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Part V: Diary 58
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Freedom Writers Diary, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Ethnicity, and Tolerance
Education and Healing
Family and Home
Violence, War, and Death
Summary
Analysis
This student surprises herself by reading the entirety of Catcher in the Rye, a book that she originally thought would not interest her at all. She identifies with its protagonist, Holden, who criticizes people in society for being such conformists, and recalls an evening in which she and a group of friends drove to Las Vegas, even though she had just told her mother over the phone that she would be home soon. When her mother discovered what had happened, she was furious. Her daughter insisted on being sent away, because she felt tired of everything, but she was simply sent to her room.
This student’s rebellious attitude signifies a deeper dissatisfaction with people and life in general. At the same time, she proves capable of showing interest in something outside herself, through the book’s protagonist. Her mother seems intent on holding her daughter accountable for her actions and trying to keep her from harm, however little she might actually understand the root of her behavior.
Themes
