At first, Todd is very quiet with not much to say. He is the youngest of his family and has many expectations laid upon him due to the success of his brother, who also went to Welton and was Valedictorian and a National Merit Scholar.

Todd was also very shy. He couldn’t speak to anyone of authority including answering questions in class without sounding insecure. In one of the extra scenes, Todd tried to ask for rowing instead of soccer, but could barely speak. He was given soccer instead. Even in the Dead Poets Society, Todd was an observer, not a participant. He was afraid to read out loud and afraid to participate.

However, by the end of the movie, Todd has found his voice by proving he could stand up and express himself when it really mattered. Todd is the first to stand on the desk in respect for Keating.

Todd’s Fear and the Madman

Todd’s worst fear is that his life has no meaning, and therefore, he has no verse to contribute. For example, after the first day of class, Todd writes “Carpe Diem” on his paper, dreaming of what it would be like if he, too, could contribute a verse and be great like those in the picture. His insecurity gets the better of him, though, and he throws out the paper believing he has nothing to contribute. Later, in class, after being asked to write a poem, Todd tells Keating he never completed the assignment after he spent many hours writing and revising his poem only to have thrown it away before class. This is a prime example of Todd’s struggle between romanticism and realism, where Todd begins dreaming of future possibilities and ways of expressing himself only to have his realistic expectations crash down on him and diminish his thoughts of potential greatness.

Keating sees through Todd’s fear and first makes him yawp, and later makes him say whatever comes to mind. This is the beginning of the change in Todd.

“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.”

In this poem, Todd is saying that the madman is passion, but passion (the blanket) is not enough, it leaves you cold and exposed. Through your whole life, passion only is shown on your face when you wail and scream and cry. You need it to a certain extent because as Keating said, “the human race is filled with passion” and also that passion is the reason to stay alive, but just following your passions is not enough. You need to be able to control your passions and not let them control you.

Another possible interpretation from a response I received is:

“Todd’s poem, inspired by Whitman’s picture, could be a symbol for the attempt to balance romanticism and rationalism. Forgive me if I don’t remember it correctly if I mess up and if my memory does effect this ignore it. It has been a while. Truth being a blanket that only covers you partially always keeping your feet cold. The blanket is the attempt to balance rationalism and romanticism. No matter how you stretch it one way or the other something is exposed. The feet are symbolizing Todd’s rationalism and the head represents his romanticism. As his rational side was the one that had always won out before that was the one most exposed to criticism, thus being cold. I would argue that Todd slowly throughout the movie began to movie the to cover more of his rational side and uncover some of his romantic side in an attempt to balance the two.”

Todd is the only one in this movie that understood this message that Keating was trying to teach. Neil let his passions take control of his life and it drove him to suicide. Nwanda let his passions get out of hand and it led to his expulsion. Knox also followed his passions and although he did get to be with Chris in the end, he sacrificed his relationship with his family and the Dansburry’s.

Neil’s Death

After Neil’s death, Todd stares into the eyes of his madman. He first says, “It’s beautiful,” referring to the way that the blanket of truth (representing romanticism) is covering his face (representing realism). Then he starts crying and screaming, “It was his father.” (This was Todd’s first real experience with romanticism.) At this point he realizes his madman (passion) is mumbling truth, but it isn’t enough. Todd is forced to deal with his passions knowing they will never give him the covering and comfort he needs.

Todd was the most upset and emotional of the group after Neil’s death, which is ironic because Nwanda and Knox were the romantics, so they might be expected to be the most upset. They, however, remained calm, not fully understanding why Neil would have committed such an act. Todd did – he remembered his poem, and he was left cold and exposed in the snow – just the way he predicted it in his poem. At that moment, he realized exactly what Neil was facing the moments before his death. The romantics present couldn’t understand because up until that point nothing especially bad had happened because of their passion. The realists present couldn’t understand because they under-emphasize their emotions and would rather rationalize the situation than experience it.

Todd’s Loyalty to Keating

Todd proves his loyalty to Keating by stand up to Cameron’s accusations of Keating. At that point, Cameron had been “deprogrammed” by the school, yet Todd is able to express his opinion that Cameron and the traditionalists are wrong.

Todd was also 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.

It is this last scene that sets him apart from Neil. Neil was very much romantic, but Todd didn’t base his life on those principles. 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. Neil, like Todd, also wanted very much to have a verse, and was unable to express his true thoughts and emotions except by living another’s role (i.e. acting) While Todd learned that he could express himself by means of his thoughts and emotions, Neil didn’t. At the end of Neil’s life, he still couldn’t stand up to his father outside the role of Puck, whereas Todd stood upon his desk to show his loyalty to Keating’s teachings. This doesn’t mean that Todd and Neil were opposites, as Neil and Cameron/Mr. Perry/the school were.

