Comments on: Charles Dalton aka Nwanda

By: Adelaide Eldridge

Adelaide Eldridge — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:09:49 +0000

One more thing …

To a lesser extent, Nwanda martyred himself. He made choices that he knew could be his downfall. He knowingly made the final choice that sealed his fate.

Nwanda was brother to Keating. There was a scene when bigger brother shares words of wisdom with younger brother.

By: Adelaide Eldridge

Adelaide Eldridge — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:48:53 +0000

I do believe that this misses the point of Nwanda.

It is true that Nwanda craves attention, but his romantic sensitivities allows him to quickly grasp an understanding of living a poetic life. The courtyard scene of the young men walking around proves this. While all the young men seem to be making a “mockery” or foolishly walking around, Nawanda got the point and Keating acknowledged it! Nwanda, with his pure and unpolished heart, allows himself to BE on the path to finding who he is and not what someone tells him it should be, to experiencing life to the fullest, something that few men in our society are able to do. Society tears men’s humanity down in order to build the warrior that they think men should be.

Nwanda punching Cameron was a pure desire to defend the only path that allows for the experiences that could lie ahead.

By: whatever

whatever — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:28:34 +0000

what the?
this is nothing like nuwanda
nuwanda is not a ninny who thrives on attention
thats cameron
i think you don’t really understand what youre talking about

By: The Congo

The Congo — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:33:35 +0000

i believe that the anonymous author of this assessment completely missed the point of Charlie’s/Nuwanda’s character. The character in many ways exhibits an extreme notion of the non-conformist free-thinking that Keating preaches, the book on which this film is based on was in fact written by an alumnus of a similar school who clearly expressed a distaste for the repressive nature of strict preparatory schools, a value that Peter Weir interprets in Charlie/Nuwanda.
Charlie/Nuwanda demonstrates a desire to rebel against the strict impositions placed on his development by the deprivation he experiences at Welton, a theme that is not difficult to understand in the context of his developmental adolescence and his wealthy, upper-class background.
No offence to the author but i would suggest a re-write of this character assessment.

By: roberto

roberto — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Ironic that this is on a website called Anti-Romantic. The critique of Dalton should be prefaced by a statement of the author’s belief in GOD and the repressive nature of religion. I think Dalton is much like Keating himself in that he is already discovering his unique voice and could someday be a mentor like Keating. Defying GOD or being GODlike is a normal human state of being. Unfortunately believing in GOD means to fear and obey GOD. This day and age, people need to get over it.

By: lulubelle

lulubelle — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 04:28:26 +0000

Charlie gets expelled because he wouldn’t sign the contract that makes out that Robin Williams’s is to be blamed for his student’s suicide. He is the only student to do so, and acts completely out of a moral and ethical obligation.

By: DanT

DanT — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 03:44:06 +0000

A good analysis, the only thing I feel I could possibly contribute is that when Cameron betrayed them all, SOMEone needed to hit him. And Charlie definitely seemed the one most likely to follow through. Throughout the movie, he’d always thrown himself into things with a sort of blind passion. When Keating introduced him to “carpe diem” and non-conformist thinking, Charlie dove in headfirst. Someone had to hit Cameron, someone had to be willing to get expelled for following through with their beliefs. If it was going to be anyone, it was going to be the man who re-named himself “Nwanda”.
My only regret is that he didn’t hit Judas again. He’s already going to be expelled for hitting him, what are they going to do to him if he hits him again? Banish him?

By: Platoon018

Platoon018 — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 17:53:32 +0000

I completely disagree with your interpretation of Charlie. To me, he was a free thinker already. He was the most advanced in the group and in fact the one which needed the less help from Keating. He already had his wisdom.
He didn’t strive for attention in any unhealthy way. In fact I believe it was perfectly natural and he was simply being who he is. Getting attention came second to being what he felt he was and affirming himself as such among his peers. That is precisely why he, in fact, did get the attention (and respect) – because he was himself before needing the attention. The attention came second and had he to choose between losing himself or the attention he would have easlity sacrificed the second.

By: WG

WG — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:43:33 +0000

I inferred that Charlie knows full well there are consequences to his actions. Mr. Nolan said, “If you think you’re the first Welton student to try to get kicked out, think again.” That told me that Charlie actively made trouble in the hopes of getting kicked out. Neil references that Charlie’s from a “rich” family – maybe this was this his way of trying to get attention from Mom and Dad.

I thought there were times when Charlie was kind of sweet, like in his actions towards Todd after Neil’s death, and in trying to cheer Knox up.

By: Nicolas

Nicolas — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:43:36 +0000

thank you so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
u literally saved me