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"But unlike the majority of the country, the Freedom Writers were not quick to vilify Klebold and Harris" (275).

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"But unlike the majority of the country, the Freedom Writers were not quick to vilify Klebold and Harris" (275).

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Vilify (verb): To speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner.
Ex. Celebrities are often vilified by the media.

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"Four years ago, it would have been unimaginable for us, a group of diverse kids, to work together, we laugh together, we cry together, and we wouldn't have it any other way" (269).

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"Four years ago, it would have been unimaginable for us, a group of diverse kids, to work together, we laugh together, we cry together, and we wouldn't have it any other way" (269).

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The emotional journey that these kids experienced over their high school career was absolutely incredible to witness. Just reading their accounts of daily life where many have seen loved ones shot right before their eyes, or have even been on the other side of the trigger is truly insightful. Battling drug addiction, domestic violence, depression, homelessness, racism, and more, these kids not only made it out alive, but they prospered. They united together and stood for a common cause of equality and freedom, which tore down all previous racial barriers between them. No longer was it Black and White or Asian and Latino, they were all just human beings. The profound effect that the Freedom Writers had expanded far beyond anyone's expectations. They stood as role models for generations to come and showed that it is possible to triumph past hardship. Many of Freedom Writers became the first in their family to attend college, which is a major stepping stone in the right direction. They now challenge the reader to pass the torch and to keep the flame alive by making a positive impact on the world and to fight for what is right.

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"After feeling sorry for myself for a couple of days, I decided that I had no reason not to fight for air and freedom. True, things were not going exactly as planned, but do they ever? Breathing again, I began to rearrange my future plans..." (258). 

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"After feeling sorry for myself for a couple of days, I decided that I had no reason not to fight for air and freedom. True, things were not going exactly as planned, but do they ever? Breathing again, I began to rearrange my future plans..." (258). 

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The strength and courage that these students display throughout the course of this book is incredible. Coming from an affluent community, we are not often exposed to the same types of hardship that these kids endure day in and day out. Not only are they dealing with all of these issues outside of school, many of them are still trying to apply for college. This student's plans were thrown slightly off track when she found out that she was pregnant for the second time. When the author includes the phrase "after feeling sorry for myself for a couple of days" she appeals directly to pathos. By admitting her vulnerability, she appears genuine to the reader, which makes her words far more touching. Additionally, the use of a rhetorical question offers insight into what was going through the writers head at the time, as well as making the reader question their own life.

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"I look forward to sharing my writing and no longer imagining myself as the 'starving artist'" (235). 

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"I look forward to sharing my writing and no longer imagining myself as the 'starving artist'" (235). 

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One of the greatest things about this book is seeing the attitudes of the students slowly progress through each entry. The students at the beginning of the novel never imagined anything for their futures. Many never even considered graduating high school as a possibility. They had never been given the proper chance to succeed. Instead teachers wrote them off as "unteachable" and "stupid", which only succeeded in crushing any sliver of hope that they had of escaping the system. When this student denounces their previous perception of them self as a "starving artist" it gives the reader a sense of satisfaction that these students are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. With the help and support of Mrs. Gruwell, students began to recognize their full potential and started to fall in love with literature. For the first time, they felt excited about learning and coming to school everyday.

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"Losing these people would be like losing a part of my family. I can't go through that again" (189). 

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"Losing these people would be like losing a part of my family. I can't go through that again" (189). 

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For many of these kids, their fellow freedom writers were the only people in their lives that they could count on. Multiple entries discuss how their parents were either addicted to drugs, dead, in jail, divorced, or simply didn't care about them because they were a "mistakes" or "problematic". For this student, their alcoholic mother abandoned him/her for weeks at time, which left the student feeling extremely depressed and alone. The student even began to make curfews for himself/herself to make up for the lack of structure that wasn't provided by an adult figure. For me personally, I take the structure and rules in my life for granted. At times it may seem "annoying", but in reality I realized that my parents are just trying to ensure the best for me. The Freedom Writer family became a safe haven for the students. It gave a sense of stability and acceptance that many of them never had before.

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January 5, 2018

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"The parks aren't strewn with hypodermic needles or broken glass" (140). 

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"The parks aren't strewn with hypodermic needles or broken glass" (140). 