Nwanda always looks to see if people are watching him, and he always says “witty” comments such as when Keating asks why he stands upon the desk, Nwanda replies, “To feel taller.” Also, when Keating asks why Robert Herrick wrote the lines he did, Nwanda replies, “Because he’s in a hurry.”

During the first meeting, he holds up a picture of a naked girl and recites

“Teach me to Love? go teach thy self more wit;
I am chief Professor of it.
The God of Love, if such a thing there be,
May learn to love from me, ”

Here he is referring to himself as being better than the “God of Love,” which would give him a god-like status.

In the cave he plays his sax, and recites

“Laughing, crying, tumbling, mumbling,
Gotta do more, gotta be more.
Chaos screaming, chaos dreaming,
Gotta be more, gotta do more.”

He refers to the sax as “sonorous,” which is defined by Webster to be:

1. producing sound (as when struck)
2. full or loud in sound
3. imposing or impressive in effect or style
4. having a high or an indicated degree of sonority

He uses this word for attention, and it can also describe his behavior.

Nwanda is always trying to tell people what to do – he does this with Meeks on several occasions. He also tries to be the voice of reason for Knox. In the cave, he tells Knox to calm down, and after Knox makes the phone call to Chris and is invited to the party, Nwanda is the one to remind him the party is at Chet’s and says, “You don’t actually think you’re going with her, do you?”

Other signs of wanting attention are that he changes his name from Charlie to Nwanda, he “exercises his right not to walk,” in extra scene he shoves meatball in his mouth with his left hand after he is told not to, and he paints the Indian symbol of virility on his chest.

Nwanda also feels that he can speak for other people, even without their consent. First, he invites girls to come to the meeting. Then he tells them they can go in because it’s his cave. He recites to them two poems – one by Byron and the other by Shakespeare – and claims them as his own. He also publishes an article in the school paper about how they should have girls at Welton in the name of the DPS without the consent of any other members.

Nwanda also pulls the “phone call from God” stunt in order to gain attention, referring to himself as a god when he says that the phone call is from God. Also, the principle of romanticism that he recites with incredible passion is “To indeed be a god!”

In the end, Nwanda is expelled for punching Cameron in another “moment of passion.” Cameron had just come from telling the administrators about the DPS and blamed Keating for their and Neil’s actions. Nwanda punches him because he feels it doesn’t matter if he’s expelled or not. He claims it was already a certainty before he punched Cameron, but there was always the possibility of another punishment.

These are all examples of how Nwanda used “Carpe diem” to indulge himself in romanticism without thinking of any consequences before acting. He is always a romantic in this movie and seems to do everything in order to draw attention to himself.

I believe his life was an act – to his father, to Keating, even to himself, but when he wasn’t acting, he thought he had nothing to contribute – he was just as lost as Todd was when Todd first came to Welton. Neil couldn’t deal with the idea that to give up acting was to quit playing the roles that he lived everyday, and so he killed himself because he “realized that he had not lived” up to that point. I can’t think of any justification for calling Neil a martyr when the only thing he stood for was an act – an illusion – in itself. He just took on a different role to fit the circumstance. He never was upfront and honest about his passions to anyone. He even lied to Keating about his father giving him permission to act because he knew that Keating
would disapprove if he knew Neil’s father wouldn’t allow it. He says (in one of the extra scenes), “Think about it, most people, if they’re lucky, get to lead half an exciting life, right? If I get the parts I could live dozens of great lives.” I think that could be interpreted to mean that Neil wanted to be someone else – a person who could express his passions when the time was appropriate.

Symbolism:

Neil seems to symbolize his kneeling down before everyone – such as his father (who takes away all control Neil tries to have – such as the editor of the newspaper) and the school. Perry seems to be symbolic for “perish” and death, foreshadowing Neil’s suicide later in the movie. I think that’s why Todd and Neil got along so well. (On the first day of Keating’s class, Keating states that they are all going to die. Neil looks incredibly disturbed while considering this.) Neil could control Todd, and that was the only thing in his life he felt he had control over. Also, in a way, I think Neil saw himself in Todd, because Neil acted towards his father the way Todd acted towards everyone. By trying to help Todd, he thought maybe he could help himself. Neil claims, “the meek might inherit the earth, but they don’t make it into Harvard,” and he’s right – he’s meek, and he never makes it into Harvard.

Neil’s Searching:

Neil seems thrilled at the idea that he may be able to contribute a verse. He prompts Cameron to tear out J. Evans Pritchard’s introduction to poetry. He is the one to call Keating “Captain,” and is the first to ask what the Dead Poets Society was. He is also the one to organize the first meeting. Neil also tells Todd that he must participate in the club. Todd tells Neil that he can make his own decisions about the DPS, but Neil tells him “no” and grabs Todd’s poetry and they again form a Congo circle signaling chaos. Each are Neil’s attempts to lead – to gain control over his own life.

