A Discourse Analysis of Freedom Writers Movie

BACKGROUND

Freedom Writers is a 2007 film written and directed by Richard LaGravenese, starring
Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey. Freedom Writers is a movie that
talks about social issues between the different students of different races of Long Beach, California.

The movie was based on a true story that happened in 1994 Long Beach, California.
According to a news article written by Ochoa, Maribel (2017), California was once a place of
xenophobia and racism. At 1994, a preposition was passed in the State of California to establish a
state-run citizenship screening system and prohibit immigrants (Chinese specifically) from using
non-emergency health care, public education, and other services in the State of California. It was
then when xenophobia and racism is common and wide-spread around the state. The story was
written by a teacher and her students who experienced and witnessed first hand this racial
discrimination.

PLOT

Cultural Context and Racial Differences

Freedom Writers is one of the several movies that involves cultural context wherein the
audiences can see the cultural issues and conflicts happening between the subjects involved. In this
particular film, the issue about racism is tackled. Accoding to the online dictionary, racism means
"prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the
belief that one's own race is superior." The concern is well presented in the film as Ms. Gruwell, a
white teacher, is appointed to teach a classroom filled with students who came from different races.
The racial tension is well presented through the seating arrangement as the students are separated
into groups based on their race/ethnicity.

One Person, One Story

The students partly can't be blamed for being over protective of themselves as each of them
has had experienced things differently from one another. Making them have their own perspective
about the world or other people. This is the consequence of having to live their own stories where
they tend focus more on how their lives are different and how they've seen things differently than
how they are similar with one another.

The Line Game

The Line Game is a game where the students should step on the line if the said statement
describes them. The statements used by Mrs. Gruwell in the game became more and more sensitive
as the game progresses, she begun asking whom of the students lost a friend through a gang fight, or
whom of them are involved or affiliated with a gang. The game made the students realize that aside
from their differences, physically and culturally, they actually share the same pain and experiences
with one another.

The School Education System

 The school, as presented in the movie, prioritize students who are competent in learning and
set aside those who aren't. Mrs. Gruwell took a stand for this matter and made her point that setting
aside students who are inefficient in learning will only make the students more and more unwilling.

Another issue about the education system that is tackled is the sensitive censoring of explicit
literary materials. The fact that the students know Hitler but not the Holocaust presented that the
school's curriculum doesn't include the precise details about these historical people and events. Mrs.
Gruwell gradually resolved this issue by giving out books such as The Diary of Anne Frank to the
students and by proposing an education trip about the holocaust.

Safe Zone

As the story progresses, the relationship between Mrs. Gruwell and her students became
more and more evident to the point that her students begun to build faith with one another. Their
classroom became their safe zone, a place where they can trust and learn their differences and
similarities in a non-provocative way, it hasn't been long until they became fond of each other
despite their cultural differences.

Junior Year

Because of the relationship built between Mrs. Gruwell and her students, her students
formed an attachment, a sense of emotional bond which made it harder for her students to let go of
her. And since she is one of the reasons why the students trust each other, leaving them to another
teacher can potentially break this bond as their safe-zone has been broken. To resolve the issue, Mrs.
Gruwell made a proposal to the department head to give her a chance to teach her students during
their Junior Year. Several people, including her co-teachers, revolted against her proposal but she
still managed to win the case. She then told her students that she'll be accompanying them during
their Junior and Senior year.

STRUCTURE

The film is a discourse because the film makers used an organized structure that easily
expressed the thought and morale of the story. The linear story-telling type of structure used is very
effective both for the film makers and the audiences as they n easily follow the events. It is also
convenient to use this kind of structure with which the audiences are used to.

LANGUAGE ASPECTS

The form of communication used in the story is mainly verbal. Profanity and explicit
language is used within the right context as the story revolves around teenage students affiliated
with gangs. The meanings aren't connotative and the audiences can easily comprehend the message
and meaning of the words that the characters are trying to deliver.