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Hypodermic (adj): relating to the region immediately beneath the skin
Ex. When the severely wounded patient arrived in the ER, the doctors gave him a hypodermic injection of morphine to help with the pain.

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"I feel like I finally have a purpose in this class and in life. That purpose is to make a difference and stand up for a cause" (154). 

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"I feel like I finally have a purpose in this class and in life. That purpose is to make a difference and stand up for a cause" (154). 

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The shift in tone in this entry is a turning point for many of the students. The novel is structured in chronological order, thus when an event happens the students reflect upon it in their entries, which all flow together so the reader can get multiple perspectives on the same event. The order in which the entries are presented in itself is very interesting, because often it will flow from one idea to the next or will display contrasting points of view, like from a white student to a black student. Around the time period of this particular entry, the students were learning about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks gave them proof that every individual has the capability to make change. These were the same kids who originally thought they would amount to nothing at the beginning of the year, but here they are now saying that they have a purpose in life.

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"Sorry, diary, I was going to try not to do it tonight, but the little baggy of white powder is calling my name" (98). 

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"Sorry, diary, I was going to try not to do it tonight, but the little baggy of white powder is calling my name" (98). 

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Many of the Freedom Writers use their journal entries as a way to escape the realities of their lives. Because these entries are all confidential, they are able to open up about the most intimate details of their lives. This student in particular has resorted to crystal meth to "feel better". By personifying "the little baggy of white powder", the writer emphasizes how the drug has taken full control over their life. The speaker is ashamed and knows his/her actions are wrong but feels trapped in a vicious cycle of needing the high. Additionally, when the speaker addresses the diary like person, it further adds to the personal element that is present throughout the entirety of the entry. For me this passage stood out in particular because of how brutally honest the speaker was with them self. He/She presented the alternative view of the silent battle of drugs and addiction, which for me was an enlightening experience. The internal conflict is heartbreaking to hear, thus making the piece that much more memorable.

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"There's not even a war in my country, yet I can't even go to a movie with my friend because she's white...The time hasn't come for people to overcome hatred of others because of something as insignificant as race" (91).

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"There's not even a war in my country, yet I can't even go to a movie with my friend because she's white...The time hasn't come for people to overcome hatred of others because of something as insignificant as race" (91).

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Yet again, these students have drawn parallels of war to the horrors they face everyday. We are living in a world constantly consumed by violence and hate, but so often it is turned over and brushed aside. Why is this? These are the questions the Freedom Writers ask and attempt to come to terms with. However, there seems to be no answer in sight for many of them. Race, especially so at the begining of the novel was the catalyst for conflict and violence among the students. With the help of Mrs. G's lessons on equality, the students began to see their peers for who they truly were, rather than just by the color of their skin. However, the outside world around them is not as accepting. Many of the students face immense adversity and racial conflict outside of school. This is evident through this entry in the last sentence where the speaker expresses a sense of hopelessness. Phrases like "the time hasn't come" makes the reader wonder if it ever will. The speaker also incorporates mundane examples such as going to movies to express the severity of the situation. If he/she cannot even go to the movies with the opposite race, equality seems like an impossible task.

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"Suicide is something that's always on my mind, "24/7." There isn't a day that goes by without the enemy shooting suicidal thoughts through my mind. I am left injured and confused. Without notice, the enemy takes control of my mind and body and I become it's puppet" (121). 

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"Suicide is something that's always on my mind, "24/7." There isn't a day that goes by without the enemy shooting suicidal thoughts through my mind. I am left injured and confused. Without notice, the enemy takes control of my mind and body and I become it's puppet" (121). 

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Similarly to the quote on page 98, the students utilizes personification to enhance his/her most personal struggles. These students are left without proper treatment for their mental health because many do not have the financial ability to pay for therapy or anti-depressants. The violent way in which the author personifies their own thoughts as an "enemy shooting suicidal thoughts" radiates such powerful emotion. On top of that, the author directly compares him/herself to a "puppet". This metaphor symbolizes how the speaker has no control over their own thoughts, and is subjected to the relentless authority of depression. The intensity of the subject automatically appeals to the readers pathos, which makes them feel an immense amount of sympathy towards the speaker. Although these entries are all different, they are share a similar reoccurring theme of feeling loneliness in the world, where they are unable to share their problems with others.

