About the Power of One in Freedom Writers - Erin Gruwell's Story - Research Paper Example

of the English of the Concerned 9 April Freedom About the Power of One One big problem with the democraticsocieties is that they get so obsessed with the idea of a majority that they tend to get cynical about the power of an individual personality. In that context, Freedom Writers is an engrossing movie that not only elaborates upon the theme of the power of one, but also brings to fore the point that if determined, sincere and passionate, even a single person could bring about the desired social and academic change, which not only endows the life of that person with a sense of purpose, but also brings about education, maturity and purpose to the life of many. Freedom Writers essentially speaking is the story of an English teacher Erin Gruwell, who when placed in an academic environment marred by racism, violence and a sense of discrimination, goes forth to ameliorate things by the dint of her personal effort and thereby emerges out to be an agent of transformation into the lives of her students, who were earlier marred by hopelessness, neglect and prejudice. Freedom Writers is a story about hope, resilience and perseverance of the one. It is the success of the English teacher Erin Gruwell in getting her class interested in the idea of change and willing to be open to people from other racial backgrounds that marks the high point of Freedom Writers. Erin Gruwell in the movie Freedom Writers is shown to be an idealistic white woman who hails from a privileged background and volunteers to fill up the post of an English teacher at Wilson High School in South Central Los Angeles that is not only constrained by a resource crunch, but is also divided along the racial lines. Erin decides to opt for this teaching assignment only a few years after the Rodney King associated LA riots. Erin comes to this academic institution charged with much zeal and spark, only to be dismayed by the realization that the kids she is supposed to educate are mostly affiliated to challenged socio-economic backgrounds, are racially motivated and the institution has already given up on their capacity to be educated and reformed. To begin with, Erin finds it a little difficult to professionally and emotionally relate to a class of Asians, blacks, Hispanics and a single white guy. The system had simply given up on these kids and during the initial minutes it appears that Erin is totally clueless about what to do with these kids and how to educate them. However, the movie soon gets interesting when charged with the optimism and persistence of Erin. Instead of fitting in like a brick in the wall, Erin decides to be different, she decides to tap into the power of one, she strongly believes that these kids are capable of being educated and reformed as any other kid studying in a high end school. It is this strong belief in her power and her capacity to make a change that constitutes the foundation on which this story stands. Rather than getting dismayed by the activities and beliefs of her students, Erin uses them as an aid to further their education. For instance when a Hispanic student comes out with a racially driven picture of one of his classmates, Erin, rather than getting disappointed and cynical, uses the opportunity to teach the kids about racial discrimination and the evils perpetrated on the innocent people in the name of racial pride. Placed in an environment that is utterly racist and discriminatory, Eric decides to use the Holocaust as a background to teach these kids about tolerance and racial harmony. She tells the kids as to how in the Nazi Germany thousands of Jews were killed, harassed and exploited in the name of racial pride. Erin chooses to dilute the students’ hatred for one another by teaching them as to how racial prejudice could lead to the exploitation of the harmless and the innocent. The class which was so far averse to the gestures of Erin soon starts to get interested in her and their interest starts to gather around the theme of Holocaust, directly leading to a collective insight into the evils of racism. Soon these students so receptive to gang wars, violence and abuse start to change, solely led by the efforts of one single teacher who simply refuses to give up on them and is willing to go an extra mile to secure their future (The Christian Science Monitor 18). There is no denying the fact that these students moved and impressed by the efforts of Erin, reciprocate by evincing respect and faith in her. The belief and faith of Erin which was so far confined to single person soon becomes infectious and starts having its benign influence on most of the students. The other interesting thing about the movie Freedom Writers is that it also shows as to how sometimes the aversion towards change is inbuilt within the system and how this disinclination towards change presents opposition to the individual personalities supportive and desirous of change. As the efforts and methods of Erin proceed to rake in change amongst her students, it leads to a conflict with her superiors and her husband owing to their cynical and stubborn thinking. Though not directly hinted in the movie, it could be said that the colleagues and superiors of Erin resist her not only out of jealousy, but, also because they somehow do not want these students to succeed, whom they had once labeled as the dredge of the society. Though, they simply could not bear to see Erin succeed with them, Erin with her resilience and perseverance, somehow always finds a way to navigate across the obstacles set by them. The one thing that the movie Freedom Writers teaches is that not only the change could begin with one, but rather change always begins with one. It is always the faith, perseverance and efforts of a single personality that ignites the imagination of millions and brings about the desired change in the societies. Works Cited “The Message of Liberty on ‘Freedom Writers’: A Christian Science Perspective on Daily Life”. The Christian Science Monitor 9 February 2007, 18. Print. Read More