Dead_Poets_Society_Inner_Journey_Response

Discuss the inner journey of three characters from the film Dead Poets Society In the film Dead Poets Society the characters Neil Perry, Todd Anderson and Knox Overstreet are just three of the many characters that go through an inner journey when the new English teacher, Mr. Keating, comes to Welton Academy for boys, and encourages the students, ‘Carpe Diem, Seize the Day, live life to the fullest and suck the marrow out of life.’ The boys then take this to heart and experience many changes to their actions and reactions, doing things they would have never done unless they had the inspiration that only Mr. Keating was capable of giving because he was the only teacher that believed that students had the right to be free thinkers and believe in their own ideals and not what anyone else tells them. Neil Perry Neil Perry’s was always expected to do well from the very start after the assembly as their leaving Mr. Nolan says to Neil, ‘We expect great things from you this year’. His life was planned out by his dad and his decisions were also made by his dad, such as when his dad was telling him to drop the school annual and said, ‘don’t you ever dispute me in public. After you’ve finished medical school and are on your own then you can do whatever you damn well please. But until then you do as I tell you.’ After being inspired by Mr. Keating, Neil and his friends reestablishes the Dead Poets Society and use it as a source of inspiration for poetry and their views on how they should go about life. Neil then finds out about the auditions for the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and tells Todd that he’s auditioning and he found what he wants and tells him ‘For the first time in my whole life, I know what I want to do. And for the first time, I’m gonna do it whether my father wants me to or not!’ Eventually Neil’s dad found out about the play and demanded Neil leaves the play, again taking control over what he does. ‘I don’t care if the world comes to an end tomorrow night. You are through with that play.’ Not knowing what else to do, Neil then goes to Mr. Keating for help about what to do with the play and tell him about how he love acting. Mr. Keating tells Neil that he needs to talk to his father telling him, ‘have you ever told your dad what you just told me' About your passion for acting. You ever show him that'’ Neil then decides he can’t face his dad and lies to Mr. Keating about talking to his dad. On the night of the play Neil’s dad unexpectedly shows up and forces Neil home straight after the play but as they are leaving Mr. Keating stops Neil to praise him until Mr. Perry tells Mr. Keating to stay away from his son. While at home Neil’s dad took him out of Welton and enrolled him into another school that would take longer for him to graduate and as Neil objected him and finally stood up to his dad and was able to explain what he wanted and what made him happy but in the end it was a futile attempt as he had not seized the opportunity. (Neil) ‘I’ve got to tell you what I feel!’ (Mr. Perry) ‘What' What' Tell me what you feel. What is it' Is it more of this, this acting business' Because you can forget that. What'’ (Neil) ‘Nothing.’ Todd Anderson At the start of the film Todd was quite, kept to himself and very much anti-social, wasn’t use to talking to people and tends to stutter or speak quietly when talked to or asked a question and, like Neil, was expected much from because of his brother being one of the best students ever to attend Welton as Mr. Nolan states, ‘You’ve got some big shoes to fill. Your brother was one of our finest.’ Not only was Mr. Keating a big impact on Todd but also Neil. Neil was always trying to get Todd to come out of his shell and hang around with them and evidently succeeds. First was when Todd was being consistently invited to join the study group but he keeps rejecting the offers and makes excuses like when in the washroom Todd said to Neil, ‘Wha--Uh, no. No. I’ve. I-I’ve got some history I want to finish.’ Later on Neil asks Todd if he was coming to the Dead Poets meeting, but tried to get out of it saying, ‘Keating said everybody took turns reading and…I don’t want to do that.’ Everyone said it was ok that Todd could come and not read and that’s the only reason Todd went. Todd got into an argument with Neil about how Todd didn’t care about what Mr. Keating said and he never wants to hang around with them and Todd says to Neil, ‘So, you want me out'’ and Neil replies ‘No! I want you in! But being in means you gotta do something. Not just say you in.’ Todd thought that his poem for English was worthless and didn’t recite it, instead disposed it and said he didn’t do it. Mr. Keating then quotes, ‘Mr. Anderson here, thinks that everything inside of him is worthless.’ Then makes Todd get in front of the class and make one up on the spot, showing the first sign of him changing. “I close my eyes and this image floats beside me The sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brains His hands reach out and choke me And all the time he’s mumbling Truth, like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold. You push it, stretch it, it will never be enough Kick it beat it, it will never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying, to the moment we leave dying, it will just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream.” On Todd’s birthday he got another desk set from his parents and Neil suggested ‘maybe they thought u needed another one’ Todd then replied, ‘Maybe they weren’t thinking at all…’ Neil then cheers Todd up telling him that the desk set was aerodynamic and it wanted to fly, then Todd showing change again, throws it over the balcony. This is another thing he wouldn’t have done without Neil and Mr. Keating helping him to be more social, courageous and most importantly ‘Carpe Diem’. Neil’s death was a major impact on Todd because Neil was one of the people that helped Todd come out of his shell. When Cameron was saying false things about Neil and blaming Mr. Keating, saying that if it weren’t for Mr. Keating then Neil would be studying to become a doctor, then Todd, due to his change, stood up for Neil, and for what Neil loved most, with an outburst saying, ‘That’s not true Cameron and you know it! Mr. Keating didn’t put us up to anything! Neil loved acting!’ At the end of the film, Todd was the last of the five to sign the confession implicating Keating in Neil’s death. He feels incredibly guilty that he’s done so, and to show his loyalty to Keating, and that Keating actually taught him something valuable, he is the first to offer an explanation to Keating as to why they all signed the confession. He then stands on his desk and says, “O Captain! My Captain!” to prove that he does have a verse to contribute. Knox Overstreet The inner Journey that Knox experiences is love. After going to have dinner at the Danburry’s he meets a girl called Chris who is going out with the Danburry’s son, Chet. Knox had become obsessed with Chris and based his whole life and inspiration on her. The only reason that Knox was willing to join the Dead Poets was because Charlie convinced Knox by saying, ‘C’mon Knox it’ll help u get Chris!’ Knox broke many rules just so he could just see Chris. He snuck out of his school to go see Chris at her school but she was leaving with Chet to a football game. Because Knox had chosen to revolve his life around Chris, when Mr. Keating set them a poem to write for their homework Knox wrote one about Chris but as he recited it to the class the other students were laughing and Knox scrunched it up and said to Mr. Keating, ‘Sorry captain. It was stupid.’ At the Dead Poets meeting Knox proclaims, ‘I can’t take if anymore. If I don’t have Chris I’m gonna kill myself!’ Ironically Charlie told Knox to clam down and also called him ‘noxious’. Knox then decides to call Chris and she invites him to a party at the Danburry’s house. Charlie couldn’t understand why Knox was so happy and asked what was the point of why he was happy and Knox replied, “The point Charlie…is that she was thinking about me.’ While at the party Knox has too much to drink and sees Chris asleep on the couch next to him and makes his move on her and Chet sees and punches Knox several times and exclaims, ‘Next time I see you, you die!’ After the incident Knox was still trying all he could to get Chris. He snuck out of school again to give her flowers and read her a poem. Chris was unwilling to listen and went to class so Knox followed and read her the poem in front of her class. “The heavens made a girl named Chris With hair and skin of gold To touch her would be paradise.” On the night everyone was going to the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream Chris shows up at Welton to warn Knox about Chet and tell him that she’s not interested in him and trying to get him to stop liking her for his own safety but Knox then convinces her to do with him to the play where they then hold hand during the performance showing that she has decided to be with Knox instead of Chet. (Knox) ‘Come with me tonight and then if you don’t want to see me again, I swear I’ll bow out.’ (Chris) ‘And I suppose this would be then end of it.’ (Knox) ‘Dead Poets Honour.’ (Chris) ‘What is that'’ (Knox) ‘My word.’ (Chris) ‘You are so infuriating.’ All Character Summery Neil’s suicide was a choice that only Neil could decide whether or not to commit the act. He did what he thought was best at that moment without considering what the next morning or the next week would bring. He didn’t look at other more rational options, such as openly discussing the situation with his father or even waiting until he was a couple years older as Keating suggested. Neil’s inner journey ended up to be what he thought was the best option but it was only a selfish act that he did not consider about how it would affect his loved ones. Todd started out a realist, believing that he didn’t have a verse to contribute, unsure of his own worth, and unable to express his true thoughts and emotions. It was Keating, Neil and the Dead Poets that helped him open up and embrace the romanticism side of life where he found more confidence in himself and felt he could be someone with value in life as shown at the end when Todd stands on the desk and shows Keating he does have a verse to contribute. In the end everything ‘worked out’ for Knox, but Knox’s situation was very much like Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Knox fell in love with a girl he had only just met, knew nothing about her, yet still tried everything he could to get her. Knox also seemed to be in love with the idea of love. Knox does stand at the end, but as an act of romanticism, so this fits his character. He stood because it went against tradition. Keating taught there’s a time for daring and a time for caution, and this was his time of daring.