STRUGGLE OF THE WOMAN IN THE MOVIE “FREEDOM WRITER” BY RICHARD

LAGRAVENESSE (THE ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY APPROACH)

Aini Masruroh
Department of English Education
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
University Muhammadiyah of Surakarta
Ainimasruroh06@gmail.com

Abstract

This study discusses about Erin Gruwell's struggle for woman of the main character in changing
the state of her students related to Adler's individual psychological theory, besides trying to
analyze other elements in the form of structural films The Freedom Writers by Richard
LaGarvennese such as characters and characterization, plots, point of view, style and theme
based on individual psychological perspective. This type of research is a qualitative descriptive
study. Data obtained from document analysis. The object of this study analyzes the structural
elements of the film and discusses the struggle of Erin Gruwell viewed from the perspective of
individual psychology. The results obtained from this study indicate a very close relationship
between the Freedom Writers film and individual psychology. The woman's struggle of playing
character Erin Gruwell to support her efforts such as: the first situation when she began to get the
attention of her students then indirectly the students expected her. By using psychological
approaches Erin Gruwell tries to make a close relationship with them, this is one way to control
the atmosphere of students in the classroom which incidentally is always tense and awkward.
Erin Gruwell created a small celebration as a form of appreciation for having succeeded in
uniting the differences between them into unity and being able to coexist.

Keywords : Woman’s struggle, Individual psychology, Freedom writers

Makalah ini menganalisis seorang guru kreatif yang menangani beberapa siswa yang bermasalah
di ruang kelasnya tercermin dalam film Freedom Writers. Berdasarkan masalah, makalah ini
bertujuan menganalisis cara-cara yang diambil guru kreatif untuk menyelesaikan masalah siswa.
Kerangka teoritis dari analisis ini adalah pendekatan Psikologis Individual oleh Alfred Adler.
Guru memiliki peran penting dalam kehidupan manusia. Sebagai seorang guru, ia tidak hanya
mengajar tetapi juga mendidik para siswa. Mengajar berarti mentransformasikan

pengetahuan guru kepada siswa. Melalui interaksi dengan siswa, seorang guru memberi mereka
berbagai bahan pengetahuan. Pengetahuannya bisa bahasa, matematika, biologi, fisika, sejarah,
dan sebagainya. Sementara itu, mendidik berarti seorang guru dapat mendidik siswa tentang
norma-norma sosial, etika, cara yang baik, moralitas dan sejenisnya. Untuk memainkan peran
mereka, guru sering menghadapi banyak masalah. Masalahnya berkisar dari masalah pribadi
siswa, masalah lingkungan mereka, kurangnya fasilitas proses belajar mengajar, hingga masalah
pribadi mereka sendiri. Film Freedom Writers, tempat pembuatannya

terinspirasi oleh kisah nyata, menggambarkan masalah kompleks yang dialami oleh guru dan
siswa. Guru, Erin Gruwell, menghadapi murid-muridnya yang memiliki berbagai masalah yang
rumit, yang kemudian termotivasi untuk menemukan solusi untuk masalah murid-muridnya.
Masalah murid-muridnya mungkin diskriminasi rasial, penindasan sosial oleh kelompok
dominan, ketidakadilan sosial yang dialami oleh kelompok yang terpinggirkan, dan sebagainya.
Dengan kreativitasnya dalam teknik mengajar, Gruwell menciptakan beberapa cara untuk
memahami masalah pribadi siswa mereka dan menemukan cara yang bijaksana untuk keluar dari
masalah mereka.

