Dead Poet’s Society: Carpe Diem!
iView Author: Rashmi Dewan (Bangalore ,India)
Email: chickooster [at] gmail[dot]com
Dead Poet’s Society: Carpe Diem!
The definition of a teacher has unfortunately changed from “a knowledgeable entity who imparts some valuable information and guides a person in a positive way” to “a person who uses ‘notes-of-lessons’ to facilitate learning and follows a standardized curriculum”. No offense to the teaching fraternity, teachers have just become a medium for educational institutions to make money, get good numbers (by hook or by crook) and hence avail the so-called elite status. Hence, attributes like discipline, perfection etc etc are forced into the minds and lives of the students. I don’t say that these are inappropriate but the methods adopted to ‘teach’ are in no ways helping the students and the teachers. Sadly, educational institutions focus more on students getting high marks so that the flag of their institution keeps flying high rather than making sure that the student is benefited in all ways- as a student and most importantly, a good human being.
No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. These are the words of Professor John Keating (Robin Williams) who inspires his students at Welton Academy to overcome their reluctance to make changes in their lives.
This film, set in 1959, revolves around the English professor and his bunch of teenage students who live in a rigidly traditional world enveloped by their parents’ expectations and the rules and regulations set forth by their sullen headmaster, Gale Nolan (Norman Lloyd).
On the first day of class, the students are introduced to the four principles of the prep school- Tradition, Honor, Discipline and Excellence. What makes Keating stand out is his first lesson that is unorthodox by the Welton standards-whistling the 1812 Overture and taking the students out of the classroom to focus on the idea of Carpe diem (seize the day)!
Keating’s unconventional ways of teaching draws the attention of 7 boys- Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles), Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen), Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman), Steven Meeks (Allelon Ruggiero) and Gerard Pitts (James Waterston).Keatings has them literally rip out the pages of a staid, dry essay “Untitled Poetry” calling the idea of mathematical literary criticism ridiculous. He makes each one of them believe that the universe is wider than their views on it by having them stand on their respective desks to look at the world in a different way.
The rest of the movie is an awakening where the boys plan to revive the spirit of an old literary club, Dead Poet’s Society in which Keating had been a member. The boys start believing in themselves and the fact that the only place where one can find one’s true identity is within oneself. Todd comes across as an introvert, not completely, but a person who continues to fight with fear of confronting people, fear of letting this thought pour out. He enjoys the company of the gang but remains a mute spectator to the verses being read out in the gang’s night-out.
Keating’s sharp senses notice this and he throws out a homework assignment where the students are asked to write anything that they are comfortable with, and read it out to their fellow students. Todd obviously feels challenged and fails to complete the assignment. This scene in the classroom where Keating brings out Todd’s creative potential is commendable. The thoughts that hatch in Todd’s mind flow out when Keating gives the support and the much need persuasion.
“I-I close my eyes..Uh, and this image floats beside me…A sweaty toothed mad man with a stare that pounds my brain ..His..His hands reach out and choke me..And all the time he’s mumbling…mumbling truth like-like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold. Y-Y-You push it, stretch it, it’ll never be enough…You kick at it, beat it , it’ll never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying, it’ll just cover your face as you wail and scream and cry”..
These remarkable lines marvelously delivered by Todd wins him the applause of the whole class. Keating holds him and tells him never to forget this day. Now, he is the true teacher. Hats off!
Charlie Dalton takes this freedom of speech a level too far and publishes a profane article in the school flyer inviting the wrath of the head master. Much to the shock of the other boys, he fakes a phone call from God saying that the girls should be allowed at Welton. The Dean had already started developing an aversion towards Keatings’ ways of teaching and hence questions Charlie about the reasons of his misbehaviour. Charlie, being a good Samaritan, doesn’t let out the names of his friends. Shifting focus to Neil Perry, who wishes to follow his dreams and aspires to become an actor, auditions for a local production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When Neil’s father confronts this truth, he plans to pull Neil out of Welton and enroll him elsewhere which will help him lay a strong foundation to enter the Harvard University for Medicine.
As Neil is unable to convince his father about his acting passion, he commits suicide. Neil’s father is not ready to take the blame upon himself and this leads to an interrogation of Neil’s friends. As Nolan’s hatred towards Keating grows and reaches a level of intolerance, the students who are faithful to Keating are forced to sign a written confession laying the blame on their English teacher holding him responsible for their actions. This leads to Keating’s termination.
The film’s dramatic climax is one area where Peter Weir scores the maximum. This scene actually sinks into our hearts as we realize the kind of impact a good teacher can have on our minds. When Keating enters the classroom to retrieve a few of his belongings, Nolan is addressing the students and Todd is reluctant to take his eyes off Keating yet unable to face him eye to eye. When Keating moves out, Todd apologizes and spills the beans to him. At this juncture, Todd brings out all of Keating’s teachings together in one shot- he fights his fear, gathers all the confidence in him, stands up for what he believes and climbs up to the desk addressing Keating as “O Captain! My Captain!“. He is followed by the rest of the class.
