Free Choice Reading # 5
The freedom writers Diary is a book compiled of journal entries. These entries are by “unreachable, at risk” students and their teacher Erin Gruwell at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. These journal entries start with the students at the beginning of their freshman year in 1994 to their Graduation in 1998.
Diary 30 was always being teased and picked on by other kids. “Four eyes”, “blind as a bat” and “coke bottle bitch” were some of the names given to her. She was insecure and wanted to change schools. 30 didn’t want to make friends just to find out they teased her behind her back. I know that everyone has been teased before at least once in their life and I felt a little of her pain. On day she over heard another girl teasing her about her eyesight. 30 went insane and yelled, “YOU KNOW WHAT, IM FUCKING TIERD OF THIS”. The other girl responded with “Shut up you blind bitch”. 30 then slapped her and blacked out. When she told Mrs. Gruwell this story Mrs. Gruwell she told her about her own experiences similar to hers and after she thought about it made her a better person. I think the lesson learned is the world isn’t always fair and that you need to tough it out.
Diary 33 is in a very big problem in my opinion. 33 is at a trial for a man who was black and falsely accused of murder. The real culprit was 33’s boyfriend who would do anything for her. 33 saw that the black man’s family was crying because he was falsely accused. She had to lie to keep her boyfriend from being arrested. But when she saw the other family the guilt ate her on the inside. 33 said that your supposed to do anything for your family and your family is first. But in the end she made the right choice and told everybody that the real culprit was her boyfriend. I would think that this decision was the hardest because in gangs there is so much pressure to not ratt on others in the gang. I’m glad that 33 decided to do the right thing because it isn’t always the easiest.