Abstract
This is a critical analysis of the film "Dead Poets' 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.

Tags:dead, poets', society

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, Dead Poets Society 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."

Tags:piece, art, societies, citizens, autonomy, independence, classical, world, nature, goodness

Abstract
This paper provides an analytical review and summary of the 1989 film "Dead Poets Society," directed by Peter Weir. The paper explains that the film is set in 1954 at a fictional school for boys, and features students whose lives were changed by an inspiring avant-garde English teacher; through poetry and literature, the teacher socializes and inspires the boys to change their lives, which are inundated in tradition and conformity. The paper also examines the roles of parents, the educational system, and peers - all of which contribute to the socialization, outlook, and ambitions of the students in "Dead Poets Society." The paper concludes that the students are under pressure to follow disciplined tradition, to conform, and to become professional members of society; although they eventually develop their own direction, their ambitions are combined, enhanced, and challenged by external influences such as peers, parents, and the school administration.

From the Paper
"The educational system in its entirety failed Neil, but one aspect of it was positive. Neil had John Keating to stand in his corner and hold a mirror to reveal his potential. This made Neil incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about his life for once. He says, "For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do! And for the first time, I'm gonna do it! Whether my father wants me to or not! Carpe diem!" This quote reveals Mr. Keating's inspiration and Neil's epiphany that not only does he know what he wants to do, but that he can be and do whatever he puts his mind to. John Keating was inspiring for many of the students and was a benefit to Welton. However, the headmaster didn't believe so. He fired Keating, which is another failure of the system. True, the school was beneficial in providing students with a basic education, however not a broad education, as Mr. Keating was attempting to offer. Also, the school did teach and support extreme discipline, but it went so far as to leaving one student dead."

Tags:teacher, peers, Robin, Williams

Abstract
This paper examines how the distress of the character Neil in the movie "The Dead Poets Society" 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. "

Tags:mental, health, Todd, Keating

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."

Tags:Mr., Keating, poetry, literature, actors, values

From the Paper
" Education in 1992 Politics and The Dead Poets Society
The declining quality of education in the United States has been a concern for decades, and it was a concern in the 1992 presidential campaigns. Education during this election year was viewed by both Clinton and Bush in fairly broad terms, although the components of finances, accountability, and leadership are inherent in the problems of improving the schools. The recent movie, The Dead Poets Society, also concerns itself with difficulties in education, and it is the purpose of this paper to compare and contrast the political positions with the issue of education as portrayed in the film. Examination of media material on education actually revealed few differences between the two candidates, and for that reason, the two parties' views are for discussion purposes mostly explored as a single view."

Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of the Peter Weir film "Dead Poet's Society." The analysis uses incidents and poems from the film to show what the movie illustrates about the importance of maintaining a value system.

From the Paper
"In Peter Weir's coming-of-age tale of students at a private school 'Dead Poet's Society' the director conveys the importance of maintaining a value system to give life richness and meaning. For the most part the film's message and the poems used to help convey it to the students center mainly on challenging authority and the status quo. Prose from works like 'Seize the Day' by Saul Bellow is used to reinforce the message of embracing life and living for one's own dreams. This response ..."

Tags:principles, meaning, fulfillment, prose, life, carpe diem, Whitman, happiness

Abstract
This paper analyzes the character of John Keatings in the film "The Dead Poet'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."

Tags:original, thinker, teacher, goal, learning, knowledge, world, classroom, curriculum

Abstract
The paper examines the three Hollywood films "Dead Poets Society" (1989), "Renaissance Man" (1994), and "Dangerous Minds" (1995) that represent distinct educational environments with different cultures in different eras. The paper argues that a common assumption of all three films is that education in society in general is radically flawed. The paper shows how in all three films, not only the educational community, but the communities in which these educational cultures are embedded, are shown to be radically dysfunctional.

From the Paper
"The three Hollywood films "Dead Poets Society" (1989), "Renaissance Man" (1994), "Dangerous Minds" (1995) represent distinct educational environments with different cultures in different eras. Despite these differences, however, it may be argued that a common assumption of all three films is that education in society in general - whether in the 1950s or in the 1990s - is radically flawed. This essay will argue that while this assumption may be shaped primarily by the narrative need of all films for a dramatic "protagonist" whose..."

Tags:education, culture, popular

Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of Robin Williams' roles in the films "Dead Poets Society" and "Good Will Hunting." The paper asserts that Williams' most convincing roles that have garnered Oscar recognition have been as the role of the fatherly mentor, as demonstrated in the discussed films. The paper explains that both films reflect the same type of genre - that of troubled youth struggling to find their identities, with the hope for redemption and inner peace by the end of the film. However, the paper adds, each particular movie is distinct in its iconography, realism, formalism, revolutionary humanism, and perseverance of self-consciousness. The paper concludes that the resolution in each film shares the same generic elements within their storylines; however, it is Williams' personification of each character that achieves the qualities of uniqueness in the morals in each film.

From the Paper
"The genre of the fatherly mentor who teaches the rebellious, troubled youth also has the elements of the classical/experimental buddy-buddy, father/son genre. The ensemble between the two characters starts off very heated, progresses with little elements of openness, and ends with the mentor succeeding at his task of getting the student to open up and learn his lesson. The ritual of this genre is satisfied in Will Hunting because it has a happy ending in that Will decides to drive off to California to see Skylar. Hence, the conception of the convention leaves the viewer satisfied and touches upon the perception of self-consciousness, where the audience will initially feel a little antipathy for Will before Williams' is able to draw out the causes as to why Will behaves the way he does. The film then leads the viewer to progress with sympathy and conclude with hope for Will as he finally chooses to accept Skylar's love. This is only after the viewer is exposed to Will's inconsiderate and selfish behavior when he seems to disregard any sort of compassion for Skylar's affection. However, as Will's back story unravels, there is some sort of understanding about his abused past as a foster child. The denouement brings the moral of the story: acceptance of love and of ourselves. A less obvious theme of the movie that is personified by both Will and Sean is that of materialism and how it impacts our lives. This theme is shaped by the historicity of the time: the 90s and the capitalist consumer culture. The societal ideology that applies to the materialism regards the lower working classes of South Boston. Again, a cold eastern-seaboard setting is integral to communicating the film's themes to the audience, for the messages seem to be taken more seriously when set against the backdrop of a harsh winter or fall setting."

Tags:Matt, Damon, movie, genre, acting, figure, authority, typecast, classic