Abstract This is a critical analysis of the film "DeadPoets' Society". It is based on the generative thesis, from Pauline Kael: "Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate the great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them." Combining this sentiment with the analysis of the film in terms of Aristotelian drama, the essay concludes that said film is too conflict-driven to be great art, contains too much pathos to be great trash, and is thus merely trash by dint of its constant unoriginality. Specific examples from the film are cited.
This paper discusses and compares Plato's 'Republic', 'DeadPoetsSociety' and 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', with a focus on the messages they give out.
Abstract The following paper examines how movies can be even more instructive than more obviously "serious" forms of education because they wrap their messages in linguistic texts that are easier for us to recognize and understand. Plato's Republic, DeadPoetsSociety and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest each tell us something about the often precarious (and sometimes non-existent) balance between individual rights and desires and the conformity required by society to maintain organization.
From the Paper "It is braver, although in many ways more difficult, to keep trying to change society for decades ? to understand that the fight must be continued for year after year ? than to surrender. The difficulty of the fight in the long run is also the message of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. These inmates, unlike the students, are not in the first blush of youth. They understand that life is a series of the same battle fought over and over, and that those who come closest to winning on at least a personal level are those willing to lose skirmishes and then to return to fight again.
To the extent that the gods have given us the power to be wise, Plato and Socrates would have told us, we must use it to discover the nature of the natural and social worlds. But we must keep always with us ? like a mental Praetorian guard ? a constant reminder that we are limited in what we can and do know. Plato ? and Socrates too, despite his enemies? accusations of impiety ? knew that the wise person is the truly humble person, acceding omniscience, like omnipotence, to the gods alone even as he or she strains to see the world beyond the cave, and then to go forth to do whatever is humanly possible."
Abstract This paper examines how the distress of the character Neil in the movie "The DeadPoetsSociety" builds up and how he is unable to cope with his feelings or tell his father about his passion for acting and therefore commits suicide with his father's revolver. It attempts to analyze the reasons behind his death and also examines the causes of adolescent suicide in general. In addition, the paper looks at how suicidal behavior is multifaceted and has complex causes and origins and how complicated contributing factors to consider are demographics, psychiatrics, genetics, familial and personality.
From the Paper "Neil's father takes no responsibility for his son's death, but rather holds Keating responsible. A 'full investigation' at the school and pressure on the boys results in them signing a written confession blaming their teacher. Keating is the scapegoat, accused of inciting the boys to restart the Dead Poets Society, and he is fired. As Keating leaves the classroom for the final time, Neil's roommate Todd, in great distress, stands on his desk and addresses his teacher as "Captain, my captain" one last time to illustrate that they have all indeed learned something. Keating had tried to make the distinction between unfettered self-expression and self-destructive behavior, but some of the boys aren't emotionally ready to incorporate this independent thinking into their daily lives. "
Abstract The paper discusses how the film is based upon conformity of behavior according to accepted traditions and accepted societal standards of the 1950s in America. The paper portrays how acting was not an accepted vocation, as accepted vocations were those which carried prestige and high salaries. The paper shows how the ideas of gender roles in adolescents, especially boys and narrow tradition-based attitudes about what is valuable in society are represented graphically in this film.
From the Paper "The story centers on a group of boys in a very traditional private school for boys, and all the problems of both the boys and their teachers. It focuses on a particularly avant-guard literature teacher played by Robin Williams, Mr. Keating. In the opening scene we meet the boys coming for school, and a collage of scenes gives us the idea that this school has very solid traditions. The theme of group behavior and tradition is a constant background in the film with techniques like bagpipes, walls full of portraits, monuments and costumes."
Abstract This paper analyzes the character of John Keatings in the film "The DeadPoet's Society" and considers where Keatings and the prep school he teaches at fit in, in the philosophies of education. The paper contrasts Keatings' philosophy on education with that of the school philosophy and concludes that Keatings' philosophy is by far the superior of the two.
From the Paper "John Locke wrote of education, "Virtue is harder to be got than knowledge of the world; and, if lost in a young man, is seldom recovered." John Keatings believes in this Lockian principle, but only to a certain degree. In his classroom, Keatings stressed virtue: He taught his students how to live and feel and treat one another as much as he taught them to classics. In fact, he deliberately skips the theoretical works in the class - even having his students dramatically rip out the pages of a methodical, unfeeling treatise on how to understand and appreciate poetry - in favor of poetry that makes his students feel and interact with one another."