Neil’s Poems

These are the poems that Neil recites at the first Dead Poet’s Society meeting. These lines and his Madman Story not only explain Neil’s philosophy but foreshadow what is about to come – his destruction.

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life, and not when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.” – from Walden

“Come, my friends, ‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.
For my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and tho’ We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” – from Ulysses

“It was a dark and rainy night. And this old lady who had a passion for jigsaw puzzles
sat by herself in her house at her table to complete a new jigsaw puzzle. As she pieced
the puzzle together, she realized to her astonishment that the image that was formed was
her very own room, and the figure in the center of the puzzle, as she completed it, was
herself. And with trembling hands she placed the last four pieces and stared in horror at
the face of the demented madman at the window. The last thing that this old lady ever
heard was the sound of breaking glass.”

The Madman and the Puzzle

The puzzle symbolizes life, the madman symbolizes passion, and the death of the woman is caused by letting her passion overcome her. This story explains Neil’s existence and his suicide.

In the end, Neil realized that it was his own life and he was in the center of it. Since his dad had control over him and he was too afraid to stand up to him, before the madman could break in the window and overtake him, he let the madman in as a last attempt at controlling his own life. His passion was acting in his puzzle of life.

As he put the last pieces of his puzzle together, he contributed his verse (Puck’s soliloquy in a Midsummer Night’s Dream). The last pieces were father’s ruling over him and with no more pieces left, he left the madman in the window before it was broken (meaning he killed himself before his passion killed him.) He felt he couldn’t live according to his father’s wishes, and the only way out was to kill himself. As Knox Oberstreet stated, “Carpe Diem, even if it kills me.”

Neil’s Last Four Pieces

1. The scene with Neil and his father at Henley Hall.
2. Mr. Perry’s comments for Keating to stay away from his son after the play.
3. Mr. Perry’s speech to Neil about how he will not tolerate Neil’s passion for acting and that Neil will be transferring to military school.
4. Neil’s putting on his Puck costume and opening the window to let the madman inside, which led to his suicide.

Midsummer Night’s Dream

When Neil learns about the play, he is filled with his passions. He claims that this is the first time in his life that he knows what he wants to do, even if his father disapproves. When Todd mentions this, he asks, “Can’t I just enjoy the idea for a while?” This is the beginning of his loss of control to his passions.

Neil plays the part of Puck in a Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the play, Puck (also called Robin Goodfellow) is a mischievous servant of the King of the Fairies, Oberon, who likes to play pranks on others such as changing the head of Bottom into an ass. Also, he is ordered by Oberon to anoint Demetrius with a special love potion so that he will wake up and fall in love with the first person he sees – which is supposed to be Helena – but Puck confuses Lysander with Demetrius and anoints him instead. Lysander then awakes, sees Helena, and falls in love with her. This is devastating to Hermia, who was supposed to marry Lysander the next day. Oberon tries to correct things by anointing Demetrius, who also first sees Helena after awaking, and falls in love with her. Finally, Puck is able to correct things by anointing Lysander once more, and positioning him so that he will awaken to love Hermia again.

As the role of Puck, Neil is able to express what he could not when he wasn’t acting. The Puck epilogue is said directly to his father, in hopes that his father will forgive him. He cannot say anything later when his father tells him what he expects Neil to do because at that moment he is no longer acting. Neil so desperately wants to have a verse to contribute, but he lacks the words, and can only say them while acting.

“If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend;
if you pardon, we will mend;
And, as I am an honest Puck
If we have unearned luck
Now to ’scape the serpent’s tongue
We will make amends ere long;
So, goodnight unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.”

Suicide

Finally, in his room, he realizes that the last four pieces of the puzzle of his life have been put into place, and that his only option in order to gain some control of his life is to take his own life. It was just as Puck said in his soliloquy, Neil was his father’s dream. When his father woke up, his dream was gone.

Neil, His Father, and the Suicide

Neil’s relationship with his father is a case of misunderstanding and lack of communication. Mr. Perry wanted what was best for his son, which led to extremely high expectations. Neil wanted to find out who he was and what he wanted to do. Neil was unable to discuss his opinions and options with his father, and Mr. Perry was unwilling to look at Neil’s outlook on life, as it did not appear as Neil had a concrete idea of what he wanted to do. This cyclical pattern led Neil to conclude that suicide was the only way to gain control of his life and stand up to his father.

