Arlette B.
Echaluce
The Dead Poets Society: A Reflection
Dead Poets Society is a film that made me reflect about my interests. It's not every day
that we come across something that makes us ponder and reflect on ourselves the way
this film did.
The whole narrative focuses around the term "Carpe Diem," or "seize the day," which
Mr. Keating teaches the pupils early in the film. This instilled confidence in the
characters and allowed them to see what they really wanted rather than merely doing
what others wanted.
The film demonstrates that a free thinker who is unconstrained by others' expectations
is capable of doing anything they choose. This was demonstrated in the scene where
the kids read Mr. Keating's generation's annual. He was dubbed "the most likely man to
accomplish anything."
As an aspiring educator, this film also demonstrates the critical role of a teacher in
guiding our students who are minors and just beginning to discover their own potential
and what they truly want to accomplish with their lives. Despite the fact that kids are
under pressure from their parents, we may provide them guidance and not make them
feel more pressured in our class.
There is a message in the title "Dead Poets Society." It means that the minute someone
decides to pursue their independence, they are already a poet is good as dead.
Because they have already realized that they "had not lived," and they have begun to
live for themselves. It's not simply about surviving. Your previous self is already dead
the minute you discover you aren't free and decide to do something about it.
The film Dead Poets Society is about making decisions. Some students opted to remain
the same, bound by what the people around them expected them to do, while others
recognized the truth and decided to make changes in their life.
Literary Theories for “The Dead Poets Society”
Formalist Theory - Life, Death, and “Carpe Diem”
If we look on to the lenses of a formalist critique we will see the transcendentalist
ideal of a man thinking for himself and being self-reliant is the film's concluding
message. All individuals, just as Mr. Keating educated every boy in his English
class to be free thinkers, must do the same. When confronted with conformity
that blurs the lines between man and society, it is up to the individual to stand up
for what he feels is right, rather than what others tell him is right. One of Mr.
Keating's primary, overarching teachings for the boys is to "seize the day," that
is, to make the most of the time they have now and to take use of the possibilities
available in order to achieve their goals.
Freudian Theory – Manifestation of the Id, Ego and Superego
According to Freud's theory, through each character's experiences with their id
and animalistic nature, they were able to transcend and control both of their
extremes, the superego and the id, and eventually balance these two extremes
with their ego, their quest for self-discovery and the development of a strong
feeling of ego through the awakening of their Id. Neil gets more selfish when he
succumbs to his impulses (pleasure principle) and goes against his father's or
even Keating's commands.
Feminist Theory - Lack of Female presence
Feminist criticism is evident throughout the film "Dead Poets Society" in a variety
of ways. Women are mistreated and insulted, and they have little authority in the
home or society as depicted in the film. Take for example the situation of Mrs.
Perry, she was always of the view that the father's judgments about the boy were
incorrect, but she never stood up and told them so.
Marxist Theory - Flaws in Capitalism
Because of Neil's illogical decision to commit suicide, the Marxist theory
demonstrates that the capitalist system does not operate in the Dead Poets
Society. Neil might have easily communicated his views about behaving towards
the principal and his father if the school had taken a communist stance. By
obeying the professors' commands, the students and parents assumed the part
of the proletariat, while the academics and Neil's father assumed the role of the
bourgeoisie. Interpellation happened in the film because academics persuaded
parents and students that success can only be reached through studying.
Students had begun a revolution by getting on their desks to revolt against the
lecturer, just as Karl Marx foretold.
