Mabelyn Morales

Professor Duran
English 100
September 5, 2014

Journal 1
(Zlatas Diary) What was its purpose in the beginning? Why did the purpose of the dairy change?
How did the dairy help Zlata cope with the changes in her life?

The purpose of Zlatas diary in the beginning was to congratulate the freedom writers in
all the things they have gone through in their lives and how they got past the problem. She talks
about making the world into a better place. Everyone goes through some type of struggle in the
world. She talks about her diary and how it changed peoples lives. People can inspire others into
doing the right thing instead of the wrong but yet our generation of youth now doesn't know what
its like to not have something. The purpose of her diary was meant to be for her so when she
grew up she could still be able to read and reminisce, cry and laugh about the things that have
happened to her she never imagined her diary ever becoming a book and being about war. Zlata
coped with this change in her life by writing in her diary. Her diary was like having a
psychiatrist. She took all the grief and anger she had into a book. It was her only way to vent
about things.

Research
Research the Bosnian War. Why did the war start? Who fought against who? Where is Bosnia
located? When was the war fought?

The War was fought between April 6, 1992 and December 14, 1995. The Bosnian War
was an international conflict which took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The reason why the

war started was because of their independence. It was rejected by the political representatives of
the Bosnian Serbs. It was mostly a territorial conflict between the Serbs, Bosnian and the
Herzegovina. Bosnia is located in Europe.

Writing
Make a list of the violent situations the students describe. Compare two of the incidents of
violence mentioned in diary entries. How are they socially acceptable?

What Ethnicity you were was a big problem in Wilson High School. The two diary
entries I have read have Ethnicity violence and how it isn't so easy for them to walk from a
certain place to another without someone looking at them in a bad way. No matter where they
were either in school or walking around their neighborhood someone still gave them problems.
Certain situations were different because most of these students think about most things in a
different way than others do. Some were nicer in some ways and felt bad for their teacher and
wondered why is she even here in this class others were just disrespectful to her. Most students
reacted to violence by just avoiding it and trying to just stay away from it, maybe even running
away at time.