Neil only considered suicide after the major confrontation with him over the play. In the vast majority of suicide cases, suicide is an act that is contemplated for quite some time. Usually there are warning signs that accompany those thoughts. In this case, however, there is no evidence that Neil thought about suicide up until that night. It appears to be a spontaneous decision made on the basis of the hopelessness he felt that night. Maybe it was an act to break free from his father’s control, but in trying to gain that control over his life, he sacrificed everything to escape.

Mr. Perry was at traditionalist, which unfortunately meant he had a difficult time expressing affectionate emotions. He also had a large number of expectations because like any parent, he ultimately wanted the best for his son, a 16-17 year old with a bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately, Neil never really saw or understood that his father only wanted what was best for Neil. He only saw the tyrant-like authority figure who constantly demanded that Neil achieve greatness in academia and who obeyed him unquestioningly.

Neil, however, did question that role – to himself, to others, even to Keating. Unfortunately, he never truly was able to convey that to his father. The only time he was able to stand up to his father was in the role of Puck during the play, when he asked for forgiveness with his last soliloquy, an act which deliberately disobeyed and thus enraged his father. He had many opportunities to do so before then, but he never seized the opportunity to reestablish a connection. The father and son were like strangers, each with a specific perception of the other, but neither really knew who the other was. This perpetuated the cycle of misunderstandings between the two and eventually played a major role in Neil’s suicide.

In Mr. Perry’s perspective, Neil was a model child who was focused on getting into a good college. He then learns from another parent that Neil was going to be in the play. This was the first he had heard of this, as Neil had lied to everyone about his father’s approval. Mr. Perry then told Neil that couldn’t be involved, an order Neil deliberately disobeyed by performing in the opening show the following night. When Mr. Perry saw Neil as Puck, he became furious and probably overreacted a bit by concluding that it must be the school (or more specifically, Mr Keating – the new teacher) that was the cause of this and that Neil should transfer schools to regain his focus.

Neil, on the other hand, wanted to know who he was. He was always obedient to his father’s wishes, but he wanted to know more about himself. Acting was something he could do for himself – something that he enjoyed and allowed him to explore what he was able to accomplish. On the other hand, it was also a means of escaping his current reality by being someone else for a few hours. Keating suggested Neil talk to his father about this passion, but Neil second guessed his father’s actions by arguing that his father would never understand. He never gave his father the benefit of the doubt and tried to explain. Keating even went so far as to tell Neil that even if his father didn’t see things his way, he’d soon be out of school and could do what he wished then. Neil wouldn’t listen to this advice, and later when Keating asked if Neil had spoken to his father, Neil said he did consent. (I think Keating knew he was lying but he chose not to pursue the matter because at that point, Neil had to take responsibility for his own actions.)

Yes, Mr. Perry was hard on Neil, but that was probably out of concern. He was paying a lot of money to attend a great school to prepare him for an ivy league school, and Neil, out of nowhere, decides he doesn’t want to go to college. He wants to act. Mr. Perry believed that this was a fleeting dream, and that if Neil followed this path, he would be throwing away a wonderful opportunity for a pursuit that would last a couple of years. After all, most people don’t really have a grasp on their future until at least their junior or senior year of college. If his acting career failed, which in all likelihood, it would have, Neil would have no skills to fall back on.

Also, Neil never really stood up to his father. There were times he tried, like when Mr. Perry told Neil he should drop some extracurricular activities, but he did so in the presence of others, which created a hostile environment between the two. It would have been interesting if Neil and his father would have actually sat down and chatted about what Neil wanted and what they could do to compromise. Even at the very end, when the two confronted each other right before Neil committed suicide, Neil still could not face his father. Mr. Perry specifically asked Neil what he wanted, and Neil couldn’t answer him. I think Mr. Perry really expected Neil to give him an answer, and I think if Neil would have, his father may have been more understanding.

In a way, Neil resembles how Todd was in the beginning of the movie. Todd couldn’t speak to anyone of authority without sounding insecure. In one of the extra scenes, Todd tried to ask for rowing instead of soccer, but could barely speak. He was given soccer instead. Also, in class, whenever he was asked a question, he couldn’t answer. He wanted to say something – especially to recite the poem he spent so much time writing, but he never could. He even ended up ripping up his poem.

Martyrdom

So, then, is Neil a martyr? Well it depends on your own interpretation of the word. I choose to think he isn’t, but I suppose given the following definitions from Webster, Neil could be:

“a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion”

Well, Neil did voluntarily undergo death because he refused to renounce his religion – which was romanticism.

“a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle”

Ok, he did sacrifice his life for the sake of his own selfish romantic tendencies.