The moment of triumph brings tears to Keating’s eyes as he leaves Welton for good, satisfied that the lessons of life he has imparted to his beloved students have left their marks. Indeed, this movie has left its own mark in the hearts of the viewers. A simple movie with a simple and realistic approach is what gives this movie a thumbs-up!!
I won’t be wrong ( I hope) when I say that each one of us have a lot to carry home from this movie J
1. A must watch film for the teachers who just believe in finishing up the syllabus allotted to them, on time and making students read out stuff from the book without missing even a single punctuation mark. If this continues, very soon the students’ fraternity will go the Pink Floyd way and have “Hey! Teachers ..leave us kids alone” as their anthem. J
2. A must watch film for students too- Not believing in ourselves and our capabilities will take us nowhere. Grasping the lessons of life and utilizing the freedom in the right way is the mantra. There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.
3. A must watch film for parents too- Have faith in your children. Not everyone is the same. Let your children pursue their dreams and you will see how he/she will make you proud. But only in their dreams can men be truly free. ‘Twas always thus, and always thus will be!!
As I lay my pen down I would leave you guys with something to munch on. Quoting a genius –Henry David Thoreau:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived … O bastard my bastard I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms…”
Signing off with a barbaric yawp!
Tags: ethan hawke, Peter weir, Robin Williams
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Its such a pity that i never had a teacher who was so fun loving and innovative. My teachers only tweaked my ears and hurled abuses and heart breaking insults at me. Coming to the movie, Robin Williams just fits the role perfectly in my opinion. I really cannot picture any one else in the same role. Love the last scene when hey bid him a solid farewell.
I totally agree with what the review has to say. Great job.
Cheers!
Was reading a book which had this to say about Dead Poets Society :
The only good reason to have sons of your own is that you can go watch Dead Poets Society with them.
I could not agree any more with either the review you have written or what the book said!!
Very correct ,I really learnt about Life when I came to college and I got Pass grades as compared to when I was getting Excellent grades.
The fear of doing something new and unorthodox is drilled so deep into students nowadays that they turn out like robots in their later life.
Dead Poet’s Society is one of the most memorable movies I have watched. It might not rank high on the artistic scale, but it will not fail to move you on an emotional level.
There are movies which transform your attitude for teaching profession. However, there is a career lesson in films. It doesn’t lie in the film, though through viewing. The lesson is: Look beyond MBA, Engineering, Medical and Journalism. Any career you choose today, you can make a difference.
Dead Poet’s Society is one such example of this type of movies which inspires creativity unleased inside you.This is a must-see movie, for everyone not only for weir’ direction and robin williams acting but for to be inspired to sieze the day.My world was completely changed after watching this movie.I could watch it over and over, and tears would come to my eyes every time.
Great writeup.Thanks Rashmi for posting such detail account aboout this timeless movie.!!!
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ~William Arthur Ward
Thank you for refreshing my memory of a film that has been very close to my heart and that propelled me to a career in teaching. I do not claim to be as heroic as prof Keating but within the limits of my teaching world ( coincidentally literature to undergraduates) I definitely attempted to get my students to think for themselves. I succeeded in very small parts and failed largely. The education system itself combined by attitudes of parents to learning ensures that the barriers in the minds of the students are huge and the fear of being truly autonomous very overwhelming. Most students, leave aside the education establishment, would be horrified by a teacher like Keating.They are themselves much more comfortable with those who cosset them than those who challenge them. The last scene of the film Dead Poet’s Society is stunning and moving. I have always said to myself that though I may never have had such a dramatic testimony for my work some students will remember what exciting things can happen in a clssroom that are highly transformative.
Since there are so many filmmakers on this forum please will someone consider making a nuanced film or two on the teaching -learning process? What we are are and what we can become can be best explored through the complex teacher student paradigm. I am more than ready share my learnings and experiences
I had worked as a teacher for some time before entering into the IT world, and from what i found, the students had become so used to being told, that whenever i gave them an assignment that would force them to think out of the box, they were at a loss. The college heads need a teacher who does the job, anything extra is frowned upon. Thanks for this lovely article, on one of my favorite movies. One of Robin Williams best performances. For me Williams is like apna Paresh Rawal, when he is not clowning around in crappy comedies, he comes up with these kind of brilliant performances like this and Goodwill Hunting. Mohabbatein was a terrible mish mash of this wonderful movie, Aditya Chopra owes a big apolgogy to Peter Weir and Robin Williams, for stealing the idea, and then making a mess out of it.
According to andrei tarkovosky dead poets society
is the best hollywood film .I read it somewhere in wikipedia.org
I’m going to be controversial here.
Mr Keating in DPS is more than just a fun and exciting teacher. In some scenes his combination of charisma and authoritarianism make him dangerously close to a cult leader.