Introduction

To know and understand deeply about the science of literature, a person

especially students need to know what is the differences from literature and literary study.
Literature is a creativity in which creativity is used to shape and create literary works
using all types of aesthetic studies, while literary study is a science that focuses on
literature, (Suroso & Santoso, 2009: 1-2). To master literature, a person certainly needs to
learn about literary theories along with their basics. Theory is a process of understanding
what is the quality of literature, what is its function, what is the relationship between
writers and texts, readers, language, and society and its relationship with history. This is
not just about valuation but rather an understanding of the framework of valuation,
although it is not said that the theory is not rooted in politics or certain worldviews.
Mastering the science of literature is not easy, but it can be done if we often read various
types of literary works. There are also many literary works that we can use to better
understand what literary study is, such as films, poems, novels, drama, songs, etc. As for
the review of the literature that is in it we can analyze using various types of analysis and
views. One of them is a literary work in the form of a film consisting of dialogue, actors,
producers and other film matters in the big screen cinema.
 The real difference from films and novels is that films use cinematography and
also casting, but sometimes novels also use casting. The film is more directed to a
visualized story while the novel is a story where the story is written in narrative form.
From the various types of literary works mentioned above, the writer tries to focus more
on the analysis of a film. The film chosen by the writer is "Freedom Writer" by Richard
LaGravenesse.
Struggle of the teacher in the school environment really has a very big role to
educate and guide students in the class, especially students who are angry and have high
temperament. Angry student is a student who always makes trouble in the classroom and
outside the classroom, regardless of the circumstances. They often make gangs and
colonize themselves. They interfere, mock, offend, fight with their own friends with me
and their own behavior. Basically they are trouble makers. They do not know how to
respect their teachers and respect their teachers but instead ignore and consider them
indifferent. Seeing the phenomenon of students who are angry with their temperaments,
the school certainly needs a teacher who is not only able to listen but understand the
situation of the student. What causes them to be angry students. In addition the teacher
must be wise in handling the situation of the student. Struggle of the teacher might be
able to find a way and reason why they have bad behavior so that the teacher is able to
find a way out for the problem.
Individual psychology is a term used specifically for psychological or scientific
methods entered by Viennese psychiatrist Alfred Adler (Fall, Holden & Marquis 2002).
The English edition of Adler's work on the subject (1925) is a collection of papers and
lectures given mainly in 1912-1914, and covers the whole range of human psychology in
a single survey, which is intended to reflect the inseparable personality unity.
Freedom Writer is a film based on a true story taken from the Freedom Writer
Diary by a teacher named Erin Gruwell and her students. Erin Gruwell wrote a story
based on Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California. The title is
a game in both terms, "Freedom Riders", an activist of the rights of black and white
children who were tested by a US Supreme Court ruling which ordered the separation of
inter-city bus use in 1961, and Freedom Fighters are someone who fight trying to get
their freedom and rights. The idea of making this film came from a journalist, Tracey
Durning, where she made the documentary film Erin Gruwell for an ABC News
Primetime Live program. Tracey Durning served as film co-executive producer.
While Freedom Writers itself is a story that took place in 1992-1995, scene after
scene began from the riots that took place in Los Angeles in 1992. Furthermore it is said
that there have been 120 killings in Long Beach since the riots. Erin Gruwell, a school
teacher who was eager to change the situation of a student and he left security from his
native city of Newport Beach to teach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, a
school that has a new integration program to bring students from backgrounds together,
races, different skin colors become a unity and live together. Erin Gruwell got class 203.
Her enthusiasm was immediately reduced when she faced and felt the atmosphere in the
class herself. Instantly he realized that the class he was holding was a class of students
who were at risk and they were also known to be unreachable or controlled. Students in
class 203 are not students who are motivated to learn and be as enthusiastic as expected.
They must be forced into class by security guards so that they are separated from their
respective races. Tension and awkwardness are clearly seen every time students from one
race look to another race. Erin Gruwell not only had to face challenges from her students
but from the school department who always thought she was weak and unable to unite
students of different races.
Erin Gruwell experienced a lot of scorn and difficulties, especially by the head of
the department who did not support his activities at all in advancing the student. There
are always things that are used as weapons to bring down the spirit of Erin Gruwell. The
head of the department said that Erin Gruwell should not focus on teaching students only
the aspects of learning to read but rather teaching them on aspects of discipline and
obedience. However, Erin Gruwell has a different perspective. Because in this case she is
facing directly how the state of the student, especially in class 203.
At school, Gruwell intercepts a picture by another race that is used to track and
insult other races. And worse, the picture is distributed in one class. However, after
Gruwell intercepted the picture he used it to teach them about the Holocaust. That any
shortcomings should not be made into ridicule to bring down one another. However, the
joke can be used as an effort to make ourselves better. Every step by step he did until
finally he gained the trust of them. One day Erin Gruwell bought composition books and
distributed them to record their dairy. Where in the book they talk about their experiences
such as being harassed, punished without knowing their mistakes, expelled, blamed and
saw their friends die. Determined to reform her students, she took two part-time jobs to
disappoint her husband to be able to buy more books and spend more time at school.
Over time, his students began to recognize Erin Gruwell in the classroom and they began
to behave respectfully by showing them to learn more and read books more often. The
most obvious transformation was seen in one of his students, Marcus. Erin Gruwell
invited several victims from the Holocaust to talk with their class children about their
experiences and bring them on a field visit to the Museum of Tolerance.
Meanwhile, this strange and unusual teaching method was ridiculed and
demeaned by the head of the department, Margaret Campbell. In the following years,
Gruwell taught in the same class with his students in the second year. In this case
Gruwell is very happy because he can still monitor and see the development of his
students, but Gruwell's success at school is inversely proportional to the harmony of his
small family. When she faced success with her students, her husband divorced her and
Margaret said that she could not teach her children in their senior year or third year.
Consciously, Gruwell opposed the decision, but after the efforts he made to convince the
supervisor to allow it and the support of his children finally the decision was canceled.
Erin Gruwell continued to teach in the junior and senior years of her children. The film
ends with a note that Erin Gruwell successfully brought many of her students to graduate
and study and become a famous writer.
From the background above, the writer is interested in analyzing more about the
film "Freedom Writers" because, first of all, this film is taken from the true story of Erin
Gruwell, a 203 room teacher, about how the business was done and the profound impact
on the school. Secondly, this film is able to have a very big impact on the audience,
especially in the field of education, because with this it can touch the senses and feelings
of the audience so that it dissolves in the film. Third, this film shows the greatest strength
of a woman, especially in terms of education and this is in accordance with the passion
and enthusiasm of the writer in analyzing this film. The final reason is films and novels
made by different creators. The film was made by Richard LaGravenesse and the novel
by Erin Gruwell, from a different creator but they have the same goals and characters so
they can make the film a real situation.
From the reasons above, the writer tries to make an analysis with the title
"STRUGGLE OF THE WOMAN IN THE MOVIE" FREEDOM WRITER "BY
RICHARD LAGRAVENESSE (THE ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY
APPROACH)" This film makes researchers interested in the experience and efforts made
by Erin Gruwell in the way he made a decision and found a way to unite his students
from a difference into unity and coexist and escape from the problems of students and
also teachers.

