Dead Poet Society

626 Words3 Pages
Dead Poet’s Society Analysis Upon viewing of the movie “Dead Poet’s Society”, I observed several psychological topics we have discussed thus far in our class. Learning in many forms I feel was the most dominate theme throughout. From chapter three there is how personal factors influence our perceptions. Next I will discuss how we can get learned behaviors from our upbringing. And from chapter five on how we learn. I will discuss how these issues all played a role in the movie. One of the first things I notice from the beginning of the movie is that the movie is taking place at an upscale prep school for boys. This from the start puts our own personal factors and thoughts into play by what we may think of this type of school. Not to mention what factors the characters have going on amongst each other. These are kids from rich families in which have high expectations of their children. For example these are boys who are expected to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, etc. and are groomed for this accordingly. 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. Ultimately Neal and the other boys were developing their “Cognitive Style”. Mr. Keating only facilitated this process while the
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