Look at that “J. Evans Pritchard” introduction scene again. What is he saying but “Don’t do what HE says… Do what *I* say!”? Worse, he wouldn’t even leave the introduction in the book. He commanded the kids to rip it out. Don’t just challenge the view, destroy it without even evaluating it properly. (Hmm… Can we think of any historical regimes which approved of destroying books which had disagreeable messages in them?)
What exactly did Keating teach the kids about poetry? That it’s good for chatting up girls. (There is one sensitive guy who uses it for self-expression, but from the movie I get the impression his poetic genius was already fully-flowered and needed just a little encouragement to bring it into the light.) What exactly does he teach them about the joys of language?
One kid takes Keating’s bait of “free expression” and comes out with a crass demonstration in a church hall about how they need to go co-ed. He’s learned Keating’s lesson well – why use prudence and judgement when you can go for the cheap laugh?
Keating’s message of “seize the day!”, furthermore, convinced one kid that “today” was all that mattered, and if he couldn’t have what he wanted now, right now, then life wasn’t worth living. Was that really such a great lesson for an immature kid?
If Keating had been a wiser teacher, he wouldn’t have burst on the scene, causing havoc: instead, he’d have encouraged subtler lessons and leavened the dizzying Romanticism of “barbaric yawps” with a few choice words on how to handle those stuffy-minded individuals who object to noise pollution. Instead, he handed dynamite to these kids, and matches, and then stood back.
And at the end, the kids stand on their desks to swear their own personal “loyalty oath” to their guide. Their guide who takes it as his due that these boys are risking expulsion for his sake.
“Oh captain, my captain!” Is that *really* such a heartwarming phrase, when you look at it again?
I love this film! Thanks for writing a wonderful post.
@turquoise
Are you being controversial just for the heck of it? Have you ever been around school kids?
Are you saying that for those kids studying in Welton Academy should have been more important than standing upto(literally!) what they believed in?
@Neeraja
Have I been around school kids? Yes, I teach them for a living.
Am I being controversial “just for the heck of it”? No, and I resent the implication that my views can be easily dismissed as “being controversial for the heck of it”. I’d prefer it if, should you disagree with me, you actually engaged with what I had to say instead of trying to brush me aside.
Basically, what kind of teacher would want these young men to risk their academic/job futures for a romantic self-sacrificial gesture? And – I will ask the question – what sort of teacher likes being called “O captain, my captain”? So much so, in fact, that he doesn’t answer to his own name on the field and will ONLY turn around when addressed as “O captain, my captain”?
Someone who wants a youthful cult following, that’s who. Someone who likes to be hero-worshipped. As a teacher myself, Keating’s behaviour strikes me as a bit creepy.
Which is why I am asking people to consider this film from another angle. Could it be that, beneath the energy and youthful idealism, Peter Weir’s film actually deals with the failure of Romanticism? That when a teacher walks into a classroom of impressionable, immature minds and tells them all to “carpe diem” (and not give a thought to the consequences), he is as likely to trigger disaster as much as success?
Had he been a bit more prudent, he would have stressed the necessity of sticking out their final year in high school, keeping their noses clean, striving to get the best marks possible… and THEN experimenting with their youth and freedom when they’re at university and no longer beholden to their parents. But Keating is encouraging these kids to rebel when they do not have the independence or self-sufficiency to take the consequences of rebellion! It can’t end well – and it doesn’t.
Without Mr Keating, one of the major characters of the film would still be alive. That is a message in the film that any critique has to deal with: call it the hazards as well as the benefits of the “carpe diem” philosophy.
@turquoise
I never read so much into the “Oh captain my captain”. I thought it was just an amusing line picked up cleverly from a famous poem.
“What kind of teacher would want these young men to risk their academic/job futures for a romantic self-sacrificial gesture?”
Why not? Why do you call it a risk? Why is there so much stress on future planning all the time by everyone? So that a boy who can write great poetry can go on to become a doctor with loads of money and secure future? There is way too much stress on ’studying to get a good job’ all around. Why can’t there be one teacher who tells you that there are other things in life too. Thinking and planning your future all the time is not the only to live. You can live for today. Does Keating look down upon other teachers? Does he try to influence their styles? He is just trying to bring a balance. What is wrong with that? Sometimes to bring a balance in an extreme situation you need to go closer to the other extreme in the beginning.
“Had he been a bit more prudent, he would have stressed the necessity of sticking out their final year in high school, keeping their noses clean, striving to get the best marks possible… and THEN experimenting with their youth and freedom when they’re at university and no longer beholden to their parents.”
I may not be old enough to say this but one of the things that I have learnt in life is that you cannot postpone ‘living life the way you want’. Yes I do agree to some extent that in the given setting it makes more sense to do it once you are in university no longer beholden by your parents but thats one of the important points of the film….why are our parents like that? Why do they want to force us to live the way they think is correct or happy? Why are do they curb our freedom? Why so many expectation?
Look at Keating’s face when he looks at Neil’s dad. All he did was to encourage the kid to act in a play!