Theoretical Framework
To analyze the struggle of the main character Mrs. Erin Gruwell in the film
Freedom Writers, the right theoretical use to be applied in research is Individual
Psychology by Alfred Adler. He determined in Mariahilfer Strabe, the city of Vienna,
Austria on February 7, 1870. The concept he put forward was basically on the
competence of fundamental beliefs.
Adler's thoughts changed by the philosopher Vaihinger and the literary work of
Dostoevsky. Currently a member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, he has developed
theories of organic inferiority and compensation. The development of the theory which
he advanced then brought him to the world of phenomenology and the development of
his famous work the Inferiority Complex. Adler's school of thought is better known as
individual psychology which focuses on social psychology, community, and also
psychology within. He represented an early figure who was led to normality. Adler
denied to support and bullies to allow their children to be drilled with the ability to make
decisions while helping others.
Considering that the environment and social have significant significance, they
also have the same thoughts as internal thinking (think about the individual itself). For
him the dynamics of power and compensation are as important as matters relating to sex.
Adler is a pragmatic person. He believes that ordinary people also need to use the science
of psychology. He became one of the early supporters of feminism in the field of
psychology and in the social world. He believes in feelings of superiority and inferiority
caused by gender issues, and this may be expressed in a feminine and masculine form.
According to Adler (in Feist, 1985: 64), he revealed that all the dichotomies and
multiplicities of real life are organized in total self and there is no definite division
between man and body, between what is understood and cannot be understood because of
reason and transferred . All success is involved in conversation with the ultimate goal of
superiority without success. With this goal will provide direction and association of
individuals with other people. The struggle of Mrs.Erin Gruwell to unite her students
from differences between races, ethnicities, and skin colors also helped overcome the
problems of her students as a form of awareness to find ways to teach, educate, and guide
for the right path. The struggle process can be used through the use of this perspective.
The basic concept of this theory can be detailed as follows:

