A Freedom Writer Toast For Change English Literature Essay

A Freedom Writer Toast For Change English Literature Essay A Freedom Writer named Maria entered class during the Toast for Change and was the first person to declare what she wanted to change in her life. Maria didn’t want to end up pregnant at fifteen like her mother, end up in prison like her father, or wind up dead at the age of eighteen like her cousin. She wanted a clean slate, and a bright future, but she didn’t want to start by reading Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Maria felt she couldn’t relate to Anne Frank, and on top of that she hated reading. Ms. Gruwell believed Maria would find herself within the pages of the book, and Maria wanted to prove her wrong. So one night as she read about Anne and the hardships she endured while living in the attic she realized Ms. Gruwell had been right! Anne and Maria have a lot of things in common. Even though Anne wasn’t Latina, and didn’t grow up in the same neighborhood as Maria, these two girls faced both discrimination based on the way they looked. After Maria finished the book Ms. Gruwell began to notice changes within her student. She had a better attitude in class, more focused on her studies, and became more interested in class material. # 2 In the fall of 1995, a freedom writer was sent on a mission by her family. Her goal is to defend her own against and testify against a rival gang member. This young woman was a witness to a murder committed by her friend Paco. A rival gang member sat on the opposite side of the court room falsely accused of the murder. She was always taught to protect her family no matter the circumstances. Her mind should have been made up, lie and go home, but as she sat on the witness stand two natures were at war inside of her, good and evil. The good nature told her to do what is right and tell the truth, the evil nature kept chanting protect your own and send an innocent man to prison. The decision had not been so easy anymore and someone made what Paco thought would be a smooth trial into someth ing her family and friends never thought could happen. On the opposite side of the court room, sat the rival gang members family. Her eyes gazed over their faces, almost all were filled with anger except one. A woman the author described as being strong with tears in her eyes. Out of all the faces in the court room this one was familiar. The strong woman with tears in her eyes resembled all the author and her mother went through when her father was on trial. She saw her mother and herself in the woman’s shoes, and a flashback of the day her father was sent to prison. At that moment she knew what she had to do. It frightened her because this was not part of the plan, if she did what was right the mission would not be accomplished and the one principal that held her family together would be shattered. The image of her mother gave her the power to end the fight between right and wrong. In this court room she realized the power she possessed. She could give this woman what was de nied to her mother so long ago, the truth and her family.