Preview

Conflict in Dead Poets Society

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
753 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Conflict in Dead Poets Society
Conflict in Dead Poet's Society Internal and external conflicts are something that everyone experiences day to day. These conflicts may not always be solved by the individual, but someone they can relate to. In the movie Dead Poet's Society, a group of boys go through a life-changing experience where they learn how to be different from their teacher Mr. Keaton. Keaton enables the boys to overcome shyness, fall in love, follow your dreams, and create a strong self image. Unlike his colleagues, Keating employs unorthodox teaching methods and strives to teach more than just his subject matter, which is poetry. His goal is to inspire his students to be creative in their own way and express their abilities. Keaton's philosophy of "seizing the day" helps define who the boys really are. The boys learned that they deserved more than the daily routine, that they were not satisfied with living up to the expectations of others. As a result, the boys re-establish the Dead Poet's Society that Keaton took part in when he was a student. Neil Perry, one of the students at the school, seems to be the first affected by Keaton's teachings. Neil is faced with his father's strict grip put on Neil's life. Mr. Keaton helped Neil realize that he had other dreams that did not include his father's. Keaton's teachings and the Dead Poet's Society helped Neil strive to what he thought was important, and not what his father thought was important. He learned to look past the wishes of others, and find what was important to him. Without Keaton, Neil would have never pursued his career for acting which was strongly looked down upon from his father. Knox Overstreet is also a student that is affected by Keaton's teachings also. Knox, who is already creative in his own way, learns to follow his heart from Keaton. Knox finds himself desperately in love with a girl that he has had a crush on for a long time. Keaton's first lesson to the boys is "Carpe diem". Knox takes his experiences with Keaton

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In A Separate Peace and Dead Poets Society, some of the characters in the book seem like others in the movie. Gene, one of these characters, in the Separate Peace, relates to Tom in Dead Poets Society, and Phineas or Finny, in the Separate Peace, relates to Neil, in Dead Poets Society. Gene thinks he is at fault with anything he is involved in where something bad happens, and Tom thinks he is worth less and bad at everything. Gene and Tom both look down at themselves. Gene and Tom’s parents are uncaring. Gene talks but mainly only to Finny. Tom only talks to Neil, when he talks to others he is embarrassed and usually quiet. They are both quiet except to their roommate Finny or Neil. Gene was upset when finny fell off the tree and shattered…

    • 242 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The film Dead Poets Society is about preparatory students who attend Welton, a school who prides itself in excellence and strict structure classes. The students are expected by both their parents and school to reach Ivy league standards. Although they are brilliant in the classroom, some students struggle with personal fears. Fear can be very challenging to overcome, especially if you don’t have anyone to encourage or guide you. Dead Poet Society clearly displays the fear of three preparatory school students who have challenges they need to overcome.…

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Expressing the power of the individual and “seizing the day”, transcendentalism is clearly shown throughout the film, Dead Poet’s Society. The character, Mr. Keating, plants seeds of wisdom in all the minds of his students. This lead to their want to break away from the conformity of society and express their individualism. Throughout the movie, symbolism is expressed to show various parts of these transcendentalist ideals. Symbolism of the elements of Transcendentalism can be identified in the movie, Dead Poet’s Society, due to its film techniques, narrative structure, and character roles.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Keating also changes his peers around him. As being a student once, Mr. Keating was used to all the lectures and sitting in classrooms reading straight from books, a boring way to teach. He decides to teach in a different more unique way. In one of the first scenes he has his students rip the introduction out of their poetry books. While they were doing this the Latin teacher walks in thinking the students were rebelling only to find Mr. Keating encouraging it. Mr. Keating also brings his students outside to the court yard and onto the fields to teach them poetry. The Latin teacher constantly watches Mr. Keating give his unique lessons, and by the end of the movie has taken his students outside too. The Latin teacher changes from the normal way of teaching to a nonconformity way of teaching, where as many people are conforming, he unconforms. Mr. Keating teaches him too that being a free thinker is more important than being part of the…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the film Dead Poets Society, this is displayed effectively in the teacher-student relationship, through which Mr Keating encourages his students to break out of the conformed nature of the school and develop their own individual way of thinking. Keating teaches his students the phrase “Carpe Diem,” meaning “seize the day,” urging them use every opportunity that life presents to them. Its repetition throughout the film highlights its significance in influencing the viewpoints and actions of the students. He constantly stresses to them to formulate an individual view on their learning and the world, for example, when he states “The world looks different from up here… Come see for yourself! ...you have to look at it in another way.” He expresses this idea through the symbolism of standing on a desk to see the classroom from a different perspective. Another key idea in his teachings is revealed through the quote, “Swim against the stream,” underlining the concept of breaking out of conformity. This idea is clearly revealed through the scene in which he asks the students to rip out the introduction of a textbook which teaches them how to read poetry, a direct representation of liberation from the school’s traditionalism. Keating’s influence proved to have challenged the student’s way of thinking, however, results in both positive and negative consequences. Todd ultimately finds his own voice in the final scene when he stands on his desk to support Mr Keating, whereas Charlie finds himself expelled due to his impulsive, rash actions. Thus a relationship in which one is influenced by a challenge of the conventional definitely gives rise to a new sense of…

