Perspective

The Freedom Writers Diary is told from multiple points of view. Each chapter begins with Erin Gruwell's point of view. After that, each chapter is filled with a minimum of nine and a maximum of 32 anonymous entries, each with their unique point of view.

The perspective at the beginning of the book is quite emotional, very colloquial with liberal use of curse words. The earthy tone vividly illustrates the anger these students possess and lends a believability factor the book wouldn't have if more proper language were used.

As the book progresses, the style of writing matures. While each entry is still as passionate as the earlier diary entries, the students are clearly learning the techniques of clear communication, along with techniques they can use to not offend the broader audience. By the book's end, the students skillfully tell heartrending stories without the drama of cursing and colloquialism...