1. Fictional Finalism
Fictional Finalism is a life goal of individuals where the nature is not real
(imaginary) or just a mere fiction. According to Adler (in Hjelle and Ziegler,
1992: 154), is a search for each person to achieve an advantage that is guided by
the fictional goals that he has adopted before. The purpose of fictional superiority
is determined by oneself. It was formed by the open creative power of the person,
thus making that person unique individually.
Humans use fiction actively in their lives. With fiction someone feels
stronger because with fiction someone believes and can believe that what he is
doing is a truth. Based on this fiction, Adler assumes that the life motivation of
someone in acting is not what happened in the past but rather to the person's
expectations of the fiction he has been holding. This is not much different from
the false truth that is in human thought.
2. Inferiority Feeling and Compensation
Inferiority is an innate feeling since humans are first born from a mother's
womb. A child who lives dependent on these parents means that he cannot do
anything with himself. According to Adler (in Hall and Lindzey, 1991: 247),
feelings of inferiority refer more to people who feel inferior due to several weak
factors in their lives. Like for example being in the lower position in society,
having a physical that is felt to be less than perfect, or having problems that
cannot be solved. Therefore feeling inferior means feeling weak or feeling
imperfections in every star of life. Inferior feelings can guide humans to be more
developed. Humans want to be free from inferior feelings then develop into
superior and perfect humans.
3. Striving for Superiority
 Striving for superiority means a person is motivated by his desire to be
better and superior in any aspect in another sense he is more dominating than
others. Every soul from an individual will be moved by a driver to be superior,
strong, and convincing. In order to try the hard way to try to make it less. Adler
(in Hjelle and Ziegler, 1992: 144) he said that each individual soul has the power
of creativity to drive perfection in trying. This is closely related to social life
because humans live together with their social to create a better life. According to
Adler, all humans will basically pursue superiority. Adler believes that everyone
will be sent to life in an inferior feeling, and will spend their lives to overcome it.
4. Style of Life
Lifestyle shows how a person to create his own concept through a unique
way out to reach the goal of going. Adler (in Hjelle and Ziegler, 1992: 144) he
argues about lifestyles that contain unique patterns of traits, habits, decisions
taken together, and determine the tastes taken from someone. How to solve
problems with other people.
5. Avoiding Type
People in this type are those who survive suction by avoiding life. They belong to
humans with the lowest energy levels. Menurt Adler (in Feist, 1985: 76), the type of
people who are avoiding are those who are always avoiding. Fear of failure is more
than wanting success. Their lives are marked by their life behaviors that are not useful
in social and tend to run away from the task of life. They do not have the courage to
fight with their problems, and instead they try to avoid and ignore because they are
afraid of failure.
6. Getting Type
Individuals in this type are closely related to the outside world, they dominate more
like parasites, they depend on others and depend most of their lives and needs on
others. Adler (InFeist, 1985: 75) says that people in this type have activities that tend
to be low and social interests are small, but they will not hurt others. These types of
people are very sensitive and build shells or boundaries around them. They have low
energy levels. When they feel overwhelmed, they will develop obsessions, phobias,
and anxiety.
7. Socially Useful Type
This type of person is classified as still healthy and normal. They have the right
amount of energy and also there is still a sense of attraction towards others. According
to Adler (in Feist, 1985: 76), people who still have a social soul or are useful for social
activities are able to struggle to solve life's problems in ways that benefit society.
People in this type can correctly identify the three main social problems namely, work,
neighborly love, and sex love.
8. Ruling Type
 Ruling type refers more to those who will encourage others to gain excellence. They
have a lot of energy which is able to cause them to push others out of their way. These
types of people are like bullies, sadists, or alcoholics. People in this type have very
little social interest or you could say they are anti-social, but their level of activity is
very high. These people have a dominant attitude towards the world and come close to
the three main problems in life namely work, sex and friendship. Adler (in Feist, 1985:
75) suggests that people of the ruling type with a high level of activity have the
potential to do something and are classified as dangerous. They could be murderers,
tyrants, rapists, or worse, they could commit suicide.
9. Creative Power
Creative power means expressing freedom, namely people who have the freedom to do
anything and be whatever they want to create their lifestyle to achieve their life's goals.
Adler (in Feist, 1985: 78) he reveals that the self is a dynamic concept, a movement of
prominent life characteristics. Based on the assumptions that already exist, in principle
every individual has the power to show himself and his desires through a creative
action in everyday life. From this creative power will produce a perception,
imagination, memory, dreams and fantasies (Adler in Feist, 1985: 78).
10. Social Interest
Social interest is a term that is closely related to the kinship of a person and other
living creatures so that the community in humans has an understanding, although the
understanding of social interest is not widely known, but its potential to create a more
harmanonistic human has already described its meaning in a very broad life. Adler (in
Feist, 1985: 71) he said that social interest is one aspect that humans consider their
relationship to live cooperatively with others is more important than personal interests.
Social interest shows that humans have the same ability to always connect with others
to achieve their goals. This social interest is closely related to human influence in
building trust within themselves. This is also a measure that humans are useful or not
in people's lives.