“But Keating is encouraging these kids to rebel when they do not have the independence or self-sufficiency to take the consequences of rebellion!”
Why don’t they have the independence? Thats the question!
Yes the rebellion doesn’t end well….Neil kills himself. It was not meant to be a happy ending film. It’s a hard hitting film. It was meant to show the kind of suffocation kids go through when parents and teachers don’t give a damn about their interests, talents, ideas.
“Why not? Why do you call it a risk? Why is there so much stress on future planning all the time by everyone?”
Oh, I don’t know… Maybe because most employers take a very dim view of people who’ve been expelled from their schools? Maybe THAT might be a good idea to follow the rules until such time as you have the freedom to express yourself without jeopardizing your future? Not everyone can be a maverick artistic genius or have rich parents, you know. Most people need an attractive CV to take with them into the world of work, and “left this school prematurely in my final year with no qualification” isn’t attractive. But what does Keating care about these boys’ futures? “Carpe diem!”
“Does Keating look down upon other teachers? Does he try to influence their styles?”
Yes, he tells McAllister that he’s a “pessimist” when McAllister argues that he’s just a “realist”. I liked that exchange; it showed that not everyone fell for the Keating charisma. McAllister didn’t dislike Keating, but he did warn Keating he was too ambitious and the boys weren’t ready – which they weren’t.
“Yes I do agree to some extent that in the given setting it makes more sense to do it once you are in university no longer beholden by your parents but thats one of the important points of the film….why are our parents like that? Why do they want to force us to live the way they think is correct or happy? Why do they curb our freedom? Why so many expectation?”
Because the world is tough, and parents know that if their child has no huge extraordinary talent or is not prepared to work, their child will not succeed. Hence they push them. Hence they are not pleased when the child goofs off. And why so many expectations? Because they expect their son to take care of them when they can no longer work. Or they expect their daughter to be a successful businesswoman or marriageable. Because they expect their child to have achievements to show for their life. Is that really so monstrous?
“Look at Keating’s face when he looks at Neil’s dad. All he did was to encourage the kid to act in a play!”
Yes, and that proved to be dynamite… Because what does Neil’s dad do in response? Declare an intention to send his kid to a military academy. Why? It’s my guess that Neil’s dad saw Neil’s interest in the theatre as a sign he was gay, and thought he would quash his son’s gay tendencies by sending him to the toughest, most masculine establishment available. To which his son responds by blowing his brains out.
To be fair to Keating, there is no possible way he could have foretold this family tragedy – but, as I said before, he should have counselled prudence and patience instead of this gung-ho “Live in the moment!” stuff. Neil was so close to being out of his father’s influence: if he had just waited until university and then tried out for theatre then! That way, his father could have disowned him but would not have had the power to send him off to an army camp.
And maybe Neil’s father would have calmed down in the morning anyway. But, because Neil was so full of “carpe diem!”, he never gave his father the chance to change his mind. He just took that gun and BLAM! That I do blame Keating for. He took on the responsibility of teaching behaviour, but he never taught those kids that it is possible to endure bad things patiently. He told them “you have the power to do whatever you like” and so, when Neil found out this wasn’t always true of life, he killed himself.
“Why don’t they have the independence? Thats the question!”
Firstly, because they’re still minors and their parents are still responsible for them. Secondly, because they owe a debt of gratitude to their parents and don’t wish to hurt them. (In my experience, the ones who don’t care about their parents’ opinion aren’t the high-flying achievers but the asocial dropouts.) I repeat, Keating should not have started his little cult of personality in the way he did. His lessons were brash, loud, promised much and delivered little to the kids. Had he succeeded in delivering any decent lessons in how to behave, Neil would have had the strength of character not to kill himself after a setback.
“It was meant to show the kind of suffocation kids go through when parents and teachers don’t give a damn about their interests, talents, ideas.”
And what happens when a charismatic teacher breezes into town and starts telling a bunch of sheltered kids to behave like the world is theirs for the taking WITHOUT any warning of how to cope with setbacks. Neil dies as a result of Keating’s lessons. Could anyone honestly argue that the boy was better off dead rather than “alive but vaguely dissatisfied”?
Student-Teacher Films are a nice template for drama. Dangerous Minds, Finding Forrester, Good Will Hunting, School of Rock, Les Choristes(The Chorus), The Emperor’s Club, The Great Debaters, Higher Learning, Monalisa Smile, Proof,Taare Zameen Par, Rockford, Just Mohabbat & Campus(TV) have all used this template in varying degrees. Personally, I connect to the Dangerous Minds-School of Rock a tad more may be because they are a little more approachable than the DPS-Monalisa Smile variety. But an interesting genre nonetheless.
DPS was a big impact when I was myself grappling with some of the themes mentioned, but I guess that phase is long gone. Now I might not view it from that ‘rebel’ POV but who knows.
