Chapter 1, Freshman Year - Fall 1994 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 1 begins with Erin Gruwell's entry outlining how she came to Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. She student taught at the institution the year before but wasn't prepared to experience the hierarchy of teaching, meaning she, at the bottom of the hierarchy, would teach Freshman English to the "unteachable" students.

While student teaching, Long Beach was dubbed the "gangsta-rap capital" by MTV due to its depiction of guns and graffiti. However Gruwell sees a different Long Beach, one that is relatively safe, one where students will take multiple buses just to receive their education at Wilson. Today, the formally predominately white school has transformed into a culturally diverse environment that now includes African Americans, Latinos and Asians making up the majority of the student body. Economically, it's very common for a...