Freedom Writer tells the story of a woman teaching at-risk students in a high school. An English teacher Erin Gruwell learns that her students are completely divided due to racial and ethnic differences. To fix this and show her students another way of living, Erin Gruwell invites them to keep personal diaries where they could openly share their experiences and difficulties. The film shows how students using this method begin to get closer and change for the better. One of the students, Eva Benitez, struggles with her identity as a gang member and a young woman in high school. Also, being a member of a gang, Sindy Ngor appears to have similar problems and feelings. Those two different students have trouble building their relationships throughout the film. However, their stories reveal to be more similar, than they have anticipated.
Eva Benitez is portrayed as a rude and short-tempered girl who constantly gets into fights and makes bad decisions. In the past, her father was a gang member and a prisoner, which certainly left its mark on the character of the girl. Like her father, she becomes a member of a gang, skips school, and commits various illegal actions. However, in some ways, she differs from her classmates, and particularly from Sindy. These differences consist in her acceptance and non-resistance of this cruel fate. Seeing the same cruelty and violence from an early age, some of her classmates realize that such a life does not suit them, and they are its hostages. On the other hand, Eva sees such a life as normal and believes that she does not deserve anything better.
Just like Eva, Sindy Ngon had a difficult and traumatic childhood, full of violence and sadness. At an early age, Sindy witnessed such a terrible event as war, during which she was forced to live in a refugee camp. Certainly, her childhood cannot be called happy, and it affects the character of the young women. Sindy is a gang member, which leads to a conflict with her classmate Eva. Being in different gangs, the girls see each other as rivals and enemies, which is manifested in their quarrels and disagreements. Moreover, as already mentioned, girls differ from each other in several aspects. Sindy, living in a refugee camp, saw this place as a prison, not a home. Thus, she realized from an early age that such a life was not suitable for her. This can also be seen in the scene where Sindy openly tells Erin Gruwell that life in the camp seemed like a real prison to her (Freedom Writers). Following the character’s development, it is seen that she did not accept this fate; rather, she was its hostage.
Despite the differences, Eva and Sindy are more similar than they have anticipated. As noted earlier, both girls are members of rival gangs, which leads to numerous conflicts. On the other hand, it is this fact that brings the two high school students together, intertwining their personalities. Also, Erin Gruwell’s lessons have greatly helped both Eva and Sindy unlock their inner potentials. Both girls turned out to be truly vulnerable natures, which shows their similarity as individuals. Eva and Sindy both witnessed violence and brutality from a young age, which brings these two characters together. Observing what the girls wrote in their diaries, the teacher noted that each of them experienced all the moments they have lived in their own way. Both students suffer because of their past and do not want to repeat the previous mistakes in the future.
In conclusion, Freedom Writers talks about the difficult fate of students, exposing their feuds and conflicts. Moreover, the film shows how each of the characters changes due to the lessons of Erin Gruwell. Eva and Sindy, considering themselves very different, both find themselves vulnerable inside. Being exposed to violence from a young age, they both appear to be tough and bad-tempered at first. However, their stories and background prove to be similar in many ways.
Work Cited
Freedom Writers. Dir. Richard LaGravenese. Perf. Hilary Swank. Paramount, 2007.