Freedom Writers Essay

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Miep says, “But even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can within their own small ways turn on a small light in a dark room.” Discuss how the actions of Erin and Eva embody what Miep says in the quote. Discuss at least two scenes in detail as part of your response. During the film Freedom Writers, directed by Richard LaGravenese, there are two characters, Erin Gruwell and Eva Benitez, who stand out and impact the lives of those around them in a significant way. In a sense, you could say that they “turn on a small light in a dark room”. They develop character throughout the movie and at the end, have turned on a light in others’ lives and in their own lives. Erin Gruwell was an inexperienced first time English teacher. She had no idea what to expect or what was going to happen with the students of Room 203. The students had difficult upbringings and were exposed to gang violence every day and because of this, many of the students had lost hope. Erin saw the students differently to the other teachers at Wilson High. She did not see them as “at risk” students but rather saw the potential in the students. Erin “turns on a small light in a dark room” but igniting hope in the students’ lives. By igniting hope, the students see a future for themselves. They see a light at the end of the tunnel which is their lives. A specific scene is the Toast for Change scene. When Erin makes them pinpoint parts in their life they want to change and figure out who they want to become. As Erin stated, “The person you were before this moment, that person’s turn is over, now’s your turn.” The shots used in the scene are mainly close ups to see the emotions register on the students’ faces when they actually want change in their lives. The non-synchronous sound is a violin piano piece in the background. It starts off slowly and builds up, much like the hope of the
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