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December 22, 2017

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December 15, 2017

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"My drinking never really bothered me before we started reading all these books about people changing and wanting to make a difference...I'm the one choosing to hide. Unfortunately Anne Frank was never free. It makes me wonder if I'll ever be" (68). 

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"My drinking never really bothered me before we started reading all these books about people changing and wanting to make a difference...I'm the one choosing to hide. Unfortunately Anne Frank was never free. It makes me wonder if I'll ever be" (68). 

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These kids really had nothing going for them at this point in their lives. Why should they trust the education system when all they've ever heard was "you're not good enough"? All they've ever known was teacher giving up on them, but Mrs. Gruwell, was the first adult figure in their lives that actually cared about their education and well being and took the time to understand where they came from. She gave them hope. The tone of the diary entries progress significantly from pessimistic and dark at the beginning to more hopeful and inspired as the year goes on. Many of the students, including this one alludes to Anne Frank in their entries in which they contrast the events going on in their own lives to her. Mrs. Gruwell chose to have the kids read The Diary of Anne Frank, whom for many found it that Anne's life paralleled their own, despite the fact that she was living in Nazi Germany. By having a figure they could relate to, the students began to see that they weren't alone in this seemingly dark world.

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"Besides, I didn't become a teacher to win any congeniality contests" (49).

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"Besides, I didn't become a teacher to win any congeniality contests" (49).

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Congeniality (adj): agreeable, suitable, or pleasing in nature or character
Ex. The young girl never got into arguments because of her congenial nature, but as a result she never asserted her true opinion.

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"6:45 A.M.-I've ridden one bus to catch another bus that will now take me directly to school. School...why bother going to school? What's the use of going if I don't have a place to live? When friends ask me how summer was, what am I going to say? I got evicted from my apartment? (53). 

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"6:45 A.M.-I've ridden one bus to catch another bus that will now take me directly to school. School...why bother going to school? What's the use of going if I don't have a place to live? When friends ask me how summer was, what am I going to say? I got evicted from my apartment? (53). 

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In our lives it's so easy to get caught up in the little things, but entries like this showcase how fortunate we really are. The writer effectively utilizes rhetorical questions which not only expresses his/her thought process, but also makes the reader contemplate their own realities in comparison to the speaker. It's humbling to read the intimate details of these students lives, and it awes me how they continue to come to school everyday when they face such adversity. It's easy to put labels on these kids and succumb to the stereotypes like "lazy" or "unmotivated", but how can one fully focus on academics when death is always lingering around the corner? Whether or not the writer intended to have this effect, their use of language is raw and real, which hits the reader hard.

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"I've lost many friends, friends who have died in an undeclared war. A war that has been here for years, but has never been recognized. A war between color and race. A war that will never end. A war that has left family and friends crying for loved ones who have perished" (16). 

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"I've lost many friends, friends who have died in an undeclared war. A war that has been here for years, but has never been recognized. A war between color and race. A war that will never end. A war that has left family and friends crying for loved ones who have perished" (16). 

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Many of the students at Woodrow Wilson High School go through tremendous hardship, including this student who recently lost his/her friend at the hand of senseless gang violence. The use of anaphora with the phrase "A war" emphasizes the monstrosities that racial tensions have brought upon the country and the lasting effects on the people it touches. The word "war" itself holds a negative connotation, so by comparing the violence in Long Beach to a war, it further adds to the severity of the situation. Considering how young the writer is, this entry is even more powerful because of how his/her innocence was stripped away so soon, and how death has become such a customary part of their lives. The powerful diction the writer uses appeals greatly to pathos, and provides awareness to the ruthless violence that occurs everyday in our very own country.

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I was originally drawn to this book because I had remembered the movie version that I had watched a few years prior. I personally enjoy narrative stories from the first person perspective so the structure of this book is right up my alley. The Freedom Writers Diary is complied of journal entries from students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach California, whose home lives are ridiculed with violence and various other obstacles, which puts life in perspective through their recounts of daily life.

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Due Dates:
12/15 - p77 (fall sophomore year)
12/21- p191 (spring junior year)
1/5 - p277 (epilogue)