The Freedom Writers Diary
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Part I: Entry 1: Ms. Gruwell Part I: Diary 1 Part I: Diary 2 Part I: Diary 3 Part I: Diary 4 Part I: Diary 5 Part I: Diary 6 Part I: Diary 7 Part I: Diary 8 Part I: Diary 9 Part I: Diary 10 Part I: Diary 11 Part I: Diary 12 Part I: Diary 13 Part I: Diary 14 Entry 2: Ms. Gruwell Part II: Diary 15 Part II: Diary 16 Part II: Diary 17 Part II: Diary 18 Part II: Diary 19 Part II: Diary 20 Part II: Diary 21 Part II: Diary 22 Part II: Diary 23 Entry 3: Ms. Gruwell Part III: Diary 24 Part III: Diary 25 Part III: Diary 26 Part III: Diary 27 Part III: Diary 28 Part III: Diary 29 Part III: Diary 30 Part III: Diary 31 Part III: Diary 32 Part III: Diary 33 Part III: Diary 34 Part III: Diary 35 Part III: Diary 36 Part III: Diary 37 Part III: Diary 38 Part III: Diary 39 Part III: Diary 40 Letter to Zlata Entry 4: Ms. Gruwell Part IV: Diary 41 Part IV: Diary 42 Part IV: Diary 43 Part IV: Diary 44 Part IV: Diary 45 Part IV: Diary 46 Part IV: Diary 47 Part IV: Diary 48 Part IV: Diary 49 Part IV: Diary 50 Part IV: Diary 51 Zlata’s Letter Part IV: Diary 52 Part IV: Diary 53 Entry 5: Ms. Gruwell Part V: Diary 54 Part V: Diary 55 Part V: Diary 56 Part V: Diary 57 Part V: Diary 58 Part V: Diary 59 Part V: Diary 60 Part V: Diary 61 Part V: Diary 62 Part V: Diary 63 Part V: Diary 64 Part V: Diary 65 Part V: Diary 66 Entry 6: Ms. Gruwell Part VI: Diary 67 Part VI: Diary 68 Part VI: Diary 69 Part VI: Diary 70 Part VI: Diary 71 Part VI: Diary 72 Part VI: Diary 73 Part VI: Diary 74 Part VI: Diary 75 Part VI: Diary 76 Part VI: Diary 77 Part VI: Diary 78 Part VI: Diary 79 Part VI: Diary 80 Part VI: Diary 81 Part VI: Diary 82 Part VI: Diary 83 Part VI: Diary 84 Part VI: Diary 85 Part VI: Diary 86 Part VI: Diary 87 Part VI: Diary 88 Part VI: Diary 89 Part VI: Diary 91 Part VI: Diary 92 Part VI: Diary 93 Part VI: Diary 94 Part VI: Diary 95 Part VI: Diary 96 Part VI: Diary 97 Part VI: Diary 98 Entry 7: Ms. Gruwell Part VII: Diary 99 Part VII: Diary 100 Part VII: Diary 101 Part VII: Diary 102 Part VII: Diary 103 Part VII: Diary 104 Part VII: Diary 105 Part VII: Diary 106 Part VII: Diary 107 Part VII: Diary 108 Part VII: Diary 109 Part VII: Diary 110 Part VII: Diary 111 Part VII: Diary 112 Part VII: Diary 113 Entry 8: Ms. Gruwell Part VIII: Diary 114 Part VIII: Diary 115 Part VIII: Diary 116 Part VIII: Diary 117 Part VIII: Diary 118 Part VIII: Diary 119 Part VIII: Diary 120 Part VIII: Diary 121 Part VIII: Diary 122 Part VIII: Diary 123 Part VIII: Diary 124 Part VIII: Diary 125 Part VIII: Diary 126 Part VIII: Diary 127 Part VIII: Diary 128 Part VIII: Diary 129 Part VIII: Diary 130 Part VIII: Diary 131 Part VIII: Diary 132 Part VIII: Diary 133 Part VIII: Diary 134 Part VIII: Diary 135 Part VIII: Diary 136 Part VIII: Diary 137 Part VIII: Diary 138 Part VIII: Diary 139 Part VIII: Diary 140 Part VIII: Diary 141 Part VIII: Diary 142 Epilogue Afterword Afterword: Diary 1 Afterword: Diary 2 Afterword: Diary 3 Afterword: Diary 4 Afterword: Diary 5 Afterword: Diary 6 Afterword: Diary 7 Afterword: Diary 8 Afterword: Diary 9 Afterword: Diary 10
Themes
All Themes Race, Ethnicity, and Tolerance Education and Healing Family and Home Violence, War, and Death
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Erin Gruwell The Freedom Writers Anne Frank Zlata Filipović Miep Gies John Tu Sharaud Renee Firestone Peter Maass Gerda Seifer Hanneli (“Lies”) Richard Riley Tommy Jefferson Sarah Paco Tony Cheryl Best John Lewis Thomas Keneally O. J. Simpson
Symbols
All Symbols The Diary of Anne Frank
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The Freedom Writers Diary

by

Erin Gruwell

The Freedom Writers Diary: Entry 8: Ms. Gruwell Summary & Analysis

Themes Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Freedom Writers Diary, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Ethnicity, and Tolerance
Education and Healing
Family and Home
Violence, War, and Death
Summary
Analysis
At the end of Christmas vacation, Ms. Gruwell receives a call from the Anne Frank Center USA telling her that the Freedom Writers have won the Spirit of Anne Frank Award, honoring people fighting against discrimination and prejudice. While the award isn’t usually given to a group of people, Ms. Gruwell insisted that she would not enter her students individually, since they function as a group. After winning, the students have to go pick up their prize in New York.
This prize serves as an external confirmation of the impressive achievements that the Freedom Writers have made. It demonstrates that their fight against intolerance not only takes place in the classroom, but has the power to impact and inspire other people. It also serves as powerful validation that they are successfully spreading Anne Frank’s message of peace.
Themes
Erin explains that in November, the L.A. Times published the article that had been written about the Freedom Writers and Ms. Gruwell was overwhelmed by offers for her students to appear on TV shows and articles. She decided that she would accept the offer to appear on ABC’s Prime Time Live. As the group has gotten increasing attention, however, she has been careful to shield her students from potentially disingenuous adults. Nevertheless, she has received an offer from the brand GUESS? to help the students, and she hopes they might be able to help some students go to New York to receive their award.
Ms. Gruwell tries to remain level-headed about all the attention the Freedom Writers are receiving, because she does not want her students to lose track of the concrete goals they are pursuing. While publicity is a form of validation, Ms. Gruwell does not accept just any form of publicity, but only those that can benefit the group as a whole, helping her students pursue their academic and social objectives.
Themes
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