Interesting write-up, great discussion.
torquoise…dont know what u teach..how n where but yes its very romanticised. and if it wasnt how n where would the poetry fit in. with calculations, u cant hav poetry, u will get maths. if u dont rebel at high school, when will u….and if you do, after 20 years you will remember that moment. the other six-seven guys who dont react Mr Keating leaves, they will have nothing to tell the next generation. just a boring life where they accepted everything that they were told to do…no change..no genration gap! how dull. m happy that everyone is not so calculative or we would have no poets or poetry. ask any poet, if he ever lived his life according to calculations….after school or high school or college ?? the whole school is anyway doing the best for studies n future life n all that but with Keating, there is one more way. some got it, some didnt. those who didnt, may be they will realise 20 years later when they will watch fight club ;-)) and its better to die for a dream than to have a boring life!…huh..too heavy words but then again its romanticised!
I see some interesting dicussion happening out here..or should I say a debate???
the disclaimer was: Teachers: no offence to you or your profession! but I see that disclaimer was quite conveniently ignored! 
@Gautham,nightwatchmen,Vineet,Dev,yayaver,Vyuti,Neeraja and Phoenixnu : Thanks for the wonderful observations and thoughts! As phoenixnu correctly pointed out, u can’t have poetry with calculations!!
@turquoise: Thanks to u too for sharing your thoughts with us.Please allow me to repeat myself-this writeup was not meant to be a disgrace to the teachers or the profession as a whole. Students have been told that there is nothing bigger or prestigious than a B.E or M.B.B.S or MBA degree. White collared jobs are given more importance. Tell your parents or teachers that you want to become an actor/writer/painter…u can see the horrid xpressions on their face.Do u think you can earn enough to support a family by becoming one of these-this is the question posed to the student whose mind knows what it wants but is forced to curb the talents that are waiting to explode. We are always taught not to procastinate. That should be applicable even when it comes to giving your thoughts/dreams a life.
“Had he been a bit more prudent, he would have stressed the necessity of sticking out their final year in high school, keeping their noses clean, striving to get the best marks possible… and THEN experimenting with their youth and freedom when they’re at university and no longer beholden to their parents”- Children are forced by their parents even afer they postgraduate leave alone passing out of high school! Once you enter university, u r asked to focus on getting the best GPA possible to get a good placement. Once u r into work, u r asked to focus on moving up the ladder so that you can earn more and invite some great wedding proposals!!huh!!! when is it then, the mind allowed to pursue what it wants?
I will ask the question – what sort of teacher likes being called “O captain, my captain”? So much so, in fact, that he doesn’t answer to his own name on the field and will ONLY turn around when addressed as “O captain, my captain”?- This is again his way of developing a rapport with his students. Not all the students address him that way . There is a bunch that loves him and another bunch that prefers to sit by n read their text books. He never forces them to follow his foot-step.He is by everyone’s side.
And about Dalton’s outburst in front of the Dean- Keating did bring him to track by telling him “Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.”
About Neil’s act of committing suicide- I repeat :There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.
At the end of the day I have only one thing to say -every story, every character, every system, every living/non-living creature-has its own pros and cons. Taking the right suggestions and having a control over our hearts and moving on is what makes our life worth living! Here, ppl do see it as a bad ending or a tragic ending- but i see it as a true victory for both the teacher and the students- For keating too it was a learning process and as far as the students are concerned, they grew up to be free thinkers and that was the exact motive of their teacher.
I do respect your sentiments and do not dare/wish to sideline your thoughts. Let us all take the positive vibes that comes out of this movie and continue learning every single day, every single moment. Not to forget, It’s all in THE MIND!!!
Dare to Dream and dare to stick on to it and make it a reality!!!
“if u dont rebel at high school, when will u…”
You mean, these guys had better rebel now before they get the responsibility of a job? In my opinion, people can always rebel, no matter what age they are – Victor Hugo was a conservative establishment man in his 20s, then he turned into a political rebel and got louder and more passionate about revolutionary ideas the older he became. If you’re going to rebel, rebel at the right time – and that includes being grown-up enough to take rejection and frustration and keep on trying anyway.
“the other six-seven guys who dont react Mr Keating leaves, they will have nothing to tell the next generation.”
Yes they will: they’ll tell their kids about how they did the sensible thing when the class majority was trying to pressure them into disobeying the headmaster ;)
“its better to die for a dream than to have a boring life!”
This is where we differ – I choose life every time.
If I was that smart to make all them decisions in high school, I wouldn’t go there in the first place.
@ turquoise : u think the students who remained silent in the last scene did so because they were sensible..lol! no comments!
everyone has the right to say what they feel. but believing that only his/her idea is right is unfair. This is why teachers fail to relate to the minds of students most of the time. There is a time in everyone’s lives where they stand up for themselves. At this juncture, some support you and the rest are disappointed. But then, everyone can’t be satisfied. Standing up for what you believe in and what you feel is right is no mistake and does not necessarily mean that we choose to obey/disobey a certain sect. Also, the decision a person takes is his/her own and blaming someone else for the decision a person takes is does not make sense. That is injustice rendered to the person who is blamed and to the DECISION itself!