“victim”

Now the only thing Neil fell victim to was his own passions. He was not a victim of his father because his father did not make him nor want him to kill himself. Neil crucified himself. If Puck’s costume is supposed to be symbolic of the crown of thorns – which I’m not certain it is – then it was Neil that put it on his own head. It was Neil that pulled the trigger and killed himself. No one else made him do it. I personally don’t view him as a martyr because his cause was a completely selfish one. There was no reason for him to do so. A martyr sacrifices his life for a specific cause, and it is usually beneficial to that movement, but Neil was not a part of any kind of great cause. He was a coward and took the easy way out of a difficult situation.

I interpret Puck’s costume to be symbolic of Neil’s romanticism. It all started with the idea of going into the woods to start the Dead Poets Society. Here, the woods represents romanticism – Neil entered the woods, and never came out. His entire identity was transformed into the role of Puck – who lived in the woods and did what he pleased – taking the romantic way of life. The final scene where Neil puts the Puck costume on is symbolic of his continuing presence in romanticism. He never once took a step back to realize that he was the one who was sacrificing himself. If he had been willing to stand up for himself – his true identity -and say his verse, than this probably wouldn’t have happened, but the only time he could attempt to say his verse was in the role of Puck. Puck became his identity, so in the end, he had to become Puck in order to take the final step and kill himself, again making one last attempt to try to say his verse.

One last comment from a response I received:

“Neil is not a martyr! His religion was self centered. His
death was absolutely needless! A true saint accepts the Christ like example. What was completely lacking was humility, true suffering (waiting until he graduates from HS and than doing what he is called to do), and
patience. He took the easy way out (sad way actually). Instead of enduring a bit of momentary suffering (not acting) he gave up his life and forfeited his real destiny. To take on the suffering of not acting, to accept this with all humility and patience would have made him a great artist, and a saint. He put on the Crown of Thorns, but without the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging, Carrying his Cross, and the bitter passion.”

Who is Responsible for the Suicide?

In the end, both the realists and the romantics blame the other for Neil’s suicide. The romantics say it was Neil’s father. Even Todd says this when he first confronts his romanticism in the snow. The realists say it was Keating, and in the end, force Keating to leave. Neither side wants to believe that through the act of suicide, Neil is taking control of his own life decisions and therefore must assume the responsibility.

Suicide is a personal choice, and 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. There is a point in everyone’s life where they feel that no one understand them, and no matter what they say, it doesn’t change the situation. However, by Neil killing himself, Mr. Perry never had the opportunity to understand his son’s desires and passions. All he had were memories and should have beens and could have beens. There were no definites. At least if Neil would have spoken his own verse, maybe Mr. Perry could have understood just a little better what his son was feeling, and maybe things could have ended on a happier note.

Meeks and Pitts seem to have some romantic tendencies. At the beginning of the movie (in one of the extra scenes), both receive demerits for talking in line. They also make a radio and dance to the music while others engage in structured activities or schoolwork.

Both are also meek and submissive, and agree to what Neil and especially what Nwanda says. Both also have names that are commented on – “the meek shall inherit the earth”, “rather unfortunate name,” “rise above your name.” Pitts is also the first to read his “principle of romanticism.” – “O to struggle against great odds, to meet enemies undaunted,” which again could refer to his name. (Meeks also reads a principle of romanticism. – “To dance, clap hands, exalt, shout, skip, roll on, float on.”)

At the first DPS meeting, Meeks reads The Congo while Pitts reads William Bloat.

Both stand on their desks to show support for Keating at the end.

Knox’s Obsession

Knox’s “object of desire” was Chris. His entire existence revolved around her (his thoughts, poetry, behavior, etc) He broke rules to see her, competed for her attention with her boyfriend, and sacrificed his relationship with his family and with the Dansburrys. And he was ready to do this based on a one-time event where he interacted with her briefly, and in the name of “love” nevertheless.

Unfortunately, Chris is practically engaged to the son of one of his family’s friends, the Dansburry’s. It is at a dinner event at the Danburry’s that Knox first sees Chris, as she is currently dating Chet Dansburry. After that initial meeting, Knox does everything in his power to win her over.

He rides his bike to a football game to see her. He calls her, exclaiming first “Carpe Diem… even if it kills me,” and is elated when she invites her to a party that Chet is having. At that party and after a few drinks, he makes a move on Chris in the same room as Chet, who then proceeds to punch Knox several times.

Knox was the lucky one of the romantics, as the only “authority figure” he came into contact with was Chet, and Chet really wasn’t much of the authority figure that Mr. Perry was to Neil or that the school was to Nwanda, so maybe that is why things worked out better for Knox than Neil and Nwanda. After all, Chris was able to make the choice of whether to be with Knox or Chet in the end, anyway.

