Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender Essay - 1

Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender - Essay ExampleIt also touches upon the economics of subspecies and gender. On a cursory viewing the story looks deceptively simple. But when the storyline, screenplay and other nuances in the film are observed, numerous interpretations are made available. enter within it are themes of economics, especially that applying to race and gender. Moreover, what comes through the narrative is the strength of character and commitment sh feature by Erin Gruwell as she undertakes to set right a challenge group of students. For example, She encounters a diverse but segregated community so racially charged, hostile and potentially combustible that she likens it to Nazi Germany. Without the support of her administrators (played by Imelda Staunton and others) and the rail system, which views teenagers more as threats than scholars, Miss Gruwell devises her own methods for reaching students. She begins educating them about other young people whove endured wars, like Anne Frank, and simultaneously gives them journals so that they can tell their own stories, thus, giving each person a voice and a sense of value. (Mayo, 2007, p.43)Another test of character and commitment for Erin was the divisions within the classroom on the al-Qaeda of race, ethnicity and class. The term Economics of Gender and Race is usually employed by economists to talk about disparities in income and work opportunities among different races and the two genders. In the American context, these disparities are skewered in favor of white Americans, especially the White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) group. The whites generally have a head-start in terms of standard of living they are born(p) into, career opportunities they can avail of, neighborhoods they can inhabit, etc. Also, on average, whites earn more income than other minority groups. A similar disparity exists among the genders, where males are advance for both positions of high office and in t he incomes they earn. In the movie Freedom Writers, the classroom under the charge of Erin Gruwell is a representative collage of these realities. There we learn white pupils born to well-to-do parents (who also perform better in exams) contrasted against pupils from minority communities such as blacks and Hispanics, who are projected to be disorganized and slight disciplined (indicative of their socio-economic ambits). The microcosm of the classroom is a reflection of larger realities in American society. The semblance to reality is all the more so because the movie was based on the real life story of an American teacher of the same name Erin Gruwell and the school she works for Wilson High School. (Pimentel, 2010, p.51) Hence only a person of undefiled force of character and commitment could have overcome these many disparities and bring out the creative energies. Any other ordinary teacher in Erins place would have utterly failed in uniting and pacifying the group of student s. What moves the story forward are a) a racially motivated shoot-out involving members of the class and b) the interception by Erin of a racially-loaded drawing in the classroom board. This is a crucial juncture in the movie from where the students will embark on a creative, developmental journey. Instead of leniency themselves in gang-wars and wasting their lives, by recording and exchanging their experiences they would gain insights into other perspectives and viewpoints. Erin struggles to procure necessary stationary for students writing projects - since the class is largely comprised of minority students, their lower socio-economic background meant that they cannot buy stationary supplies with their own money. Erins out-of-the-box thinking helps her to transform the attitude of her pupils. The proof of her