“We are all ordinary people but even an ordinary person can within their own small ways turn on a small light in a dark room.” Miep Gies

A Brief Summary of the movie Freedom Writers

Freedom Writers is a 1990s film which tells the story of Erin Gruwell, a novice teacher and her interaction with a group of students at Wilson High School, located in Long Beach Los Angeles.
Through shared experiences and writing she helps the students to become writers themselves.

In the beginning of the film, Ms. G, as she was called by her students, had difficulty establishing a connection with her students and turns to her father and husband for support. Her offers guidance, but not the support she seeks. Her husband distances himself from her work and eventually their relationship.
Ms. G in turn, dedicates herself to teaching her students, leaving little time for nothing else. She takes on part-time jobs to buy books for the students and spends late nights working in the classroom.

The Head of Department and the faculty at large contributes little to helping Erin in the classroom. They offer advice based on institutional standards and past performance of the students, some staff suggesting that the students simply “don’t want to learn.”

At the center of the film, lie the stories of the students. The students are skeptical of Ms. G and her interest in their lives. Initially, they resist her attempts and refuse to cross the self-inflicted boundaries they have designated in their classroom. Based on race, the students sit within self-segregated groups of Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans.

Ms. G attempts to break up the division by assigning students seats outside of their preferred area. They are not pleased with this move. In an attempt to connect the culture of the students with curriculum, Erin uses a Tupac Shakur song for a lesson on