Neil Perry, Todd Anderson, Knox Overstreet, Charlie Dalton, Richard Cameron, Steven Meeks, and Gerard Pitts are senior students of the Welton Academy, an elite prep school, whose ethos is defined by the headmaster Gale Nolan as “tradition, honor, discipline and excellence”. The teaching methods of their new English teacher, John Keating are unorthodox by Welton standards, taking them out of the classroom to focus on the idea of carpe diem.
In another class, Keating has Neil read the introduction to their poetry textbook, prescribing a mathematical formula to rate the quality of poetry, which Keating finds ridiculous, and he instructs his pupils to rip the introduction out of their books, to the amazement of one of his colleagues. Later he has the students stand on his desk in order to look at the world in a different way. The boys discover that Keating was a former student at Welton and decide to secretly revive the school literary club, the “Dead Poets Society”, to which Keating had belonged, meeting in a cave off the school grounds.
Due to self-consciousness, Todd fails to complete a writing assignment and Keating takes him through an exercise in self-expression, realizing the potential he possesses. Charlie publishes an unauthorized article in the school newspaper, asserting that girls should be admitted to Welton. Knox meets and falls in love with a girl named Chris, using his new-found love of poetry to woo her. Neil wants to be an actor but knows his father will disapprove. Without his father’s knowledge, he auditions for the role of Puck in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
His father finds out and orders Neil to withdraw. Neil asks Keating for advice and is advised to talk to his father and make him understand how he feels, but Neil cannot muster the courage to do so. Instead he goes against his father’s wishes. His father shows up at the end of the play, furious. He takes Neil home and tells him that he intends to enroll him in a military school to prepare him for Harvard University and a career in medicine. Unable to cope with the future that awaits him or to make his father understand his feelings, Neil commits suicide.
At the request of Neil’s parents, the headmaster launches an investigation. Cameron meets the school governors and board of regents. Later, confronted by Charlie, Cameron admits that he squealed on them and made Keating the scapegoat, and urges the rest of them to let Keating take the fall. Todd is called to Nolan’s office, where his parents are waiting. Nolan forces Todd to admit to being a member of the Dead Poets Society, and makes him sign a document blaming Keating for abusing his authority, inciting the boys to restart the club, and encouraging Neil to flout his father’s wishes.
Todd sees the other boys’ signatures already on the document, and is threatened by his father to sign it. Keating is subsequently fired. The boys return to English class, now being taught by Nolan, who instructs the boys to read the introductory essay only to find that they had all ripped it out. Keating enters the room to retrieve a few belongings. Todd reveals that the boys were intimidated into signing the denunciation. Nolan orders Todd to be quiet and demands that Keating leave. As Keating is about to exit, Todd for the first time breaks his reserve, calls out “O Captain!
My Captain! ” and stands on his desk. Nolan warns Todd to sit down or face expulsion. Much of the class, including Knox, Meeks, and Pitts, climb onto their desks and look to Keating, ignoring Nolan’s orders until he gives up. Keating leaves visibly touched. Significant ideas, phrases, lines in the movie: “… carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary. ” “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute.
We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. “Even if it is silly or wrong, you must try. ” “We must constantly look things in a different way. ” “But only in their dreams can men be truly free. ” “Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the loger you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. ” “There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for. ” “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world. ” “Now we all have a great need for cceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular. ”
I agree with: I agree on how Mr. John Keating teaches his students to be free thinkers. Mr. Keating aims to make each of his students to strive to be unique and not to go with the flow in this society. Ideas disagree with: We felt sad and disappointed about the fate of Neil. How he committed suicide. I disagree with it because there’s still a way to cope with the situation. He let his circumstance eat him alive and ended up in taking his live.
Words in the movie that I would like to use in my own writing: “Carpe diem or seize the day”: These words were frequently repeated in the movie. These words are strong; it can be used in different ways. Everyone is capable to make his or her everyday living extraordinary. It is depend upon a person. Ideas I want to relate in my previous knowledge: * “suck the marrow out of life”: to continue pursue my dreams and extract what I’ve got to stand taller and fly higher. Not to be limited by actions and achieved excellence.
My hands are not short to grasp my goals. Ideas I want to learn more about: I want to learn more about literature. I know literature is rich. It also represents life and conveys emotions. I want to explore the world of literature where people’s mind is wide and full of imaginations. Limitless indeed. Rate movie I rate the movie as 8 out of 10. It is inspiring not only to students but to everyone. It teaches moral values in life. Movie like this is seldom to find. The movie helps students like us to appreciate poems and other literature.
It opens our eyes to see the beauty of the literature and how each poem conveys deeper meanings. Nowadays, people perceive poems as corny or for bookworms. The movie is not also all about poem. In addition to, it also encourages us to achieve what we want despite of hindrances in life. We may experience obstacles that will go in our way to success, but believing in own’s ability will help. While, on the other hand, I gave the movie with the ratings of 8, though not a perfect score because the idea of Neil committing suicide.