Also, in the cave during a DPS meeting Knox proclaims that if he can’t have Chris, he’ll die. Ironically, it was Nwanda that told him to calm down. Nwanda also calls him “noxious” which is defined by Webster as:

1. (a) physically harmful or destructive to living beings (noxious wastes that poison our streams)
2. (b) constituting a harmful influence on mind or behavior : morally corrupting (noxious doctrines)
3. : DISTASTEFUL, OBNOXIOUS

After that, Knox writes her a poem and goes to her school and reads it to her in front of her classmates, something that will quickly get back to Chet. Knox is unconcerned about this. His only thought is of Chris, as the poem he writes implies:

“The heavens made a girl named Chris
With hair and skin of gold
To touch her would be paradise.”

Chris obviously does like the attention Knox gives her, and in the end, holds his hand at the play. Although this has a happy outcome, this is completely an example of romanticism. Everything Knox did was based on his feelings for a girl that he knew as “Chris.” This must be stressed, as who the girl “Chris” actually was is unknown to him. He only knows what he perceives of her to be and the challenges he must overcome to obtain her as his girlfriend. Thus, she is presented as an object, not a person. What becomes of the relationship is unknown to us. Maybe it was a one time event, maybe it lasted longer then that. The main point is that Knox risked quite a lot for a girl he never really even talked to. Many times the “wanting” is more intense than the actual being in the situation. We are only left to wonder if it was as good as Knox thought. “Love” is dependent on knowing who the person is, what their personality is like, what they like and dislike, what their faults are, among others. It is far deeper than the short term “infatuation” Knox was experiencing.

Midsummer Love?

One other thing to think about, & I’m not going to take the time to flesh it out here, as many people have already written on the aspects of love in the play, but the illusion of love of Knox for Chris may very well be a parallel of the events of “love” in a Midsummer Night’s Dream, where the characters seem to be mainly in love for the sake of being in love rather than knowing who their partners really are. Romanticism among the four main lovers runs wild in terms of letting their fantasies take over their realities, and it is contradicted by the realistic approach of Theseus.

More strange than true: I never may believe
These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.
Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
More than cool reason ever comprehends.
The lunatic, the lover and the poet
Are of imagination all compact:
One sees more devils than vast hell can hold,
That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic,
Sees Helen’s beauty in a brow of Egypt:
The poet’s eye, in fine frenzy rolling,
Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;
And as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name.
Such tricks hath strong imagination,
That if it would but apprehend some joy,
It comprehends some bringer of that joy;
Or in the night, imagining some fear,
How easy is a bush supposed a bear!
-Act 5 Scene 1

Knox’s Loyalty

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.

“But only in their dreams can men be truly free,

‘Twas always thus, and always thus will be.”

I do not believe that John Keating (played by Robin Williams) is a main character in this movie. His character is always romantic, and therefore, he is a static character. (See Romanticism and DPS) Again, let me stress: he is a romantic overall, meaning he was romantic at the start of the movie, and at the end, he is still romantic, regardless of whether all his actions may or may not have been romantic in and of themselves.

Keating’s romanticism was what led to his downfall. When Neil asks him about what the DPS was, he replies that they were romantics – that during the meetings “gods were created, women swooned, and spirits soared.” He also mentions that he wishes to forget those times. Keating apparently took precautions to follow a different path of his younger days by pursuing his career over the woman in London, whose picture still sat on his desk. However, in doing so, teaching became his new passion. In his attempt to teach others what he had learned in life about romanticism and how it needed to be controlled, he watched Neil, Nwanda, and Knox enter into extreme romanticism, and that not only led to their downfall, but his as well.

Make Your Lives Extraordinary

Keating begins his unorthodox teaching methods by showing his students pictures of previous Welton graduates. He says:

“Now I’d like you to step forward over here. They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they’re destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? … Carpe… hear it? …carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”

Each of those people had graduated from Welton and had “made their lives extraordinary.” The
pictures were the “legends” of the school – those who had died, but had contributed a verse that would not be forgotten. Those who had “seized the day” by contributing something special to life and whose memory would not be easily forgotten. Here, Keating explained his core philosophy to his students – to contribute a meaningful verse, so that when it came time for them to die, they would not “discover that [they] had not lived.” He explains that they are all going to die eventually, so it is up to them to make the most of their lives – to seize the day before it is too late. In other words, live now so when you look back upon your life near its end, you won’t regret the choices you made and what you’ve achieved in your lifetime.

O Captain My Captain

Keating tells his students that they should call him “O Captain! My Captain“. This poem is about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and foreshadows Keating’s symbolic death at the end of the movie (his removal from teaching, which is his passion).

I believe this poem is significant in that it shows how one of the greatest leaders died before he could see what difference he actually had made in many people’s lives. Whitman’s poem, itself, is about someone who opened up a new way of thinking, but never lived to see how fruitful it would become. As Lincoln died for what he preached, Keating symbolically “died” a similar death through the process of his being fired from his teaching position at Welton for going against standard teaching methods.

While Whitman himself may have seen Lincoln’s death as futile, history points to numerous cases where great leaders were assassinated for preaching their message to unaccepting people. Many times, those deaths fueled the flames of change as their mission was taken up by followers. In that sense, Keating’s symbolic death was not in vain, as his message continued to live on in Todd.

J. Evans Pritchard

Keating begins another lecture by having the students rip out an introduction by J. Evans Pritchard because he thinks it is an excrement. He says, “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion.” You can’t measure the greatness of poetry by measuring its importance and its perfection in rhyme and meter.

This demonstrates his inability to teach a realistic style which conflicted with his overall romantic outlook on life. By ignoring the contrast between realism and romanticism, his teaching was biased and aided his students in their indulgence into romanticism. From Keating’s students’ perspective, romanticism allowed far more freedom than realism, and once they were confronted with an option of which to embrace, romanticism became the compelling choice. It was the rebel movement away from the strict rules of the school and presented a fresh outlook on life. After all, they had known only of doing well in school so they could get into an ivy league college. Everything revolved around what they should achieve to succeed in life. Romanticism was the way out. It opened up a new way to express themselves and provided the means to break from tradition.

Reason to Live

Keating claims that occupations are noble pursuits to sustain life, but passion is the reason to live, showing his romantic side. This is in direct contrast to what the school teaches. In the initiation ceremony, it is made quite clear that goal of Welton is to prepare students for college – most likely the Ivy League.

Keating’s Main Teachings

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may…”

“This is a battle, a war, and the casualties could be your hearts and souls.”

“Words and ideas can change the world.”

You must constantly look at things in a different way. “You don’t believe me, come see for yourself. Come on. Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way even though it may seem silly, or wrong, you must try.”

There is a definite emphasis on individuality over groupthink. “Now, when you read, don’t just consider what the author thinks, consider what you think. Strive to find your own voice, the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.”

The lesson on individual walking also emphasizes this. The walks are just a way of expressing individuality, showing that although sometimes you have to work together with others, your way of doing things is important, and that the verse you contribute is from only you – nobody else can say it for you.

But he also stresses that sometimes you have to work together to excel. “Sports are a chance for us to make other human beings push us to excel.” Sports are comparable to life because they emphasize how you have to work together with others and consider what others are doing in order to play your part in the game. You, yourself, can excel in the game and make your own performance extraordinary, but you still can’t forget the rest of your teammates, whose performance enhanced yours. What I mean is, you can’t be selfish in a
game – you have to be aware of how your performance affects others, just as in life, although you may have your own style for doing things, you can’t forget that the world doesn’t revolve around you.

He also stresses the importance of passion. He says, “The human race is filled with passion” and also that passion is the reason to stay alive.

From Extra Scene 7 – “Words can never contain as music does, the unsayable grace that cannot be defined. It leaps like light from mind to mind.”

Because of these teachings, Keating’s students idolized him – they made him their “Captain.” (Take note to the song “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” during the game.)

Keating’s Message

Keating does try to elaborate on his message. The DPS inspired the poets to become romantics who had no leader, no discipline, and no direction other than that of their passions. Keating knew where that would lead them, and once he realized his students were following a similar path, he tried in vain to warn them of the consequences.

For example, when Nwanda pulls his “phone call from God” stunt, Keating makes it very clear that he doesn’t approve. He says, “There is a time for daring and a time for caution, and a wise man knows which is called for.” He claims, “Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.”

Keating also attempts to clarify his teachings to Neil by encouraging him to talk to his father about his passion for acting. If his father still couldn’t understand, then it wasn’t long until Neil graduated and had the freedom to make decisions on his own.

These acts in themselves are not romantic acts. I think he did this because although he was a romantic, he had learned that discipline and tradition were essential to maintaining a well balanced life. It was the school’s strong academic tradition and discipline that molded Keating into the scholar and teacher he was. I do think Keating tried to be the anti-romantic romanticist that he preached, but at times, his passion clouded his ability to judge the outcome. His flaw in teaching the message was that he only portrayed the good points of following one’s passion and he downplayed the consequences of following one’s passion to extreme until he absolutely had to. For example, in the case of Nwanda’s phone call, while Nwanda may have wished to stand up against authority at that point, getting kicked out of school as the consequence would have been something he would have regretted looking back on his life. With the romantic philosophy the students saw in Keating’s teachings, only the moment mattered.

Keating’s Downfall and Martyrdom

Keating’s downfall begins with Neil. He is blamed for Neil’s disobedience to his father, and when Mr. Perry tells him to stay away from Neil, Keating realizes he is staring directly into the face of the madman at his window. At that moment, he realizes he is about to be persecuted.

In this movie, if one were to designate a martyr or a “Christ-like” figure (as many literary critics do), Keating would be that character.