    • 1373 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The main character of Dead Poet’s Society is Neil Perry, an over-achieving, good-natured young man who is unwillingly committed to the academic career of a doctor due to his very strict father. All his life Neil had been obedient to his father, until English Professor John Keating instilled some spirit in him and helped Neil pursue acting, an art Neil has always admired. After auditioning, he got the lead role in the play and proceeded to forge a permission slip to give to the headmaster so he could actually attend rehearsal; this is the first time Neil has done anything against his father’s wishes. Eventually, Mr. Perry hears about his son’s doing and goes to the school demanding him to quit the play, a command Neil only pretends to obey. On opening night, Mr. Perry shows up and stays to watch the show, although he is not hesitant to discipline Neil afterwards and tell him that he is to be enrolled into military school, where he will become a doctor. Unable to deal with the situation, Neil gets his father’s gun and ends his own life. Neil’s suicide was more than just that, as Emerson stated, “Standing on the bare ground – my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space – all mean egotism vanishes” (Nature 366). When Neil ended his own life, he did it to set himself free. Mr.…

    • 1288 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Coming Of Age Film Essay

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Actually all of the characters exempting the red haired student are able to find themselves as unique entities outside of the system that oppresses them. One can see the characters journey as more complete in part because there are more characters and their combined journey creates a complete image of the “coming of age” experience. Dead Poets Society is based in the perfect setting for the coming of age film, strict fifties culture and a strict private school. We see the boys’ transformation from these obedient students into self thinking individuals. This happens from odd source considering the normal themes of a “coming of age” film; their teacher. It is Mr. Keating that leads them “astray” from the rigid discipline of the school. Mr.Keating is considered more odd as this source of inspiration when the views of the institution on individuality are captured by this quote from one of the teachers “Freethinkers at seventeen. Hah.” The boys transformation is aptly considered complete when they rise up on their desks in the face of the old headmaster who has persecuted them in their love of Mr.…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During one of their first classes together, Mr. Keating instructs the boys to tear out the introduction to understanding poetry in their textbooks because he hopes the boys “don’t just consider what the author thinks, [but] consider what…[they] think” (Keating). Later, he stands on his desk to illustrate how “we must constantly look at things in a different way” (Keating). Both of these actions surprise the boys because no other teacher at Welton approves of teaching these concepts that align with Transcendentalism, a belief that society corrupts an individual’s purity. Quoting a famous founder of the movement, Henry David Thoreau, he says, “‘Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.’ Don’t be…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The low angles typically used during discussions between Neil and his dad; indicates the power Mr Perry has over his son. He pressures Neil to conform to his standards and invest years of his life to become a doctor rather than an actor. As a result, he becomes a symbol of tradition and conformity, more so than Welton Academy. Mr Perry’s high placement in the stands at the theatre during Neil’s play, further establishes his supremacy and control over Neil’s life. Shortly after, Neil’s father was depicted as having authority via a low angle shot, which also displayed Mr. Perry’s stern facial expression. This use of film technique also demonstrated Neil’s inability to stand up for himself and challenge his father’s views. Alternatively, Neil’s suicide represented him breaking free of conformity by having governance over his own life, rather than his father. To Neil, his father only represented conformity, authority, and tradition, with no emotional attachment that would be experienced in a regular father-son relationship. Weir has utilised the film techniques of camera angles and symbolism to convey the role of…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mr Keating inspires his students to look at things in different ways and in doing so, asks them to rip out the introduction in their poetry textbooks. Hesitant at first, the classroom is soon filled with the sounds of pages being torn out and excitement amongst the students. The audience soon learns that Mr. Keating is a former student of Welton and tells the boys of the secret club him and his friends were in. Crouched around Mr. Keating, the boys’ faces light up when they learn of the Dead Poets Society. Another scene shows Neil finding Mr. Keating’s old poetry book in his room; the music playing during this scene is the same music playing when Neil commits suicide. This film technique of foreshadowing through the use of music connects the influence of the Dead Poets Society and Neil’s final moments longing for personal freedom. His yearn for individuality results in a fatal outcome-death. The Headmaster, not wanting his school to close because of a suicide, blames Mr. Keating and the Dead Poets Society, and fires him. There is a scene where the boys are arguing over who’s to blame for the whole situation and the camera shot shows Todd in the dark, at the back of the room, but when he stands up for Mr.Keating he moves forward into the light. This is a good use of lighting by the director, it shows Todd, in his quiet, dark, conforming state, coming into the light and expressing…

