English Task 1 – Revanza Anezka Loventiar XD – 26

Freedom Writers Diary Movie Questions

1. Why did Erin Gruwell (Ms. G) decide to teach instead of be a lawyer?
At first, she wanted to go to a law school when she was watching the 1992
LA riot news. During an interview, she explained why she decided to teach. She
said “By the time you’re defending a kid in the courtroom, the battle’s already
lost. I think that the real fighting should happen here, in the classroom.”
2. List some opposition/obstacles Ms. G faces in the beginning.
According to the movie, Ms. G faced the racial discrimination among the
students. This happened because in around 1992, there was a conflict between
white skinned people and black skinned people. It caused the city a chaos,
another incident is a gang war. One gang feels more superior than others, made
them killed their rival gang members. The school was full of chaos, school fights,
students disrespect to the teacher, and horrible acts by the students. Ms. G faced
the obstacles right when she was accepted to get to work at the school.
3. From the film, which one of the characters that you like the most? Please
explain, why!
I personally liked Ms. G. Yes, other than she’s the main character in the
movie, she has done many good things that changed the perspective of how her
students sees the world. She experienced all the obstacles when she just started
her job. But yet she hasn’t resign from her job. And then, she started her journey
to turn the students personality and perspectives.
She started it by telling her students not to discriminate races. She also tells
her students about the reality. They’re not sacrificing their lives for they’re gang’s
honor, and people will remember them. In fact, when they died, people won’t
remember them. And the gang will continue to fight one and each other. The
students started to understand the point from Ms. G.
Ms. G then asked her students to write a journal so she can read and
discover the student’s past. She also bought her students a book, from her own
money because she didn’t get the support from the school to lend the students
the book. A book that would enlight the student’s perspective and mind. She also
invited her students to the place she work, where the students could listen to the
nazi’s victims story. And it entirely changed the student’s perspective, and makes a
new meaning for a race differences.

4. Please make a reflection on the film you have watched!

We live in a world filled with many types of races. With all the type of races,
we shouldn’t disrespect another races, and thinks that our race is much more
superior than others. Instead, we should respect them. Treat them just like we
treat our beloved family, our friends. Everyone are the same, as in we are the
same species. Social living beings who needs other people’s backup when it’s
needed. We can’t live in a world where everyone shoots one and each other
everyday.
Having a dreams but if we don’t put commitment and efforts on it, would be
useless. If we want to make the dreams come through, we have to sacrifice our
time, money, and energy. Just like what Ms. G did on the movie, she has
successfully persuaded the students to respect one and each other. Treating them
the same, no more school fights happened. She spent her time, she could’ve find
a new job but she didn’t think about it. She spent her money, she had a part time
job to buy her students a book. She also spent her energy, thinking about the
solution of a huge problem is indeed tough. But she eventually made it!
The movie is spectacular in my opinion. The dialogues, the actings are
magnificent. Especially the moral, it’s indeed very deep. I recommend this movie
for those who enjoys deep meaning and non-fiction movies.