Webster’s Definition of Martyr:

1. “a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and
   refusing to renounce a religion”
2. “a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for
   the sake of principle”
3. “victim”

Definition 1 – Keating voluntarily underwent his own symbolic death (his removal from teaching which meant everything to him) in order to promote his “religion.” Keating’s religion was a bit more complex than Neil’s. Whereas Neil sacrificed everything for his own romantic tendencies, Keating sacrificed everything for the benefit of his students. His message was to find a middle ground between following your emotions and following your own logic. That to truly live was to have a certain control over each. It appears that Keating learned that through experience by the way he talked about the London girl in the picture on his desk and by the warning he gave Nwanda after the “phone call from God” stunt.

Definition 2 – Keating sacrificed the love of his life – teaching to give his students a taste of “living”. This is what distinguished Neil’s death from Keatings – Neil’s was personal while Keating’s was for the sake of his students.

Definition 3 – Keating was a “victim,” or scapegoat is a better term. Keating was the newest teacher at the school, the one with the most unorthodox teaching methods. He was not only the scapegoat of the administrators (for the bad publicity the school was receiving), and the parents (for encouraging students to speak out for what they believed in, and that carried to an extreme lead to Neil’s suicide), but he also fell victim to his own followers. The story draws many parallel to the crucifixion story of Jesus in the bible as the Jewish scribes and Pharisees wanted Jesus dead so they falsely accused him based on his alleged teachings. His followers turned on him as well, as Judas handed him over and Peter and the others fled the garden. Peter then proceeded to acknowledge he was a follower three times.

Rebirth

Todd was the one student Keating managed to “save” with his message. Todd realized he did have a verse to contribute, but he did not need to contribute it by extreme measures. A simple standing on his desk was enough to show that he understood Keating. In that act, Todd becomes the leader as Knox, Pitts and Meeks followed soon after. Cameron, however, refuses to stand at the end. It is probably safe to conclude that Knox followed because this was a romantic act and another way to speak out against tradition. Meeks and Pitts, on the other hand, probably did so because Keating did inspire them (whether they truly understood as Todd did is questionable). Regardless, this act proves that at least one person grasped the message and that Keating’s symbolic death was not in vain.

I believe that was the reason Keating came back to get his things during class, and he was not disappointed in Todd and his other students. He probably did feel responsible in some way for Neil’s death, that he could have warned him or tried harder to “save” him, along with the other complex plethora of emotions a suicide of someone close brings with it. Seeing that some of his students did not blame him and that they understood Keating’s message was genuine probably helped to renew his faith in his teaching methods, thus leading to his rebirth.

Cameron’s Character

Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman) is the perfect example of everything Keating is against. During the procession in the beginning of the movie, he is holding the banner that says “tradition,” and from then onwards represents tradition throughout the entire movie.

For example, on the first day of Keating’s class, Keating tells them they will all die one day, and it is up to them to take advantage of situations and make the most out of life. After class, Cameron asks if they will be tested on that material showing his concern only for his grades and future career, not about what he can do to make the most of his life. Also, during their study group, Knox comes back from dinner and talks about Chris. Cameron shows no sympathy to Knox by telling him to forget about her and do trig. When Keating tells the class to rip out the pages of Pritchard’s introduction, Cameron watches everyone else do so, and only rips out his pages after he is encouraged to do so by Neil. Cameron only comes to the DPS meeting because everyone else is. He tells his madman story after Neil tells his to go along with the group.

Principles of GroupThink:

Irving Janis’s 8 symptoms of groupthink from John Sabini’s Social Psychology:

1. overestimate the group they are a part of
2. believe in the inherent morality of the group, regardless of how immoral its plans are
3. develop group rationalizations for defective policies
4. rely on stereotypes of their adversary rather than accurate conceptions
5. suppress rather than express their doubts and reservations about a decision
6. have the illusory belief that the group is unanimous in its decision when many in fact have doubts and reservations
7. overtly call upon those who do express criticism to suppress that criticism out of loyalty to the group or its leader
8. sometimes appoint someone such as a “mindguard,” who is in charge of suppressing dissent

Cameron’s Betrayal

It is Cameron (acting like Judas) who betrays Keating for his own purposes. He is “brainwashed” (term used loosely here, as he is still responsible for his own actions) into believing that Keating is the cause of Neil’s suicide and is the first to sign the confession. Because of his betrayal, Nwanda punches him (like Peter cutting off the Temple servant’s ear when they came to arrest Jesus) and is expelled for his behavior.

In the end, Cameron does not stand in support of Keating, as many of the others. He is unable to admit that he sold himself out for the sake of his academic career. He never does learn the concept of free thought and is much more comfortable doing what he is told.