CARPE DIEM!!
@Rashmi Dewan
Thanks for responding – and I know you meant no disrespect to the teaching profession! I certainly wasn’t offended by your article, I just wanted people to see that there is another side to the story of Keating’s interactions with the students.
“Do u think you can earn enough to support a family by becoming one of these-this is the question posed to the student whose mind knows what it wants but is forced to curb the talents that are waiting to explode.”
Yes, that’s the question – does the child have enough *talent* to succeed? Wanting it is not enough. In the arts the person has to have real, tangible talent, and if it’s not there that person will never succeed no matter how many auditions they attend. And, even then, if you have the awesome talent you can still be overlooked by the industry for about a decade before your big break comes along (witness Deepak Dobriyal). Is it really so surprising that parents would put pressure on their kids to choose a regular career, something that doesn’t depend so much on unpredictable outside influences?
In the end, if the child has the talent AND the determination, they will override their parents and go for it. (I’m not saying they’ll succeed, but they will do their best to realize their ambitions.) If the child listens to their parents… They would never have had the determination to succeed in the arts anyway. So parents have to provide that first barrier for the child to know what it really wants in life – it’s preparation for the knocks and blows that will come later!
“Children are forced by their parents even afer they postgraduate leave alone passing out of high school! Once you enter university, u r asked to focus on getting the best GPA possible to get a good placement. Once u r into work, u r asked to focus on moving up the ladder so that you can earn more and invite some great wedding proposals!!huh!!! when is it then, the mind allowed to pursue what it wants?”
This is true – I was thinking more of the Western model of university than the Indian, and in Neil’s case he would not have been under his father’s direct control after he left school – but what I will say is that the mind is never really “allowed” to deviate from the conventional model, and the secret of doing so is having the inner strength to take rejection. Self-help books portray determination as the one thing people need, as if all you need is determination and everything falls into place. Not true: you need to be prepared for people to fight you, to trip you up and stop you getting there. Which is why, *if* Keating had been a good teacher, he would have prepared Neil and the other boys for how to deal with failure when it arrives. He didn’t, so Neil killed himself.
“And about Dalton’s outburst in front of the Dean – Keating did bring him to track by telling him “Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.””
Yes, but can you blame Dalton for thinking that a cheap bit of humour was the way ahead? That has been Keating’s way all along – make the boys laugh – so Dalton was only copying his role model. The fact he expected Keating to praise him says volumes for the sort of hero-worship Keating is trying to inspire in the boys.
“About Neil’s act of committing suicide- I repeat :There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.”
That’s not relevant to Neil’s suicide, though, is it? Keating is teaching “caution” not “endurance”, and it’s the “endurance” lesson which Neil needed and which Keating didn’t provide. Neil’s suicide shows the failure of the “carpe diem” philosophy: people who live solely for the here and now will crumble too easily when faced with what looks like an insurmountable obstacle.
“as far as the students are concerned, they grew up to be free thinkers and that was the exact motive of their teacher.”
As you know, I’m sceptical of this motivation – the destruction of the books at the start did not encourage free thinking, it was a case of “follow my orders!” Then there was the whole “Dead Poets Society” business, where Neil “found” the poetry book in his room – because Keating put it there, pushing him to start his own little secret society and follow in Keating’s footsteps. The model of “free thinking” Keating seems to advocate to the boys is “copy me” – which Dalton does, notoriously, in the “God wants women at Walton!” scene. I’ll admit that Keating may have thought he was encouraging “free thinking” amongst the boys, but it looks as if his idea of a “free thinker” is a clone of himself.
“Let us all take the positive vibes that comes out of this movie and continue learning every single day, every single moment. Not to forget, It’s all in THE MIND!!!”
OK, this I agree with. There is an undeniable energy in this movie, and if it spurs people on to achieve things, then good for it. However, such energy is dangerous if it encourages unthinking hero-worship of a charismatic leader figure, so I’m just trying to analyse the film unemotionally.
“@ turquoise : u think the students who remained silent in the last scene did so because they were sensible..lol! no comments!
”
I think THEY thought they were sensible and “defying peer pressure” – which just goes to show that there are two sides to every story. What is “conformity” to an observer may in fact be someone doing what they honestly believed in. (Which goes back to the point above, about how Keating only has one model of what free thinking should look like, and that’s himself.)
“Also, the decision a person takes is his/her own and blaming someone else for the decision a person takes is does not make sense. That is injustice rendered to the person who is blamed and to the DECISION itself!”
You mean I shouldn’t blame Keating for Neil’s suicide? I’m afraid I do, because before Keating came along Neil was a bright successful student with lots of interests. Keating told him he could do anything he wanted to, and DIDN’T tell him about how to handle failure. Neil put all his hopes into acting, got disappointed, took this as a sign that Keating’s promises of freedom were all lies, and killed himself.
For me, Neil’s suicide is directly linked to Keating’s arrival at the school and the messages he spread.
