Saturday, April 12, 2008

Freedom Writers

For the most part, I disdain inspirational movies. They give you this evaporable feeling of vincibility, one that says 'I'll go out and change the world!' or 'I'll go out and be a better person!'
Freedom Writers is about this dedicated high school teacher who made a difference in the lives of her students through the power of books. The students were very hostile towards each other because of their assumed differences: differences in race, differences in taste, differences in appearance. The teacher, Ms G., as they called her made them play a game in which they find out they have a lot more in common than they thought. She made them read books in which they discover they're not the only ones throughout history to being marginalized: They're not alone.
Books cause the revolution of the mind, sometimes a revolution in a good way, other times a revolution in a bad way. Are books the only way to revolutionize one's life? Certainly not. They're definitely a mind opener. Sometimes I try to imagine the type of person I would have become, was I not able to read, to evade myself in an ocean of knowledge and erudition. I stumble, I can't imagine a reality different from what I currently live. Now, how does one translate that into a weapon of change? My friend Hamilton who is a teacher, gives us an insight. But for us who are not inspiring educators, or Oprah, what can we do?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You had me, until you mentioned Oprah.

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