The story is based on Erin Gruwell, an English teacher at Wilson High School in California. Gruwell is assigned a group of students who are more worried about gang violence than studies. The majority of this group of students comes from a dangerous neighborhood dominated by gang violence. Although she is against racism, she is shocked when a student draws a large lipped caricature of a black student called Sharaud. Gruwell condemns such an act and tells her students that such activities always result in terrible incidents like the Holocaust. After that incident, Gruwell decides to teach her students about tolerance.
Gruwell presents unique teaching methods that appeal to her students. Indeed, she combines literature and history to drive her point home. Gruwell decides to teach literature that relates to her students’ certainties. For instance, she chose the diaries of Zlata Filipovic and Anne Frank so that her students can become aware of the consequences of ethnic division. When students start writing their own diaries, they detail daily occurrences within their neighborhood. Racial and ethnic division usually led to violence and poverty. Through writing these diaries, the majority of the students realized the power of tolerance.
Knowledge is power. Gruwell teaches her students knowledge of tolerance and understanding. Initially, most of the students despised one another due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of tolerance. However, Gruwell encouraged them to tolerate one another and convinced them that they had more in common than they thought. Gruwell discouraged her students from being divided based on their color and ethnicity. The narrative implies that every person should be treated in a humane and dignified manner.