Flash News: The Poets just woke up from the dead!
To Quote The Timeless Lt. Col. Frank Slade(Al Pacino) from Scent of a Woman(another film that gave the axe to the system/institution of blind rules in name of discipline,in terms of the themes):
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: [Lt. Col. Frank Slade is speaking in defense of Charlie Simms at meeting at the Baird School] Now I have come to the cross-roads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew, but I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here’s Charlie. He’s come to the cross-roads. He has chosen a path. It’s the right path. It’s a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey
“It’s a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey.”
When you look at it logically, Charlie is protecting a bunch of spoilt rich brats from the consequences of their actions. He knew who wrecked the headmaster’s car, but he didn’t tell on them. So the criminals get away with it, because school life is a conspiracy of silence that protects the powerful students. And Charlie goes along with it. Now, is that really the “path made of principle”? ;)
However, I do love that film, so even though Frank Slade’s speech is a masterpiece of emotional rhetoric (”How’s that for cornball!”) I will give it a pass because it shows a young man being genuinely independent and strong. He needs help to fight his battles, true, but he doesn’t ask for that help and he stands up to the headmaster’s attempts to manipulate him. Contrast this with DEAD POETS SOCIETY, where Keating is never openly challenged by anyone who matters. Only when you look at the actual results of his “carpe diem” philosophy (one expelled student, possibly two expelled students, and one dead one) do you realize where he went wrong.
As a lead character Lt Frank Slade is totally different – he’s a far deeper and more complex character. You’re not supposed to love him unconditionally, and he doesn’t set out to be a role model to others. (He IS, because he’s so damn cool, but he doesn’t do a “Hey impressionable kids, worship me!” routine like Keating does.)
I’d rather see a Slade teaching at school (for all his swearing!) than a Keating. Slade tells the kids how hard it is to take the “right path”, whilst Keating makes out that it’s easy.
Dude, keep Slade away from school! He is cool that ways, once an year slap-on-the-face. And we are talking Pacino here, so no point talking WHAT he plays.
@17….hormones will never be the same again… life will never look the same again…first love…aha…that surely u will never exeprince again n so carpe diem!
Interesting points raised by turqoise. It would be misleading to romanticise or demonize Keating. The point of the film ( and a dilemma that many a teachers face) is that asking young minds to think for themselves is a process fraught with many a risk, and each will interpret it for themselves in there own way. That is where one needs to appreciate Peter Weir’s work because the film gently underpins that there are no simplistic pathways, solutions to life. Keating opens his students’ mind to the fact they are imbibing values and beliefs over which they have no choice that they are becoming in the process cogs in the wheel of a social machinery that is in the creating, what a philosopher has called an “unconscious civilization”. What Keating inadvertantly unleashes is as much an indictment of the world we live in, as it implicates him. That there is redeeming part to his actions when the Etahn Hawke character finds in himself the courage to say that the truth. He and the rest of the ‘average’ boys for that much time find in themselves the courage to take a stand. They would have gone back to there ‘normal’ lives but Keatings point is made.
To look the at Captain my Captain bit as an establishing of a ‘Keating cult’ is pushing the argument too far. Keating even says at one point in the film that do not do things because I say so, find your own walk. Also, the poem itself uses the term Captain as a benign guide rather than an unquestioned master who needs to be followed.
Just one more point:
Its interesting that Peter Weir and Anurag Kashyap in Gulaal both refer to poets as a fulcrun to make larger points about the ‘establishment’ and ‘civilization’- any ideas on that?
@torquoise,Your inspirational talk here must be spellbounding for a realist.You must be hardly encouraging for your students. And,I am sure that you do not teach poetry to your students.
@yayaver:
Charmed! So you believe “teaching poetry” amounts to “switching off your analytical side and feeding students nonsense about how they can do anything they want easily, so that the poor kids get disillusioned and suicidal when they find out that life contains obstacles”? Well, no, I don’t teach that in my lessons.
I am, however, preparing a class on Coleridge and Wordsworth’s LYRICAL BALLADS for a couple of weeks’ time. Would you suggest I junk the stuff about historical context/social issues/beauty and nature and tell my students to climb on top of their desks instead?
I think I may demand they address me as “O Captain, My Captain”, though. Or perhaps “Fearless Leader”, that has a nice ring to it…
@Vyuti:
I agree that Keating does SAY, approximately, “don’t do things because I tell you to”… but notice how, when one boy doesn’t do his homework (writing a poem), Keating doesn’t respect his right not to, but instead drags him down into the centre of the class and forces him to improvise a poem on the spot. Notice the way Keating puts his hand over Todd’s eyes and spins him ’round (disorientation, forcing him to rely on Keating for balance and direction); how Keating keeps feeding him prompts and commands, telling Todd to shut everything else out; how the boy’s resulting stream-of-consciousness sounds remarkably like drug-fuelled “Beat Generation” work!
