Sharaud Character Analysis in The Freedom Writers Diary

A disciplinary transfer in Ms. Gruwell’s first class, when she was still a student teacher, Sharaud is initially known as a tall, imposing, violence-prone student who intimidates his teachers and interrupts classroom teaching as much as he can. When he becomes the subject of a racist caricature, however, he shows his weakness and sensitivity, demonstrating that he is not inured to the insidious power of racism. After Ms. Gruwell rebukes the class for the drawing and spends the rest of the year teaching tolerance, Sharaud’s behavior changes dramatically. He becomes a dedicated, successful student, and proves willing, like the rest of the class, to embrace values of cooperation, trust, and dedication to his academic work.

Sharaud Quotes in The Freedom Writers Diary

The The Freedom Writers Diary quotes below are all either spoken by Sharaud or refer to Sharaud. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Race, Ethnicity, and Tolerance Theme Icon

).

I asked, “How many of you have heard of the Holocaust?” Not a single person raised his hand. Then I asked, “How many of you have been shot at?” Nearly every hand went up. I immediately decided to throw out my meticulously planned lessons and make tolerance the core of my curriculum. From that moment on, I would try to bring history to life by using new books, inviting guest speakers, and going on field trips.

Related Characters: Erin Gruwell (speaker), Sharaud

Related Symbols: The Diary of Anne Frank

Page Number and Citation: 2-3

Explanation and Analysis: