Freedom Writers

A Model for critical analysis

 Synopsis
“Shocked by the teenage violence she witnessed
during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, Erin
Gruwell became a teacher at a high school rampant
with hostility and racial intolerance. For many of
these students — whose ranks included substance
abusers, gang members, the homeless, and victims of
abuse — Gruwell was the first person to treat them
with dignity, to believe in their potential and help
them see it themselves. Soon, their loyalty towards
their teacher and burning enthusiasm to help end
violence and intolerance became a force of its own.”
 Selection from Freedom Writers
Chapter 1
"Why do we have to read books by dead white guys
in tights?" asked Sharaud, a foulmouthed sixteen year-
old, after he took one look at my syllabus.
Sharaud had entered my class at Woodrow Wilson
High School in Long Beach, California, wearing a football
jersey from Polytechnic High School. He must have
known that donning the rival jersey was bound to get a
rise out of the other students. He arrogantly strutted
around my class, taunting the other players that he was
going to take their places on the field, then leisurely
strolled to the back of the classroom and took a seat.
 Chapter 1 continued
As I started to discuss the curriculum, my students
rocked in their seats and played percussion with
their pencils. Some checked their pagers, while
others reapplied their eyeliner. Some slouched,
some laid their heads on the desks, and some
actually took a nap. This was not the reception I was
hoping for on my first day as a student teacher.
I dodged a paper airplane made out of my syllabus, I
quickly realized and tried to make myself heard over
a string of "yo mama" jokes.
 Formalistic Analysis
• Different types of writing:
– diary entries
– short stories
– Plays
– Poems
– newspaper headlines
– letters
 Formalistic Analysis
• First person point of view
– Maintains the voice of striving against all odd:
poor attitudes, poverty, ignorance
– Makes the entries sound intimate even when
harsh or difficult topics are discussed
– Allows differing perspectives like Gruwell and her
students but not other teachers or administrators
 Themes/ Topics
• Some Themes / Overarching Topics
•Success
• Power of writing / reading •Injustice
• Letters •Teachers
• Poems •Death
• Tolerance •Mentors
• Hate •Heroes
• Violence •Incest
• Families •Molestation
•Homelessness
• Change (for self and others)
•Illness
• War
•The future
• Race •Silence
• Territory •Graduation
• Being alone •Dreams
 Psychological Analysis
• According to Maslow, a human being must feel secure
in basic needs before rising toward fulfillment of
aesthetic needs.
• Education is a higher-order aesthetic need.

• Erin’s students struggle with lower order needs like

food, shelter and safety.
• Erin provided a familial setting which instilled safety
and security in school when there might be little in the
outside world.
 Psychological Analysis
• Erin has the potential to reach self-actualization
due to her fulfillment of the need to help under-
privledged and under-valued students achieve.
• She begins the journey with a strong marriage and
strained relationship with her father.
• She finishes her journey by starting a foundation,
building a strong relationship with students and
her father, and losing her marriage.
Sociological analysis—Rodney King Riots
• Rodney King Protests—King was the victim of police
brutality in Los Angeles in 1991.
• When the four policemen were acquitted in 1992,
anger turned into rioting.
• The riots were the worst single episode of urban
unrest in American history, which erupted on April 29,
1992, and before they were quelled a few days later,
had left 53 people dead and $1 billion in damage.
 Sociological analysis
• Due to the riots of 1992, the atmosphere of
distrust and hostility between whites, blacks,
Latinos, and Asian groups was a real threat to
safety and security in any urban school.
• Integrated schools did not mean integration in
honors or AP classes—the classes at the
regular level were predominantly filled with
minority students.
 Sociological analysis
• Teachers without tenure are usually given the
lowest level classes due to lack of seniority
and experience.
• New teacher burn-out is usually due to lack of
support from veteran teachers, lack of
materials and challenging work load for poor
pay
 Sociological Approach
• Lower ability-level classes are perceived as
“easier” for an inexperienced teacher though
they require as much diversified instruction as
enriched classes.
• Lower ability students are often offered poor
or below level materials which bring
expectations down further—self-fulfilling
prophecy of failure results.
 Sociological analysis
• Gruwell created a family-type atmosphere by
– Raising expectations with challenging and
interesting reading selections
– Varying instruction
– Creating a student-centered classroom
– Offering a safe outlet for experiences through
journal writing
 Historical analysis—similar stories
Jaime Escalante (December 31, 1930 — March
30, 2010) was a Bolivian-born American
educator who earned renown and distinction
for his success at Garfield High School, East
Los Angeles, California in teaching students
calculus from 1974 to 1991. Escalante was the
subject of the 1988 film Stand and Deliver, in
which he is portrayed by Edward James
Olmos.
 Biographical analysis
• Erin Gruwell, the Freedom Writers, and her
nonprofit organization have received many
awards, including the prestigious Spirit of Anne
Frank Award, and have appeared on The Oprah
Winfrey Show, Prime Time Live, Good Morning
America, and The View, to name a few.
• All 150 Freedom Writers went on to graduate
from Wilson High. She lives in Long Beach,
California.
 Biographical analysis
Erin Gruwell has published two books:
– The Freedom Writer Diary
– Teach With Your Heart: Lessons I Learned
From the Freedom Writers
She still directs the Freedom Writers
Foundation which offers workshops and
internet support to Freedom Writer
programs all over the country