The Freedom Writers Diary

The Freedom Writers Diary

by

Erin Gruwell

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Freedom Writers Diary makes teaching easy.

The Freedom Writers Diary: Part VI: Diary 81 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
This student feels deeply moved by the sight of soldiers’ graves at the Arlington Cemetery in Washington. S/he is reminded that s/he, too, has seen countless friends die, like soldiers. S/he decides not to enter the cemetery because s/he feels overwhelmed by emotions. S/he recalls her/his dad dying of AIDS when s/he was twelve, yet never having a headstone to be remembered by. S/he feels sad that the media only focuses on the deaths of famous people, letting the life of her father and friends pass away unnoticed, despite their inspiring potential.
This student denounces the injustice that certain people’s lives are given visibility, while others remain unknown. S/he realizes that history only provides a partial pictures of each era, as certain stories (such as military operations) are given prominence, while violence or illness in everyday life, which can affect just as many people, remains an obscure, unsensational reality.
Themes
Violence, War, and Death  Theme Icon