Historical, Social and Political Issues in the movie FREEDOM WRITERS The thorough presentation of a well researched context in the film provided the environment for priming the viewers on the concept of belonging which was highlighted in the film. This grounded the film and prepared the viewers on the film’s main focus. Through the brief but meaningful snippets of what happened during the trial of Rodney King, the viewers were introduced to the conflict used in the film that surfaced and distinctly placed attention on the concept of belonging. In the film, the Freedom Writers were made following the Rodney King trial in 1992 and the OJ Simpson murder case in 1994. These trials brought out the sensitive issues about injustices …show more content…

There was an avenue provided to let them share events in their lives and found comfort from a supportive group regardless of color or race. Another act that also made an impact on the students was that they knew that their teacher believed in them and that they were capable of learning. Their feeling of belonging made them support and encourage each other which contributed to their success in completing their studies. It was reflected in the film that most of them were the first graduates in their families. The movie highlighted the change from animosity to goodwill among the students of differing color and race. This was reflected in one of the scene of the film where they had a “toast for change”. Everyone in Ms. Gruwell’s class stood side by side unanimous in their resolve to move to change their ways and succeed in life. Understanding the context helped the viewers significantly in sharing the film writer(s) view of belonging. A masterful presentation of the background prepared the ground for recognizing how people felt during those times and how they dealt with the issues that confronted them. Further, the viewers were given first-hand information on how teenagers coped with everyday life issues at such early age, considering the pressures brought about by society’s perception of color and race. At the end of the film, it showed that though there were lots of differences; there was still chance that