John Robert B.

Lee September 19, 2018

Reflection#1

Freedom Writers

I see Freedom writers as a movie that is about people inspiring and

befriending each other through their own stories. In this movie, those the

people who were affected by the power of stories are the students of Erin

Gruwell’s class. At first, they were all aggressive and disrespectful towards

each other and to the teachers and were separated into groups based on

their affiliated gang or skin color. But thanks to the efforts of Erin Gruwell,

the whole class became a kind of family or community that supported each

other cope with their own personal experiences of prejudice and violence.

But Erin didn’t get this done overnight, she had to dedicate her own time

out of work to make sure that she accomplishes the challenge that she has

set upon herself.

Changing the mindsets of students who grew up in harsh conditions is not

an easy task, especially if the school itself discriminates against those

students and thinks that they are impossible to teach. Despite the odds

against her, I observed that Erin was determined to go help change all her

student’s lives for the better and it was a heartwarming moment in the

movie when she actually sees the students share their lives and fight

against the injustices that they were once part of.

There are countless messages in the movie but these are the ones that

connected with me. First, my favorite message is the words of

John Robert B. Lee September 19, 2018

Reflection#1

Freedom Writers

encouragement from Miep Gies, one of the Dutch citizens who hid Anne

Frank. She said to the students that an ordinary secretary or a housewife or

a teenager can, within their own small ways; turn on a small light in a dark

room and that the students are heroes because of living through their bad

experiences. As a student who is facing a lot of challenges every day, it

made me realize that I should be grateful to myself for reaching this point in

my life. Erin, on the other hand, said to her students that they will die as

nobodies when the ideas and deeds that they have left is pointless and those

actions include gang violence. The message goes by with my principle that I

should always spend my time and energy doing productive tasks that can

help make a difference to other people. Another message from Erin is in the

scene where she lectured Andre about making excuses that he deserves a

failing grade in his homework. She told Andre that he is not the only person

who is fighting everyday problems and that he should stop disappointing

himself. For me personally, when I was still in junior high school, I would

always think that I don’t deserve to be happy and successful because I was

always the one being bullied by my classmates at school. It was only then

that I opened up with my parents and teachers and learned about the

stories of other bullied individuals that I was able to motivate me to stand

up again and decide that I deserve happiness in life. Watching Eva explain

her perception of racism by saying that “it’s all about color, it’s about
John Robert B. Lee September 19, 2018

Reflection#1

Freedom Writers

people deciding what you deserve, about people wanting what they don’t

deserve.” Even though I haven’t been discriminated based on my race and

color, I know the feeling of being looked down upon by other people and it

really makes you want to fight them head-on. Meanwhile, Andre’s

description of his perspective of being a black man is that they pimp, deal

and survive in a gang. Made me realize how lucky I am to be born and

raised in a proper community.

My favorite scene in the movie is where the kid that everyone did not

recognize opened about his problems during the Toast for Change activity.

Since he was reading his diary when he was sharing I assumed that he has

difficulty in showing his feelings to the whole class. After sharing a story of

being homeless and how he found himself a home in Gruwell’s class.

Everyone in the room was touched and proceeded to hug him for his

courage to share. This scene shows how powerful stories are to people. But

my favorite scene could not have been possible if it wasn’t for the line game

activity, even though the students haven’t shared their stories to each other

the mechanics of the game made them realize that despite of different race

they commonly share the same experiences of growing up in the community

and this strengthened their bond in the classroom. I also liked the scenes of

Erin sacrificing personal time to work for other jobs so that she can buy
John Robert B. Lee September 19, 2018

Reflection#1

Freedom Writers

books about the Holocaust for her students and being resourceful in

findings ways to make sure that her students not only develop skills in

reading and writing but also develop their good personalities and properly

cope with their emotions from their traumatic experiences. The scene

where Eva told the truth that Paco killed Sindy’s boyfriend also caught my

attention because it shows the results of that she has transformed herself

for the better under Gruwell’s class. Because she realized that she doesn’t

have to be afraid anymore of hiding and being alone because she already

has been opened to another perspective in life and she has found belonging

in the classroom.

In conclusion, the movie gave me a perspective of racism and violence

from the oppressed and the oppressor. It also showed me that with the right

determination and empathy you can change others in your own way no

matter who you are. It also made me realized that I should not be afraid of

sharing my stories because I am not the only person who is struggling

through life and it helped me understand that each story deserves to be

written and talked about because the lessons that they contain teaches us

that we are imperfect human beings that change for the better.
John Robert B. Lee September 19, 2018

Reflection#1

Freedom Writers

WRITE SYMBOLS AND DRAWINGS.

5 messages

1) Erin: You know what this is? This is a Fuck You to me and everyone in this class. I

don't want excuses. I know what you're up against. We're all of us up against

something. So you better make up your mind, because until you have the balls to

look me straight in the eye and tell me this is all you deserve, I am not letting you

fail. Even if that means coming to your house every night until you finish the work. I

see who you are. Do you understand me? I can see you. And you are not failing.
John Robert B. Lee September 19, 2018

Reflection#1

Freedom Writers

2) Eva: It's all about color, it's about people deciding what you deserve, about people

wanting what they don't deserve. About whites thinking they own this world no

matter what, you see, I hate white people.

3) Andre: My brother taught me what the life is for a young black man. Pimp, deal,

whatever. Learn what colors to wear. Gang banners. You can sell to one corner, but

you can't sell another. Learn to be quiet. The wrong word can get you popped.

4) Erin Gruwell: You know what's gonna happen when you die? You're gonna rot in

the ground, and people are going to go on living, and they're going to forget all

about you. And when you ROT, do you think it's gonna matter whether you were an

original gangsta? You're dead, and nobody, NOBODY, is gonna want to remember

you, because all you left in the world is this.

5) Erin: I think the fighting should begin in the classroom.

5 scenes

1) Erin working hard for her students

2) The Line game

3) Erin realizing the nature of her class and the students at Wilson High

4) Toast for a Change scene

5) Eva telling the truth in her testimony