Research Methods

In this chapter includes research methods that include type of the study, object of
the study, type of data and data source, technique of collecting data, and technique of data
analysis.
1. Type Of The Study
In this study the writer used Qualitative Descriptive design research
method, where this research method tries to describe in detail the qualitative data
taken from the movie. Descriptive qualitative research is the research employing
the method of collecting, describing, classifying, and analyzing the data and then
 drawing conclusion. Si it is taken from “The Freedom Writers” movie directed by
Richard LaGravenesse’s.
Bogdan and Taylor (1975) in Meleong (2012: 4) defined that qualitative
descriptive methodology as a research process that produces a written or oral
word of the people. And researchers use this research method because researchers
focus on understanding the social phenomena that occur as well as from the
human perspective participants and natural settings.

2. Object Of The Study

Object of the study will be Erin Gruwell in “The Freedom Writers”
movie. This movie directed by Richard LaGravenesse’s.

3. Type Of Data And Data Source

The type of data used in this study is the form of scripts and images from
the film titled "The Freedom Writers" by Richard LaGravenesse. The author
divides data sources into two categories, namely:
a) Primary data source
The primary data source was obtained from the film "The Freedom
Writers" directed by Richard LaGravenese and produced by Danny
DeVito, Michael Shamberg, and Stacey Shen.
b) Secondary data source
Secondary data sources are other data sources associated with primary
data sources. The intended data source is related to the film and the
social historical background of the American community in the
twenty-first century that was used to support this analysis.

4. Technique Of Collecting Data

In collecting the data, the researcher use some procedures. Data collection
techniques are digital library studies. Data from primary and secondary data
sources are collected into one and by watching films and collecting books related
to the topic to be discussed. Data collection techniques are as follows:
a. Documentation
1) Watch a movie several times until the writer captures the
information needed or at least gets enough data to be analyzed.
2) Read the script or synopsis of the film and also look for other
sources related to the topics analyzed in the film.
 3) Looking for the internet to get some relevant information and
articles related to research.
4) Record important parts of the data or information obtained, both
primary and secondary data.
b. Taking picture
1) Take some pictures of scenes in the film related to psychological
analysis of Adler's individual theories
2) Writing data (dialogue) in the film.
c. Classifying data into categories and developing them into a good unit.
d. Take or draw conclusions based on data analysis.

5. Technique Of Data Analysis

In this analysis the technique used by the writer to analyze the data is a
descriptive analysis technique. Here the author will explain the structural
elements in the film such as character and characterization, plot, cast,
cinematography as well as the picture of the film by using elements of
Psychological Analysis of Adler's individual theories.
The data collected will be interpreted and then analyzed in detail through
the psychological approach of the work in terms of showing the creative efforts of
Erin Gruwell in the film Freedom Writers. First, the data is arranged in a data list.
Second, researchers look for the selection of relevant data using the approach
chosen. Finally, all data compiled then draw conclusions based on analysis.

Finding and Discussion

Finding

Discussion

Berdasarkan pada temuan-temuan diatas, struggle of the woman di kehidupan memar

benar adanya dan merupakan proses yang panjang dikehisupan seseorang. Erin Gruwell sebagai
guru di sekolah Sekolah Menengah Atas Woodrow Wilson ia menghadapi berbagai banyak
cobaan, mulai dari murid-muridnya, pihak sekolah, dan lebih buruknya suami Erin Gruwell
menceraikan dan meninggalkannya ketika ia sedang menikmati keberhasilannya dalam meraih
cinta dankasing sayang dari murid-muridnya. Erin Gruwell menghadapai berbagai cobaan
dimulai ketika ia untuk pertama kalinya berdiri didepan kelas untuk mengajar murid-muridnya.
Murid-murid tersebut memiliki berbagai permasalahan kompleks, mulai dari permasalahan
dengan lingkungan sekitar, masyarakat, sosial, rumah tangga hingga deskriminasi antar ras.
Disamping itu, Erin Gruwell pun juga memiliki permasalahan rumah tangga yang serius antara
suami dengan ayahnya. Untuk mengatasi masalah-masalah hiduonya tersebur Erin
Gruwellberjuang dengan sangat keras untuk mencapai kebahagiannya. Baik kebahagiaan secara
fisik maupun mental. Erin Gruwell adalah wanita yang tangguh dan kuat. Dia juga memiliki
upaya besar untuk mencapai hal tersebut, selain itu ia juga memiliki semangat dan keberanian
ynag tinggi untuk melawan ketidakadilan dari sekolah yang dibebankan kepadanya. Seperti yang
telah dikatakan oleh Chambell ddalam film tersebut bahwa Erin Gruwell adalah wanita hebat,
kuat, cantik dan cerdas. Karena kenyataan-kenyataan ynag ada, ia berusaha sangat keras, struggle
sangat gigih untuk mencapai apa ynag ia inginkan yaitu menjadi guru di Sekolah Mengah Atas
Woodrow Wilson meskipun sebelumnya ia adalah lulusan dari Fakultas Hukum. Selain itu
setelah semua struggle yang telah ia lakukan hingga akhirnya ia mendapatkan perhatian dari
murid-muridnya, ia mendapatkan izin mengajar dan bersama dengan murid-muridnya hingga
kelas tiga.

