This film accurately illustrates both the positive and negative aspects of one's ability to live Transcendentally by stressing independence from society through Mr. Keating’s character and overall individuality through Todd and Neil’s characters. Both the benefits and the consequences of living by Emerson's beliefs are portrayed by Mr. Keating's character as he stresses independence from society. He initially portrays the positive outcome of having freedom from society's standards. For example, because Keating leads the boys group in reading poetry together (Schulman), he is teaching them not to conform to society's rules; which is paralleled with Transcendentalist beliefs surrounding independence, explained by Henry David Thoreau in the story of the beautiful bug in his book Walden (Thoreau, Walden 410). Schulman and Thoreau's ideas of self-government can still be applied today, because it teaches the valuable lesson that it is always greater to abide by one's own beliefs than to follow the majority.
His slogan is “Carpe Diem”, which means “seize the day”, therefore he wants his students to think of their own life, choices and become individual persons. Some boys re-found the “Dead Poets Society” which is a secret club, where the boys meet in a cave to read and write poems to express their emotions. One of the themes in the film is “Growing Up” - because Mr. Keating shows his students that they need to make their own decisions about their life’s so they can grow up, knowing that their choices have been their own. They can't be controlled by their parents, teachers or others from their social network. They need to live their life's and make decisions by themselves.
Unmoved by Neil’s extraordinary performance in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mr. Perry continues to insist on controlling his son’s life and dictating his every move. But Mr. Perry’s efforts were in vain; Neil had already experienced freedom—a privilege not easily relinquished. Neil eventually stands up to his father, but is unable to communicate his opinions to the increasing tyrannical traditionalist figure that his father has become. Rather than continuing to live a dreary half-life, Neil decides that the only way to gain control is by taking his own life. Though he lost everything in the process, suicide was the only way for Neil to stand up to his father and live life to the fullest (ala “Carpe Diem”).
Unmoved by Neil’s extraordinary performance in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mr. Perry continues to insist on controlling his son’s life and dictating his every move. But Mr. Perry’s efforts were in vain; Neil had already experienced freedom—a privilege not easily relinquished. Neil eventually stands up to his father, but is unable to communicate his opinions to the increasing tyrannical traditionalist figure that his father has become. Rather than continuing to live a dreary half-life, Neil decides that the only way to gain control is by taking his own life. Though he lost everything in the process, suicide was the only way for Neil to stand up to his father and live life to the fullest (ala
This is exemplified by Charlie Dalton when he refused to do his walk when Keating ordered them to do so and when he changed his name to Nawanda which is a unique name. Keating encourages his students to don’t just consider what the author thinks when they read but consider what they think themselves; quoting Thoreau who said “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation. Don’t be resigned to that. Break out!” Emerson also wrote “To believe in your own thought, to believe what is true for you, in your private heart is true, that is genius!” Another element is the concept of “Carpe Diem” which was demonstrated by Knox who seized the day when he finally acted upon by his desire to call Chris. The third element is spirituality in nature as shown by the recitation of poem and the chanting of the boys in an Indian cave.
The highly respected Welton Academy is a prep school that is a very conservative institution that serves as a high school for parents who insist on sending their children to the best universities. Mr. Keating is the new young and exciting English and poetry teacher, who is determined to teach his students to live life with passion. He teaches his students to grab onto the moment and have experiences for themselves, and to live their lives while they are young. He is determined to teach to boys to not just get good grades in school to please their parents. He makes them realize that this is their time to live and learn because one day they will die, and nothing lasts forever.
More than anyone, a boy needs his father to approve of him and teach him how to be a man. Well, his father did not show him the love he required growing up. In all of Paul’s efforts to please his father, he was ignored and inadequate to his father’s expectations. In fact, his father praised a young man that worked as a clerk and insisted that Paul ought to be more like that gentleman. His father refused to give Paul money and argued that he has a job, so he can pay his own expenses.
To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength” (pg 28). Since s real man shows no affection Okonkwo can’t seem to show his love to others. He knows nothing else but to beat, yell, and insult others he uses these actions to show his love towards others. Which makes it difficult for others and him to have any sort of relationship with him, because you live in only fear; if he’s mad he beats you and if he’s happy he still beats you. It’s difficult to build any feeling to even form a relationship with a person who is impossible to ever feel and express positive emotion.
‘In The Kite Runner relationships between fathers and sons are never joyful’ Whether or not a child has experienced genuine bonding with his father is integral to what characteristics and values that child will grow up to have. Hosseini portrays many father-son relationships, including that of Amir and Baba, Hassan and Sohrab and Amir and Sohrab. Despite some of the obvious tension between these relationships – such as Amir’s hopeless pursuit of approval from Baba – it may not be so clear to argue that the relationships throughout the novel are never joyful. On the one hand it could be argued that the relationships are never joyful when considering the recurring lies and hypocrisy that many of the characters have to deal with. Amir and Hassan where both concealed of the fact that Hassan was Baba’s true son despite Baba’s himself stating that ‘lying is stealing someone’s right to the truth’.
So the cultural background of these boys had trained them to see life in a much different way until they have Mr. Keating for an English teacher and he gives his “Carpe Diem “speech which greatly changes their perceptions of school, the future, and life. One of the characters Neal Perry struggles with his own demons after the free thinking Mr. Keating has inspired him to discover that he does not want to be the doctor that his father has so much pushed him to be but rather an actor. Acting is what he is passionate about. Neal was motivated and controlled all his life by his father’s wishes. It was a learned response that to get his father’s approval, he must go the route of prep school, medical school, and then a career as a doctor.