Abstract This paper explains that the Hollywood films "DeadPoetsSociety" (1989), "Renaissance Man" (1994) and "Dangerous Minds" (1995) represent distinct educational environments with different cultures in different eras. The author points out that, despite these differences, a common assumption of all three films is that education, whether in the 1950s or in the 1990s and in any society, is radically flawed. The paper argues that, while this assumption may be shaped primarily by the narrative need of all films for a dramatic "protagonist" whose intervention propels the plot, the fact that all three films depict cultures of teaching to be flawed and excessively institutionalized is reflective of the American belief in individualism.
From the Paper "As such, it is not surprising to note a very similar structural motif in "Renaissance Man". The flawed educational institution in this film is the U.S. army, which is shown to have failed in teaching a group of recruits who are placed in the charge of outside teacher Bill Rago. This is evident in the scene when the teacher learns of the nickname his students have been given: "The whole fort calls us Double Ds. Dumb as dog shit." In many ways, the educational strategies in "Renaissance Man" are a midpoint between "Dead Poets Society" and "Dangerous Minds".
This paper discusses Rita Dove, perhaps the most representative African-American poet of our times and one of the most important poets of the 20th century in the United States.
Abstract This paper explains that Rita Dove talks about her discovery of verse early in her childhood in the home of culture-loving parents who had "two half-walls of bookshelves" and encouraged the children to read whatever they wanted, reading simply for the pleasure of it rather than for the critical interpretations. The author points out that her works act in several different directions: observation, life experience, tradition, heritage, dream, reflection, and metaphor. The paper relates that several critical considerations on the form of Rita Dove's poetry have shown that, while being "sensitive to the nuances of language, rhythm, and meter", she doesn"t shy away from experimenting with different poetic formats, such as sonnets, even if she doesn"t necessarily respect the strict Shakespearean format.
From the Paper "Her first collection of poetry, "The Yellow House on the Corner", was published in 1980, and many other literary works followed throughout the 80s and 90s, including a novel "Through the Ivory Gate" in 1992 and a verse drama "The Darker Face of Earth" in 1994. Her entire literary performance was rewarded with a Pulitzer Prize in 1987, thus becoming the second African-American woman to receive this award, as recognition of her prestigious writings."
This paper studies Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "The Poet" which details the life and role of a poet in society and compares it to Walt Whitman's poem, "Song of Myself".
Abstract This paper studies the life and works and accomplishments of Ralph Waldo Emerson. It studies his essay "The Poet" and describes his idealistic vision of the life of a poet. It also describes the 19th-century artistic and philosophical movement called transcendentalism that he founded. Throughout this paper, the author compares Emerson's ideals to Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself". It also examines Ralph Waldo Emerson's strong influence and effect on American society.
From the Paper "Ralph Waldo Emerson's idealized and mesmerizing description of the role and life of the poet in his essay "The Poet" describes not only the particular calling and obligation of those who choose to follow the poetic muses but also ? because of Emerson's own influence on the writings of Americans who followed him ? proved to be a strongly proscriptive piece of advice for other poets and writers in the decades after Emerson helped to found the 19th-century artistic and philosophical movement called Transcendentalism. The Transcendentalists defined themselves by their belief in a highly idealistic and fundamentally coherent system of belief in the essential unity of all things on earth ? the connection of each thing to its neighbor ? as well as a belief in the absolute importance of personal experience and insight (as opposed to knowledge and beliefs gained through formal logic and formal education) and the essential goodness of humanity."
A discussion of the the black experience in American culture as percieved by the authors Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin.
Abstract This paper examines how African-American authors have influenced American culture as they have come forward to present issues that the society would rather have forgotten. It shows how authors such as Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin have come under fire as they have written about the racial and biased experiences throughout their lives and through their narratives they have forged a link between the past, the present (themselves) and their future (the unborn generation).