Banyak kendala dan masalah yang dijadapi oleh Erin Gruwell ketika dia tengah
menjalani pekerjaannya sebagai guru di Sekolah Menegah AtA Woodrow Wilson, Long Beach,
California. Ketika dia pertamakali masuk kelas 203 dan untuk pertama kalinya ia bertemu
dengan murid-muridnya ia mendapatkan perlakuan yang kurang sopan. Tidak ada satupun
darimuridnya yang menghormati ataupun menganggapnya. Bahkan mereka meremehkannya.
Mereka menolaknya, mereka tidak menyukainnya, dan juga mereka tidak menaatinya sama
sekali. Penolakan dan perlakuan-perlakuan mereka tersebut didasari oleh manifestasi mereka
terhadap orang berkulitnputih secara umum. Karena Erin Gruwell adalah seorang ras berkulit
putih maka dengan alasan tersebut mereka membencinya. Mengetahui kenyataan tersebut, Erin
Gruwell otomatis merasa rendah diri. Selain itu, didalam kelas tersebut hubungan yang terjalin
antara satu siswa dengan siswa lain sangatlah kurang baik. Hal ini disebabkan oleh mereka hanya
berteman dan berinteraksi dengan sesama ras dan etnis mereka. Dikelas 203 terdapat beberapa
ras dan etnis, yaitu orang yang berkulit putih, orang yang berkulit hitam, Kamboja, Little
Tijuana, dan Cina. Hanya karena kasus saja mereka bisa saja brutal dan melakukan kejahatan
seperti bertarung diruang kelas maupun dihalaman sekolah. Untuk membenci satu sama lain pun
sudah menjadi kebiasaan mereka.

Mereka berperilaku seperti itu karena mindset mereka terhadap orang yang berkulit putih
sudah buruk.hal ini juga dipengaruhi oleh supremasi mereka pada warga AS yang berkulit putih
pada waktu itu. Mereka membenci orang yang berkulit putih karena mereka berfikir bahwa orang
kulit putih bebas untuk melakukan apapun dan diberikan kebebasan untuk melakukan apapun
juga terhadap orang lain. Mereka bisa menyiksa, menangkap, memenjarakan, bahakan mereka
dapat membunuh orang lain dengan leluasa. Orang berkulit putih tidak pernah memperlakukan
orang lain dengan adil. Murid-murid Erin Gruwell sebagian besar adalah mereka yang menjadi
korban atas deskriminasi tersebut, yaitu akibat deskrimasi oleh orang-orang berkulit putih. Akan
tetapi, selain membenci orang berkulit putih mereka juga membenci teman mereka yang berasal
dari ras, warna kulit, dan etnis lain. Bahkan lebih buruknya untuk perkara sepele pun mereka
harus bertengkar Dan perang diantara mereka. Untuk menghilangkan kesenjangan diantara
mereka, Struggle of main character in this movie, Erin Gruwell sangat kreatif. Dia mencoba
dengan mengubah posisi duduk murid-muridnya yang semula berkoloni antar ras dan etnis
sekarang diubah dengan mix and match dengan satusama lain. Dengan melakukan hal tersebut,
Erin Gruwell berharap mereka memiliki interaksi sosial dan dapat bergaul dengan satu sama
yang berbeda ras dan etnis dengan merekamasing-masing.

