Freedom Writers: Conflict Table

Scene	Explain the conflict and whether it’s internal or external	How does the conflict develop the narrative? What are the implications of this conflict?
Eva runs away from shooting in the streets and is then jumped by group of African Americans. Eva’s voiceover: “We fight each other for territory. We kill each other over race, pride, and respect. We fight for what is ours... War has been declared”	- This introduces Eva’s social environment, her ties to gang life and violence, and shows that it is something that is constantly on her mind. - It’s internal conflict and external conflict because it shows the physical conflict in her environment, but also expresses her perception of it through her voiceover.	Because this conflict is both internal and external it sets up/foreshadows the story to come. It introduces one of the main characters of the story and shows that the violence of the archival footage of the LA riots isn’t far away from the characters in this story. The conflict implies that Eva has gang ties and that she is heavily effected by it both physically and mentally/emotionally
Ms. Gruwell walks through school. Looks in to Honours Class and then walks into her class. Close Up of her face showing her expression becoming gradually more disappointed.	This introduces Ms. G’s social environment, shows where she is going to spend most of her time. The conflict is external, because it shows the scungy environment that she is faced with, and internal, because her facials show her struggling to comprehend how she is going to teach in this environment	Because this conflict is also both internal and external, it sets the scene for where most of the story will be set (in the classroom). The crappy classroom implies to Ms. G that the students will be not very high achievers, after seeing the quality of the classroom reserved for the Honours students. After she is told to take her pearls off, the classroom implies to her that the students attending could be criminal, and that she may be in physical danger being in the classroom, and further emphasising how she doesn’t know how she will teach these students
First class – students are escorted in and while Ms Gruwell is calling the role Jamal and Andre start a fight.	This is both external and internal. Its external because it shows a fight going on between andre and Jamal, clearly portraying an external conflict, this is further emphasised when the students from the gangs further egg them on, it also shows Ms G’s inability to control her classroom, showing her lack of confidence physically and mentally.	This first external conflict at the school sets the scene for what all the characters (the students in the class)’s attitudes will be like; fighting in class, not wanting to learn, gang tension, this makes Ms G think thats she is going to need to find a different way to teach these students, to actually make them want to learn.
Ms Gruwell and her class are interrupted by an alarm bell going off. Everyone runs outside to watch fight between Paco and guy in orange jumper, then a massive brawl breaks out amongst other students.	This is an internal and external conflict; Internal because it shows Erin has never been exposed to anything like this before, let alone on this scale, and she doesn’t know what to do, especially when she sees the guy with the gun. The external conflict is clearly portrayed because one can clearly see the huge brawl going on throughout the school.	This hits Ms G really hard, because she signed up to teach, not to get in the middle of a gang war. We clearly see the height of the gang tension at the school, and this impacts on Erin mentally, because now she not only needs to find a way to teach the students and keep them coming to school, but she needs to find a way to ease the gang tension in her class, in order to stop the rivalries already shown, and keep herself, and her class safe.
Ms Gruwell plays Tupac to start poetry unit. Shifts Jamal, and then shifts the entire class around. “Is everybody happy with the new borders?”	This is an external conflict because it shows Ms G. Disrupting the array of seating in the class, separating the gangs, and the students are like “WHAT?” this also shows an internal conflict in Ms G. As she is wondering whether it will work, or whether it will create more tension	Ms G. Separating the desks and splitting up the gangs has huge implications, as it begins to separate the gangs apart , and see who has the courage to step up and speak without the safety of their gangs backing them up, it also begins to show that it makes no difference to the gangs no matter where they sit in the classroom.
When Paco attempts to shoot Grant Rice, but instead shoots asian guy, Sindy’s friend, in the convenience store.	This conflict was both internal and external the choice to shoot grant rice was an internal decision due to rivalry between the gangs and the physical shooting was an external conflict as it was involving others that the shooter himself, the asian guy getting shot instead of grant rice was what created the court case for eva to testify in and give her a chance to detach herself from the gang life.	This event shows strongly that the rivalry is very real between the gangs to the point that they are willing to kill members of rival gangs. This shooting is also the turning point for eva wanting to leave as she realises that uninvolved people can easily be effected by the actions of the gangs to the extremity of a by stander being shot instead of the actual target.
Eva looking in the mirror doing her make-up. Voiceover: “...only I saw Paco, the others were turned away. So when the police questioned me, I knew I had to protect him”.	This is an internal conflict as eva feels she has to ‘protect her own’ and since she was the only witness to the shooting she can simply tell the police that she didn’t see paco shoot and there will be no evidence to convict him.	This conflict shows clearly that eva knows that paco is guilty but she must protect him, for fear that if she doesn’t then she will be turned against by her gang which could possibly lead to external conflict later on. Later on after eva testifys against paco and tells the court that he was the one who shot him then she confronted by her own gang and told she is only alive because of her father (external conflict)
Racist drawing of Jamal is passed around the class. Ms Gruwell is horrified and makes a speech about it’s similarity to the propaganda of the Nazis. Shifts to a discussion about respect and race. Ms Gruwell: “You know what’s going to happen when you die? You’re going to rot in the ground and people are gonna go on living and they’re gonna forget all about you...and no body, no body is gonna wanna remember you because all you left behind was this” (holds up picture of Jamal). She then discovers only one person in class knows what the Holocaust is and that everyone else had been shot at.	This is an external conflict because of ms gruwell shouting at the class and confronting them about the gang rivalry in the classroom. Ms Gruwell sends the message to them that their lives aren’t that bad, she does it very harshly by relating their lives to that of the lives of the jews in the holocaust. This in turn creates internal conflict in the students, because they don’t know whether to listen to their “white” teacher or not. She drums the message home by relating to an external conflict that had already taken place in the classroom (the picture of jamal)
Ms Gruwell visits Ms Campbell at school to get more advanced books for her students, but is told to use the condensed version of Romeo and Juliet or buy books herself. “You can’t make someone want an education. The best you can do is get them to obey...” – Ms Campbell.	External, this is because the problem is about other people; the students being unable to use regular books. This is also external because Ms Campbell is shown as an obstacle because she will not let Ms Gruwell use the advanced books.	The teacher has to buy the books for the students this shows that she really does believe that she can teach the students. Also Ms Gruwell proves to Ms Campbell that she is capable of teaching the kids and they do not wreck the books.