Here, Todd is “high” – and he gets that “high” from Keating’s charisma and control. It’s an intimate moment with the leader, where the acolyte is given something approaching divine revelation. (Keating even seals his influence with the words “Don’t ever forget this” immediately afterwards.) You may not see Keating’s methods of teaching as a cult of personality, but I certainly do. This is one way in which Keating went wrong, as I have said.
What I cannot deny is that the last scene is presented as the boys having learned the lesson of “integrity” – and it does redeem them a little from the way they sold Keating out earlier – but, when I see Keating in that final scene, I see a man smugly proud of the power he managed to exert over these students. Todd didn’t just say “I’m sorry, Mr Keating” – no, he stood on his desk and repeated “O Captain, my Captain” like some sort of religious invocation! To me, that goes beyond “apology” into “personal loyalty oath”, and hence into the Realms of Creepy.
Regarding your comment on GULAAL – can’t wait for it to come on DVD so I can see how Kashyap used the “poetry” motif. Sounds an intriguing film from what I’ve seen.
If we do not dream and be optimist in young age, then the world will be full of unimaginative old persons.As we grow old we learn the reality and consequnces of our actions.You are correct in sticking to reality theory.But for that ideaology ,you do not oppose arts.DPS pointed out that medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
I am not saying that a maths teacher has to sing the sonnets of shakespeare for his student.Each one has a way of giving his / her knowledge /information to students. Every teacher educate but few students learn.Why? We study maths,bio or commerce for earning living but it does not mean ‘romance is privilege of rich not profession of unemployed’. Literature / poetry or any subject could not be inherited in heart without any passion.Giving hope and encouragement does not mean to bluffing about the future and reality.
For you,do whatever in your class, you are the authority there.Just want to say here, to each his own.If the movie gives hope to 9 out of 10 people here,then it is not such a cynical one.
@turquoise,The previous comment was for you.Sorry for not mentioning your name in previous comment.
@yayaver:
Ah, but when they do pay attention, something as simple as literature CAN make a life-changing impact. And you don’t need a student to “fall in love” with a poem for that; all they need to do is use their brains.
“Every teacher educates but few students learn. Why?”
Because they don’t pay attention
Give you an example. I once found myself teaching Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem TWO SCAVENGERS IN A TRUCK, TWO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE IN A MERCEDES. (Should be Googleable.)
Anyway, I asked the class at the end, “So; will the garbage collectors ever get that Mercedes? Is everything always possible in life?”
One girl responded. “Yes.”
“HOW?” I asked her. “How exactly are the garbage collectors going to get the Mercedes? How will they ever be able to afford it?”
Embarrassed silence. That was the moment when the message of that poem started to sink in for her and the rest of the class: yes, kids, the “American Dream” is all a lie. The poorest people are promised a dream of future wealth to keep them acquiescent in the face of present inequality, but they’ll never get financial security. They’ll exhaust themselves and ruin their health doing poorly-paid work with no career prospects, all the time telling themselves that America is the land where “if you work hard, anything is possible”.
Such is the message of Ferlinghetti’s poem – and, because I never lose an opportunity to bang on the drum marked “EDUCATION IS WORTHWHILE”, I added that education is pretty much the only way to avoid getting stuck in the “garbage collector”/”McJob” trap.
Well.. That girl, who so confidently said “Yes” to the American Dream and who realized how wrong she’d been, started to work harder after that. Noticeably harder. Ferlinghetti’s poem didn’t make her “feel” or “dream” or “appreciate beauty” – what it did was make her THINK. And, once her brain was engaged, her behaviour followed suit. Nobody else in that class changed their attitude after reading that poem, but that one girl made it all worthwhile.
“If the movie gives hope to 9 out of 10 people here, then it is not such a cynical one.”
I hope that’s not an appeal to the majority view as the final arbiter! It’s great if DEAD POETS SOCIETY does give hope and inspiration to the great majority of those who see it: I’m just pointing out that this movie is big enough and complex enough to be capable of an alternative interpretation.
@turquosie.Regarding the comment 32,I agree with you that movie is abig enough and complexenough to be capable of an alternative interpretation. Those who live in reality needs a tinge of dream to aspire in the life and vice versa also holding true.
The end of the movie was depressing one but i become optimist after watching it.I learned that Individual success will not be attained by migrating to a particular ‘hot’ industry, or by securing government jobs. Instead, Teacher inspire the students to realize on two questions: who they really are and work that they truly love.
I know it’s an old discussion, but I just found a brilliant quotation which sums up my dissatisfaction with Keating as a teacher:
“[T]he mind that has conceived a plan of living must never lose sight of the chaos against which that pattern was conceived” (Ralph Ellison, INVISIBLE MAN)
You see? That was the trouble with Keating’s advice – he gave these kids a “plan of living” which made them lose sight of the ‘chaos’ (negativity) of the rest of the world. So we have him telling kids “you can do ANYTHING!”, without clarifying that daredevil actions will sometimes result in a punitive reaction from other people…
Really, can you be surprised when his advice results in a teenage boy committing suicide?