The Freedom Writers

          How does writing in journals help transform the lives of the students? How does writing "free" the students from the pain they suffer? It all comes down to whether they actually put their real emotions and feelings towards a situation, object or a person. This movie "The Freedom Writers" is about these handfull of students who feel unsafe in their own country due to racism and discrimination among the people. Children as young as 3 are already loosing their parents because of assumption among them. Therefore those children have no courage to show their true feelings because once they do, they get judge by others. In their own "world", you have to mix in well or else you will face the consequences. That is why most of the children there are well trained to avoid getting killed without a reason. Behind every child in this movie has a story to their feelings and thanks to Mrs. Gwen, they found a way to overcome the darkness and brought them into the bright light they needed.

          In my opinion, writing in a journal helps resolves traumas that inhibit people in their everyday lives. It is also a gentle way of looking at the past and finding an inspiration to move foward. Writing gives you a free will to express fully of one's emotions and feelings. By doing so, they find it more relaxing and they gain a sense of relief and clarity. When they re-read their own journal, they will feel more calm and relax because they have finally let it out without having to tell someone. A journal might even be their best friend because it is where they really show their true feelings when there is no one there for them. Sometimes writing a blog relating to their situation may lead them to finding a new friend online with the same problems. Then they can finally talk to someone who actually understands how they really feel. It also relieves them to find out that they are not the only one. 

          Secondly, when they re-read, they also get to reflect on their thoughts and solutions to their problems. Writing helps them define the issue, identify the solution to help them find a healing. When the problem is more defined, they will understand more about themselves and they get to find more relevant information and solutions to create a more better picture of what they want to be or want others to hear about them. It is like counseling but with a book and a pen in front of them to solve their problems. One day they will find out that writing actually helps a lot when they don't want to voice out the problems they are facing everyday. 

          Thirdly, reading previous entries are like reading your life story. Understanding their past will lead them to have a better future by not repeating it by improving their behaviour, patience, sense of humour, etc. It also leads to looking into the future with a positive attitude in order to reduce anxiety, stress and less anger towards life. It inspires them to create personal goals to achieve the "perfect picture" of whom they want to be. Once they understand more about themselves, they start to discover who their real friends are and who they should mix with for a better future surrounded with positive people. The journal is like a mirror where you look into to see who you really are and see what needs to be changed.

          Last but not least, writing in a journal really helps a person to open up and to help them have the time to themselves to think whether what they are doing is what they really want or how they really want to feel. In the movie, the students finally found their freedom to their feelings and at last they finally succeed in life. Sometimes things won't go your way but you just have to find another way to overcome it and conquer it. That is when their confidence boosts all the way up to find a solution over it. To me, every child should learn how to write in a journal because everyone has feelings and they are not always happy feelings. Without having to tell anyone, they can always open up to journal and re-read to find a solution to overcome it. Soon they will be independant and not reluctant to their doings to find a better future for themselves.