Ms Gruwell plays ‘The Line Game’ – note the eyeline shots between characters – then she hands out their journals.	This is internal conflict because it shows the kids internal decisions to show what they have experienced.	The students begin to be able to socialise together while in the class room. The implications of this conflict is to show that the kids discover that they are alike and can behave around eachother.
Ms Gruwell sits in class and reads through journal entries – interjected with montage of flashbacks, voiceovers and students saying their entries.	This is external conflict, this is because Ms Gruwell learns about all the students. This scene has conflict because she starts to understand who everyone is and why.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative because we get greater detail on the students such as their life stories.
Ms Gruwell tells her husband that she got another job, on top of teaching and selling bras, as the concierge at the Mariot hotel.	This is internal conflict because it shows Ms Gruwell's decision to get an extra job. The conflict in this scene is that she now has less spare time.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative because the teachers devotion to the class has increased alot, she even works to help her students after school. The point of the conflict in this scene is to show she is willing to do a lot to give her students a better school environment.
Eva goes to visit her dad in prison. She tries to give him the book she read in class, but he puts it to the side and tells her about how they need to take the victories when the can – in reference to her sitting on the stand for him.	In this scene the conflict is external, it is external because her dad shows her that he isn't concerned about her time at school.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative by contributing to Eva's opinion about her father which affects her choice to tell that truth at court.
School trip to the Simon Wiesenthal Centre - Museum of Tolerance to find out about the Holocaust. Each student receives a card and follows their person’s story. A lot of CU and MS of students’ faces.	In this scene the conflict is internal, it is internal because the conflict is about the students with themselves, the conflict is the kids learning and showing interest in other peoples bad experiences.	The conflict in this scene develops narrative because it shows that there has been a huge change in the students interests, before they were not interested in history and now they are very interested in the people who were involved in the holocaust.
Ms Gruwell arrives home and tells her husband that she got her first honour student and it ends up an argument about jobs and desires.	In this scene the conflict is external, it is external because the conflict is with Ms Gruwell and her husband. The external conflict in this is from the husband argueing about Ms Gruwell many jobs.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative by allow Ms Gruwell to understand that she has a lot being lost for these kids.
Montage of students reading The Diary of Anne Frank, while reading it out in voiceover.	The conflict in this scene is internal, its internal because it the students are thinking about what is happening in the book.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative by improving the kids thoughts about how they can change their lives.
Eva storms into classroom “Why didn’t you tell me she dies” (talking about Anne Frank).	The conflict in this scene is external, its external because Eva is angry with Ms Gruwell.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative because it forces Eva to understand why bad things happen (Anne Frank dieing). Also Eva shows that she is interested in learning about Anne Frank.
Miep Gies visits and tells the class “You are the heroes. You are heroes every day” – cuts between CUs of students and Miep Gies’ faces.	The conflict in this scene is external, it is external because another person is causing it; Miep Gies.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative because it makes the students feel like they're important and can accomplish what they thought they couldn't.
Eva giving her testimony in court and confesses that Paco killed the asian guy.	The conflict in this scene is internal, it is internal because Eva had to make an internal decision whether to tell the truth or lie.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative because it shows that Eva is now able to do what she believes is right.
Ms Gruwell arrives home to her husband with his bags packed. Argue about her job.	The conflict in this scene is external, it is external because Ms Gruwell's husband causes an issue of wanting to leave.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative because it shows that her husband isn't happy with the way their lives are.
Class finds out the Ms Gruwell won’t be their teacher for junior year	The conflict in this scene is external, its external because the class’s problem is caused from their teacher being unable to be with them in the future.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative by forcing Ms Gruwell to work hard to be allowed to teach them in the future.
Meeting with Board of Education about Ms Gruwell keeping her class for junior year.	The conflict in this scene is external, it is external because Ms Gruwell requires the board of education’s permission to be the students teacher the next year.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative because it gives the story the happy ending of the students learning that she will be their teacher in the future.
Ms Gruwell confronts Andre about his self-evaluation – “I see who you are. Do you understand me? I can see you and you are not failing”.	The conflict in this scene is external, it is external because Ms Gruwell confronts Andre, which forces him to work hard so that he doesn’t fail.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative by making Andre work harder to pass the tets.
Ms Gruwell tells class there is no way they can’t continue together for junior year.	The conflict in this scene is external, it is external because Ms Gruwell tells the students that they will be able to continue together later next year.	The conflict in this scene develops the narrative by getting the students happy and believe that they can succeed in the future.