From the Paper "These literary works are an effort on their part to prove to their nations that regardless of the perceived realities their existence and lives have valuable. The slave past some of these authors have had created a void in their lives that at times left then feeling ashamed and wary of their life experiences. These works were then an effort to wipe out shame and abashment associated with a part of their life that they could not control. By presenting the true essence of their potentials as an industry, as folks with rich traditions and high values they made themselves a ?productive citizen.? Thus, it can be said that African-American culture has been dominated by the struggle from isolated individuals towards the creation of a self-confident social figure. [Okafur-Newsum, 1998]."
Abstract The movie "Bringing Out The Dead" demonstrates the negative psychological effects experienced by Paramedics. Often paramedics, police, firefighters, and other medical personnel suffer from posttraumatic stress syndrome due to the tragedies that they see.
This paper review Deborah Prothrow-Stith and Michaele Weissman's "Deadly Consequences" which discusses the ways that violence is destroying our teenage population and presents a plan to begin resolving the problem.
1,545 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 1 source, 2002, $ 50.95
Abstract This paper explains that Deborah Prothrow-Stith and Michaele Weissman's in "Deadly Consequences" find that most teenage violence derives from feelings of anger and aggression, which can end in violent death. The paper emphasizes the role of guns, gangs and adolescence itself. The author underscores the books proposal that a public health model similar to the one used to stop smoking be used to better control teenage violence.
From the Paper "Adolescence is itself a difficult period in the life of a person, and it is filled with many threats and dangers which are only exacerbated in a violent society or social setting. The authors believe that there were numerous releases operating in the past that reduced the amount of anger felt by young people, and, of course, society itself was not so stressful or violent. The authors refer to one young man who found release in sports, though the authors ignore the more general effect sports in America may have on increasing aggression and so increasing violence. The authors note that the dangers in society are even greater for young black males, who consequently are a near-endangered species. The growth in the drug trade has to be cited as a major reason for much of the violence, both because the use of drugs reduces certain inhibitions and increases the possibility of violence and because those in the drug trade are ruthless in pursuing their business."
Abstract This paper compares Chaucer and the Pearl poet in terms of religious expression and secular elements, showing that the two reflect some of the same themes and concerns about society. It looks at how Chaucer is more openly critical of the way the clergy of his time behaves, while the Pearl poet is more concerned with teaching moral lessons and showing the value of religious belief.
From the Paper "Critics regard Geoffrey Chaucer as a secular poet, while the Pearl poet is seen primarily as a religious one reflecting the view of Christianity. In fact, though, the two poets are much closer together than this might suggest and address many of the same issues, same types of stories, and same concerns from differing points of view. If critics find Chaucer more secular, that may be because his vision reflects more of the reality of the world around him, so that he shows people with all their passions and faults, while the Pearl poet tends more toward idealized visions of moral attitudes and concepts of honor."
Discusses the feelings of the people of Mexico regarding tourism during the holiday, Day of the Dead, based on Lucero Morales Cano and Avis Mysyk's article "Cultural tourism, the State, and the Day of the Dead".
Abstract The paper is a review of an article entitled "Cultural tourism, the State, and the Day of the Dead", which the writer find particularly relevant to him because of his plans to observe Day of the Dead celebrations during an upcoming visit to Mexico. The paper then relates the emotions of the writer prior to an intended visit to Mexico during the "Day of the Dead " celebrations, noting that there is a conflict between the authorities who welcome tourism on this holiday and the civilians who see tourism as intrusion into a sacred historical ritual and oppose it being promoted as a tourist attraction. The paper also explains that the community is divided on the subject, as many recognize the economic importance of tourism.
From the Paper "These dynamics are evident in Mexico, particularly concerning how to mediate the conflict between the state and local residents over the tourist attraction that Day of the Dead festivities have become because of globalization. Cano and Mysyk have studied the problems which have arisen in the village of Huaquechula since 1988, when the one road leading into the village was paved for the benefit of tourists and the village became a part of the tourism circuit. In the process of studying the impact of these developments, Mysyk surveyed the villagers regarding their appreciation of the presence of tourists, their behavior, their feelings about tourists photographing or videotaping altars, and related issues."
Abstract This essay will explore this textual construction, wherein the sequence of numerous, incongruent events leads to initiation, and will argue that epiphany concludes the collection by use of meta-textual and self-conscious imagery and arrangement in the final story "The Dead".
Abstract This paper presents a critical analysis of the Movie Dead Man Walking, and presents the fact that the director was focusing on a humane argument against capital punishment by presenting it as a human story.
