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Part V: Diary 59
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 describes receiving a job offer from John Tu. At one of the big dinner parties that Ms. Gruwell organizes for students’ families to get together, this student asks John Tu if he wants to be driven to his car, since he could get robbed in this neighborhood. Tu surprises him by accepting his offer and the student is ashamed to make the millionaire and his wife ride in his old car, which only has one seat in the front after the other one was stolen.
The student fears that John Tu might mock or criticize him for his economic status, since his car is clearly not in pristine condition. However, Tu seemingly shows little concern for such matters, caring only about returning home safely and gratefully accepting the student’s thoughtful gesture.
Themes
When John Tu tells the student he is impressed with his car, since at his age all he owned was a bicycle, the student realizes that John Tu actually had to work hard to achieve the kind of success and wealth he now enjoys. As he is leaving the car, Tu thanks the student and offers him a job at his computer company, which makes him feel extremely excited, as he feels that his life is taking a new turn.
John Tu goes out of his way to make the student feel comfortable, complimenting him on precisely the thing that had caused the student shame. This demonstrates his willingness to judge no one based on their economic status, and to insist that a humble background should keep no one from attaining success.
Themes