    • 1100 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the UK, there was a study executed showing that 600 to 800 students commit suicide annually, and the leading cause is stress from school. Teachers agree that the stress put on teenagers in school has definitely increased, and many innocent kids take their lives because of it. This was pressure definitely felt by the kids at Welton Academy, but not all of their experiences took a sinister turn. In the movie Dead Poets Society, which takes place at Welton Academy in Vermont, and is directed by Peter Weir, we are introduced to the lives of a group of male students who attend this academy. Mr. Keating came in as a new english teacher to these boys, and was an original member of the old Dead Poets Society. These students reinstituted the Dead Poets Society, a group where the boys would share poetry with each other. These poems conveyed much emotion to the boys, and helped them grow closer together as a group with Mr. Keating. Few of them are seen discussing what job they are going…

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Dead Poet’s Society, John Keating, an english teacher, believes completely in the transcendental lifestyle. He feels standing up for what one believes in and challenging everyday life allows for a better life. During one of Keating’s teachings, he stands on his desk to show his class that “we must constantly look at things in a different way" (Weir). Keating explains that going along with society allows for no change, that we need to go against the normal and think outside of the box. Looking at things in various ways helps people learn and discover new ideas.…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dead Poet Society

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils,” (Ever Garrison). This is especially true of Mr. Keating, a high school english teacher in, Dead Poet Society. Although, Mr. Keating had an unusual way of teaching he changed his students lives for the best and taught them to express themselves. Keating brought his students out of their comfort zones and helped them discover who they really are and to go after what they want in life. Keating inspires his students to overcome their fears, think for themselves, and stay true to what they believed in.…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The movie Dead Poet’s Society explores the concept of individualism in great depth. The numerous conflicts that the characters face throughout the movie demonstrate the fundamental principles of existentialism and transcendentalism. Neil Perry’s suicide, for instance, illustrates the disturbing existential consequences that can transpire when an individual’s authority is allowed to prevail against tradition. On the other hand, however, the triumph of the individual spirit may sometimes have a positive outcome—as in the case of Knox Overstreet, an example of transcendentalism. When Knox becomes obsessed with a certain girl named “Chris”—without actually meeting her—he ends up risking his life to win her heart. In both cases, characters assume individual authority for their choices and stop obeying traditional authority figures; they embark on a trip of self-discovery and individual growth that will have a lasting impact on their futures.…

    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The movie was quite not new to me since I’ve watched it several times when I was still in high school during our overnight. But I must admit that the impact of this movie to me has never changed from the moment that I personally have watched it. It was a very realistic movie that touched my heart all over again. Indeed, when we are young we really are curious about things and would actually see for ourselves on something. Mr. Keating, the teacher encourages his students to take chances and think outside the box. He is an ideal teacher to me because his purpose of being a teacher is not just to teach them the concepts but to teach them something that could be use for their future. He inspires his students to explore new things for it is indeed in doing so that you get to explore yourself and know your capacities & limitations. Mr. Keating reminds me a lot of my math teacher way back in high school. He is also a very comic but a strict man. Since, I am really poor in math I really refused studying the subject. But when I met this teacher, my outlook towards the subject has changed. He made me realize that if you want to achieve something, you have to do everything that you can so that at the end even if you succeed or fail, you can proudly say that you did your best despite of and you’ll have no regrets. Also, he made me realize that grades are really not what matters most but what you have learned. We have to do our best in every thing that we do all for God’s greater glory. The movie is very suitable for us, teenagers since we are in the stage in finding out who we really are, what we really want and who we want to be. The movie encourages us to be the students who aren’t afraid of taking risks but at the same time with every action that we do we are responsible for it. Comes with the great power to choose for ourselves is also the great responsibility to act accordingly for the betterment of the…

    • 388 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays