“Freedom Writers” (Summary Essay)

So many people believed that the film Freedom Writers was a waste of time and wasn’t as interesting as it may have seemed. The movie gives you an overview on gang affiliation and violence, being neglected, poverty and adversity, diversity, faith, love and change. There’s so much to learn from this film that it even ties in with real events based on a true story. Many people did not get what the film was actually trying to justify in regards to the real world, but this essay is to discuss some archetypes (repeatedly description components such as circumstances, personality, and signs that emerge in tales across cultures that speak to worldwide human experiences) that look to clarify the films meaning and purpose. 

Starting with The Villain. The villain is a person who gives trouble or difficulty, as principal Margaret Campbell played this role while she gave a demeanor towards the teacher Mrs.Gruwell (or Mrs.G). The principal was not only the villain, but also the static character. Due to her not changing and acting the same way with a prejudice mind caused her to resemble the static character archetype. Mr.Gelford also played this role just as well as the principal, for both of them did not want to see her do great and accomplish what she had in store for her class. In this situation, since the villain always has to have a main target, Mrs.G plays the hero. She overcomes any obstacles that gets thrown at her and find ways to still help the children in their rough lives or need of matter. Although she tries to be a Good Samaritan, her peers still try to bring her down. In a way, this is like Jesus when he went around trying to help everyone by spreading the good news, but was cursed, hated and crucified for his actions. Another possible hero can also be the lady who was Department Head. When Mrs.G tried to fight to get her class again for Junior and Senior year, the principal and Mr.Gelford tried to convince the Department Head that she would not be fit since Mr.Gelford taught higher classed kids and she didn’t. Though the principal and Mr.Gelford seemed pleased at their argument they thought might get her to not have the position for her class, the Department Head made her decision and let Mrs.G teach her class until they graduated. So now that makes her hero of the day! Moving forward, the archetypes mentor and caregiver is well presented by Mrs.G and Miep Gies, role models we need in today’s generation. When Mrs.G really started getting attached to her students after days of hard work and dedication teaching them the lesson of life, she finds herself making trips for them, seeing and talking to special people, and even takes them home as she quotes here getting home to her husband “Sorry, it got late. I drove the kids home. I didn’t want them taking buses,” not knowing that would put her in the middle of a divorce and sacrificing her marriage. As for Miep Gies, she plays a very special part on being a mentor (an experienced and trusted advisor). She was a holocaust survivor that was invited by Mrs.G through letters the students wrote. She told them her story, how it was like living through that experience and gave them words of wisdom on how they are their own heroes. You can say she imparted wisdom giving them something that impacted them for the rest of their lives. Although throughout the film it shows the kids lifestyle, the setting was mostly in the classroom. The classroom represents unity and diversity. Of course, they just didn’t start out liking and communicating towards one another. They originally hated each other; gang vs gang and origin vs origin. It took them months, probably years to finally interact together as one which symbolizes unity. The students realized they all had something in common, no one was different, and that theirs no race that’s more superior that another ethnicity. As they realize this, they see diversity from their Asian, Cambodian, African-American, Caucasian, and Puerto Rican(Dominican) coequals. There’s still so much racism going on in this world that the film could possibly help people to better see each other as one, in harmony, no division. The class better represents the Character Arc archetype (as well as Marcus’s mom by having a change of heart to let him live with her again after his apology). They accomplished this by changing, bettering themselves, coming to sense that they can be finer then what anybody tells them or how they will be viewed. They changed their lives with the help of Mrs.Erin Gruwell, giving themselves the ability to recreate their future, and puts them in a place where they can call themselves the Freedom Writers. 

Though people did not understand what the film was trying to vindicate in view to the physical world, this essay was to analyze some archetypes that looked to explain the films sense and intentions.

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