatness. Staples was perceived as a mugger, a murderer, and a rapist because of his outside image and how others viewed
There are always certain social problems that take place in our communities. Some of us may not experience it first hand, but all of us should acknowledge the fact that our greatest social problem is still looming to this day. In Michelle Alexander’s work, Drug War Nightmare: How We Created a Massive Racial Caste System in America, she talks about the social problem of inequality and discrimination in America. From being an African American to being a law professor and experience as a clerk for a Supreme Court justice, it can give a reader a sense of comfort knowing that she knows what she is talking about. Alexander uses several methods of using logical and emotional appeals to the readers so they can get a glimpse of this national issue.
They began to work together to do good like when the students held a concert to get a guest speaker or when their teacher got another job just to get the students books the students where in a dark place and their teacher showed them the light. Most of the students were in gangs and bad situations but she took them out of that. The quote connects to the story because as it states they will stand by you in your darkest moments and Ms. Gruwell encouraged all of the students in their darkest moments when they were all so against one another and turning their back on school she stood by them and didn’t give up. The quote also states ‘’in your greatest moments they’re not afraid to let you shine’’ and she let them shine by giving them the credit for all the hard work they did and standing up for them against her coworkers and just overall believing in them that’s what connects the story The Freedom Writers to the quote
Over the decades a lot in the world has changed. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and the movie Freedom Writers by Richard LaGravenese. Tell the stories about how one ethnic group rules over the other nationalities. Making it known that they have more power. This resulted from segregation because of their colored skin. They both have different situations. The “FreeWriters” is about a classroom full of kids who have poor situations, and have to defend for their lives because of their nationalities. Their teacher inspires and teaches them respect, that they all can make it in life, and that they're all equal no matter what anyone says.It was a real story taken place in La, California in the 1990s. The book “To Kill A Mockingbird” is about between whites and blacks. It takes place in Maycomb, Alabama back in the late 1930s and early 1940s. This book is fiction but based on reality.
The novel also portrays numerous examples of racism, sexism, in creative ways. The stereotypes and themes portrayed in this novel have taught its readers not only very valuable lessons but ways to keep from placing stereotypes on people that are different from you before you get to know that person.
Bell hooks knows about the challenges of race and class, and why some people have a harder time than others in achieving the American Dream. It is normal to feel uncomfortable and awkward arriving at a new school for the first time, but this was something completely different. For bell hooks, walking through the halls with eyes staring at her as if she was an alien, she realized that schooling for her would never be the same. She describes her feelings of inequality a...
As can be seen, the victories for individuals who are in a certain group or society are so difficult to achieve because there are a lot of stereotypes and limits that others put in place that prevent certain individuals from achieving and pushing through diversity. During High school, I remember being treated harshly when I became pregnant at the age of 16; during the 90’s this was not precisely common for most High school students.
The Freedom Writer tells a story that taken place among a first year teacher and a group of different students that own all kinds of origin, color of skin and background. Erin Gruwell came from Newport Beach while the students came from East Los Angeles. In the movie, racism is a problem that cannot be neglected. It is the root cause of hatred, as well as a global issue.
...eral topic of school. The sister strives to graduate and go to school even though she is poor while her brother blames the school for him dropping out and not graduating. “I got out my social studies. Hot legs has this idea of a test every Wednesday” (118). This demonstrates that she is driven to study for class and get good grades while her brother tries to convince her that school is worth nothing and that there is no point in attending. “‘Why don’t you get out before they chuck you out. That’s all crap,’ he said, knocking the books across the floor. ‘You’ll only fail your exam and they don’t want failures, spoils their bloody numbers. They’ll ask you to leave, see if they don’t’” (118). The brother tries to convince his sister that school is not a necessity and that living the way he does, being a drop out living in a poverty stricken family is the best thing.
Lacking the necessary support, many start to devalue the importance of doing well in school deciding that perhaps school isn’t part of their identity. In Susan’s case she’s eliciting multiple forms of subordination, and within each dimension she’s being subjective to different types of oppression; racial oppression, gender oppression, and class oppression, she’s experiencing cultural alienation and isolation and is not only based on her ethnicity as a Latina but is also influenced by how she is treated as a female, as a member of a certain socioeconomic class, and in relation to her English language proficiency, and even her perceived immigration status. In this sense, students like Susan experience different forms of discrimination or marginalization that stems from
Erin Gruwell began her teaching career at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California where the school is integrated but it’s not working. Mrs. Gruwell is teaching a class fill with at-risk teenagers that are not interested in learning. But she makes not give up, instead she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning for their future as she assigned materials that can relate to their lives. This film has observed many social issues and connected to one of the sociological perspective, conflict theory. Freedom Writers have been constructed in a way that it promotes an idea of how the community where the student lives, represented as a racially acceptable society. The film upholds strong stereotypes of
The 2007 movie Freedom Writers gives a voice of hope and peace in a fragile environment where hate and sorrow battle in the life of urban teenagers. This drama film narrates the true story of a new English teacher, Erin Growell, who is designated to work in an inner-city school full of students surround by poverty, violence and youth crime bands. During the beginning of the movie, the teacher struggles to survive her first days at this racially segregated school in which students prejudice her for being white and ignore her authority in the classroom. The teacher encounters the life of students who are hopeless for a better future and attached to a delinquency lifestyle of survival. In addition, she confronts a reality of lack of educational
The film Freedom Writers directed by Richard La Gravenese is an American film based on the story of a dedicated and idealistic teacher named Erin Gruwell, who inspires and teaches her class of belligerent students that there is hope for a life outside gang violence and death. Through unconventional teaching methods and devotion, Erin eventually teaches her pupils to appreciate and desire a proper education. The film itself inquiries into several concepts regarding significant and polemical matters, such as: acceptance, racial conflict, bravery, trust and respect. Perhaps one of the more concentrated concepts of the film, which is not listed above, is the importance and worth of education. This notion is distinctly displayed through the characters of Erin, Erin’s pupils, opposing teachers, Scott and numerous other characters in the film. It is also shown and developed through the usage of specific dialogue, environment, symbolism, and other film techniques.
...n people have nothing. If people had more compassion for others the United States would not have all the problems that it does today. Mrs. Erin Gruwell had compassion for the students; when they saw how much she cared they changed their perspectives on life. Against all odds toward against Mrs. Erin Gruwell, she had the power of human will to teach the student. The writer introduced several scenarios on how young innocent children were influenced by family and friends of the same racial background to create hatred and gang’s violence against other races. Five messages in Freedom Writer are: Non judgmental, Racism, having compassion, the power of the human will, and education. Being non judgmental, having compassion and having human will helped Mrs. Erin Gruwell educate the children at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School. Segregated by race, united with education.
Freedom Writers is exalted by a true story and the diaries of real Long Beach juvenile after the LA riots also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest. Hilary Swank a two-time Academy Award winner stars as Erin Gruwell whose interest in becoming a teacher is soon ruined by a bunch of Blacks, Asian, and Latino criminals who disrespect her more than each other. When Erin prepares to concentrate on them like no grown up as ever done she soon realizes that for these kids getting through the day alive is good enough, they are teenagers fighting a war long ago before they were born. Like no other teacher in that school, Erin gives the students respect and dignity. For the first time, these teens soon understand that their lives matter and they have something to say.