Untuk mengetahui lebih dalam mengenai latar belakangdan kehidupan murid-muridnya,

Erin Gruwell membuat sebuah game bernama Line Game. Dengan game ini, dia ingin
mengeksplorasi lebih mengenai masalah muridnya dan mengajari mereka untuk saling
memahami dengan baik. Dengan bereksperimen melalui game ini, ia mengamati dengan seksama
bahwa murid-muridnya mulai untuk mengetahui masalah teman-temannya dan mereka mulai
memberikan simpati dan empati terhadap satu sama lain. Hal ini juga menjadi pemicu mereka
untuk memberikan rasa saling menghormati. Melalui game ini, Erin Gruwell berharap
dapatmenyatukan mereka menjadi satu kesatuan bahkan menjadi keluarga. Selanjutnya, untuk
menggali lebih banyak informasi tentang latar belakang murid-muridnya, Erin Gruwell meminta
siswa-siswanya untuk menulis didalam sebuah jurnal tentang apapun. Baik masalah pribadi,
keluarga, pengalaman, perasaan, ataupun ide-ide mereka. Selanjutnya ia memberikan ruang
khusus untuk jurnal tersebut, apabila ia diberikan izin untuk membaca maka murid-murid
tersebut akan meletakkan jurnal mereka didalam lemari khusus tersebut. Dia memberikan
mereka buku jurnal untuk tujuan tersebut. Selain itu, kegiatan tersebut bisa menjadi jalan untuk
meningkatkan kreativitas murid-muridnya dalam karya astra dan mendrong mereka untuk
menjadi penulis yang kreatif. Struggle of the main character Erin Gruwell in this movie,
ditunjukkan dengan usaha-usahanya bekerja lebih dari satu pekerjaan untuk memenuhi semua
kebutuhan terkait dengan keperluan sekolah, mulai dari membeli buku-buku novel, berkunjung
ke tempat-tempat bersejarah, dll.

Untuk meningkatkan keterampilan dan wawasan membaca darisiswanya, Erin Gruwell

memberikan muridnya beberapa buku novel untuk dibaca. Banyak buku yang diberikan oleh
Gruwell untuk mmuridnya ynag isinya pun tidak jauh dari permasalahan-permasalahan hidup
yang dihadapi oleh siswa-siswnya. Dengan adanyakegiatan ini, maka diharapkan mereka
memiliki pehamana ynag labih lagi terhadap memaknai hidup. Selain itu, Erin Gruwell juga
meminta siswa-siswnaya untuk mengunjungi Museum Holocaust. Kegiatan ini dilakukan atas
dasar tanggapannyaterhadap keinginan murid-muridnya untuk mengetahui lebih dalam mengenai
Holocaust. dengan diadakannya hal ini Erin Gruwell bermaksud untuk memberikan muridnya
lebih banyak tentang adanya visi kehidupan danlebih menghargai hidup. Dengan ini Erin
Gruwell berharap agar mereka saling mencintai dan menghormati satu sama lain.

Yang membuat Erin Gruwell terkejut adalah tanggapan-tanggapan yang diberikan oleh
murid-muridnya terhadap usaha ynag telah ia lakukan. Muridnya memintanya untuk
mengundang Miep Gies, yaitu seseorang yang membantu Anne Frank bersembunyi dirumahnya
ketika Holocaust sedang terjadi. Anne Frank adalah seorang penulis dari The Diary of Anne
Frank, salah satu dari buku yang telah mereka baca. Murid-murid Erin Gruwell mengingkannya
untuk mengundang Miep Gies untuk datang ke kelas mereka untuk membagikannya ceritanya
mengenai Holocaust.

Demi harapan dan mewujudkan keinginan dari murid-muridnya, Erin Gruwell meminta
kepada setiap siswanya untuk menulis sebuah surat yang nanti akan dikirimkan kepada Miep
Gies di Swiss, Eropa. Lalu untuk membuat acara tersebut menjadi kenyataan, murid-murid dan
Erin Gruwell membuat sebuah acara ynag dinamakan “Taste for Change” dan “Concert for
Change”. Pada akhirnya, harapan mereka pun terwujud. Miep Gies datang kekelas mereka, kelas
203. Dirungan tersebut, Miep Gies membagikan kisahnya tentang kengerian Anne Frank dan
peristiwa Holocaust. Mereka mendengarkan dengan seksama dan serius. Miep Gies
kemudianmengatakan bahwa dia telah membaca semua surat yang telah mereka kirimkan dan ia
mengatakan bahwa mereka adalah seorang pahlawan setiap harinya.

