Students in Ms. Gruwell’s class frequently describe the violence they encounter at home and on the streets. How does this violence affect their classroom work? How has their approach to handling life outside of school changed by the end of the book? 

The diary entries in The Freedom Writers are anonymous rather than attributed to any particular student. Why do you think the book is structured this way? What affect does this structure have? How would the novel be different if the entries were not anonymous? 

How are the Freedom Writers able to use writing to connect with one another and the outside world?