Dead Poets Society Movie Analysis

As I sat to write down the profound effect of Dead Poets Society had on my life, I have found to my astonishment that this movie would always have a special place in my heart.  I was really intrigued when I heard the title "Dead Poets Society". I would never regret watching this movie for it was truly inspiring. I can never imagine how much this movie has brought me so much realization through out the entire duration. 

Dead Poets Society is a movie of the high school students at the respected Welton Academy. This movie had me thinking about my life especially my goals and plans in the future. The plot of the movie revolves around the phrase "carpe diem" or "seize the day" which the students learn early in the film from Mr. Keating. The phrase gave the students the confidence to be driven by the passion inside their hearts. It was an eye-opener for them because it was the first time that they broke free from people's expectations. As I have observed, the characters were always held back by the traditions that kept them from experiencing what life really is. The movie represented the struggle  between tradition and innovation. The conservative values were espoused by Welton Academy as an institution and the progressive teaching methods by John Keating.

In the movie, the tradition is represented by the educational system where students memorized and translated the central works of the distant past, learning ancient engages, rhetoric, and simple mathematics by rote. The teachers are expected to teach according to a rigid set of rules. But change arrived regardless, driven by the needs of a growing society. The innovation in the movie is represented by John Keating, the newest professor is so unique and out of the ordinary are his words that the students are awe-struck, and uncertain how to respond.

Keating pushes his students to be involved, to think, to use their minds. He also wants to ensure that they really learn to experience life, to “suck the marrow” out of it. He inspires his students to become a free thinker who is not bound by any expectations and is capable of doing anything that they want. This just illustrates the vital role of a teacher; to help his students unveil their full potential and guide them to the path which will lead to their dreams. He motivated his students to live freely and pursue what they want, especially for Knox and Neil. 

I have realized how important it is to seize the day because we only live once. If we set aside other's expectations and take the time to consider what we really want and work for it, then we are capable of achieving anything we want. However, we must also be aware that too much is not good. This very idea was explored in the movie by showing the consequences of too much freedom. It was the time when the existence of "Dead Poets Society" was revealed; which Mr. Keating did not approve of. There is always a limitation in everything that we do and we must always remember that. It is indeed true that we can do we want but we must also consider its consequences.

In the case of Neil Perry (one of Keiting's student) and his father, it represents an altogether different standpoint on how we can view tradition and innovation. It is a tradition during that time for a child to follow his parents regardless of the child's personal preference. Neil wanted to pursue his acting but his father wants medicine. At that moment, it is evident that Neil is not happy with the traditional way his father treats him. He wanted a change, but he never really stood up to his father. The cyclical pattern led Neil to conclude that suicide was the only way to gain control of his life and stand up to his father. 

I deeply felt sad for Neil's situation. His life's is strictly for the benefit of his own family. He has no control of his life and it was already comparable to being dead. The moment that someone explores freedom, they are already considered a dead poet. Because they have discovered that they "had not live" just like Neil. Neil's situation is an example where change is inevitable. But the inability of the characters to cope with these changes led to their own destruction. In general, we can say that while we have held fast to our common values as a society and as an individual, the one true constant in this world has been that of creative change. If our institutions hope to remain relevant to our society and to our state, this tradition of adaptation and evolution must continue.