Pada umumnya manusia bukanlah makhluk yang sempurna, demikian pula dengan Erin
Gruwell. Dia gagal dalam pernikahannya, suaminya meninggalkan danmenceraikannya,
meskipun ia sudah bekerja keras untuk mempertahankannya, akan tetapi tetap saja takdir berkata
lain. Hal ini terjadi bersamaan dengan keberhasilan struggle-strugglenya dalam meraih cinta dan
dihormati oleh muridnya hingga akhirnya ia dianggap orang yang penting dan berguna bagi
murid-muridnya. Suami Erin Gruwell menceraikannya karena ia merasa tidak setuju dengan apa
yang telahErin lakukan. Dia berfikir bahwa Erin melupakannya dan lebih mementingkan murid-
murid dan sekolahnya tersebut dari pada suaminya. Erin sebenarnya sudah menjelaskan pa
yangtelah terjadi dan ia juga memberikan penjelasan bahwa profesi mengajaranya adalah penting
sedangkan pekerjaan sampingannya hanya sementara. Dia meminta suaminya untuk bersabar dan
menunggu akan tetapi ia tidak bisa melakukan itu sehingga dia memutuskan untuk pergi
meninggalkan Erin Gruwell.

Conclusion

Dari analisis diatas, maka dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa untuk mengajar siswa dengan latar
belakang yang berbeda bukalah hal yang bisa dianggap mudah. Hal ini membutuhkan usaha-
usaha yang keras dan gigih serta semangat dan hasrat yang tulus untuk menjadi guru.sebagai
seorang guru, ia harus gigih dalam mendapatkan perhatian si murid selain itu cara dia untuk
mengajar tentunyaharus kreatif dan mengesankan. Mendidik dan membimbing siswa untuk
menuju ke jalan kehidupan yang benar makan guru harus menjadi penunjuk dan pengarahnya.
Disinilah usaha atau struggle dari seorang guru dibuktikan dan digunkana. Tokoh utama di dalam
movie “Freedom Writers” Erin Gruwell, adalah salah satu guru dengan usaha yang sangat gigih
dalam mencapai semua kesuksesan di hidupnya dan guru yang memiliki dedikasit inggi pada
bidang pendidikan. Dia telah mengorbankan, mendedikasikan seluruh waktunya dan energinya
untuk untuk pendidikan. Erin Gruwell menunjukkan strugglenya dengan mengajar myrud-
muridnya ynag memilikib erbagai permasalahan kompleks dalam kehidupannya. Dia berhasil
mendidik dan membimbing murid-muridnya untuk lebih memahami dan menghargai hidup.
Akan tetapi, dia juga gagal dalam mengatur pernikahannya sepertidi akhir dari film, dia harus
bercerai dan berpisah dengan suaminya.

Dari pengalaman Erin Gruwell tersebut, ada beberapa manfaat yang dapat kita ambil.
Sebagaiseorang guru, kita harus seimbang dalam mengatur waktu dan energi untuk profesi dan
keluarga, dimana waktu tersebut terjadi diwaktu yang bersamaan. hal ini sangat penting guna
memastikan bahwa urusan profesi menjadi guru dan menjadi istri didalam keluarga berjalan
dengan baik dan sinkron. Erin Gruwell memiliki keluarga yang bahagia dan juga siswanya yang
sukses dalam studi mereka. Tentunya hal ini perlu adanya suatu pengeratian dan pemahaman dari
kedua belak pihak baik suami ataupun istri mengenai profesi mereka masing-masing.

Implikasi dalam film “Fredom Writers” untuk para guru di Indonesia adalah kenyataan bahwa
film ini dapat menginspirasi mereka terutama dalam bidang pendidikan malalui struggle dari
Erin Gruwell dalam mengajar dan mendidik siswa-siswanya dengan latar belakang sosial dan
budaya yang berbeda. Indonesia sendiri merupakan negara dengan keanekaragaman ras, suku,
budaya, kepercayaan atau agama, serta etnis yang berbeda-beda, olehkarena itu dibutuhkan
seorang guru dengan struggle ynag gigih serta semangat yang tinggi untuk meyatukan perbedaan
menjadi kesatuan bahkan sampai menjadi sebuah keluarga tanpa ada dinding penghalang.

Bibliography