Means of help:

As a little help for those who had difficulties to understand the contents of the book, the group could use the survey of the chapter’s contents to find specific passages in the text. Due to this they would be able to quote and prove their findings and interpretations properly.

The classroom-test: 

Task: Please choose one of the questions written below and write an essay of about 250 words. Give evidence from the text whenever necessary. Please count the words afterwards.

1. In which way is Keating different from his colleagues at Welton Academy and does not seem to fit into his time?

Example 1:

In Keating’s first lesson the pupils notice that Keating is a different teacher. He wears different clothes than the other teachers and his way of teaching is also different. He wears a white shirt, black trousers and black shoes. In his lesson he jumps up and down the furniture. He starts wisecracking and yells. Much rather he encourages his pupils to think for themselves and to pursue their own dreams. Keating tries to live each day as if it could be the last one (p. 26/27: “Carpe diem”, Keating whispered loudly, “Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary.”).

The way he analyses the poems is also different. Keating is very individual and not a traditional person. He is against the traditional way to analyse the poems (p. 39: “Make a clean tear”, Keating cautioned “I want nothing left of it.”). The students read the instruction for a poem analysis. Then Keating said to them that they should rip out the entire page (p. 39: “… Go on, rip out the entire page. I want this rubbish in the trash where it belongs!”).

Mr Keating’s other English lesson takes place at the courtyard. That’s uncommon. He called it “Marching lesson”. Three of the students should walk around. Mr Keating begins to clap his hands, his students join in. He is clapping and singing (p. 86: “One, two, one, two, …We’re all having fun in Mr Keating’s class”).

Mr Keating is somebody who tries to show the students to find the way by their own (p. 87: “Lads, there is a great need in all of us to be accepted, but you must trust what is unique or different in yourself, even if it’s odd or unpopular.”)

He also tries to convince the boys of his attitudes and shows that he lives his attitudes. He doesn’t care about the possible consequences (p. 46: “Can you boys keep a secret?” They nodded instantly. “The Dead Poets was a society dedicated to sucking the marrow out of life.”). Keating takes care about his people (Neil and his acting on stage in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”) and he is very emotional. Also he trusts in and respects his people (p. 166: “Thank you boys”, he said “I thank you.”)

Example 2:

The story “Dead Poets Society”, written by N.H. Kleinbaum after the movie is about seven boys who attend the prestigious Welton Academy prep-school which is based on four principles: Tradition, honour, discipline and excellence. John Keating is a new English teacher at Welton Academy. Some years ago he was graduated by Welton Academy, too. At the beginning of his work at school he was a very different teacher. He is an individualist. He has other methods to teach. For years Welton Academy has been a traditional school. And all teachers are teaching in traditional ways. Every year the same programme and based on the “four pillars”.

At Mr Keating’s first lesson he began by looking at pictures of former Welton students in a trophy case with which he tried to explain the aim of life, with saying “carpe diem”, which means “seize the day”, as it can be the last day of their life (p. 25: “Seize the day”, Keating repeated. “Why does the poet write these lines? … Because we’re only going to experience a limited number of springs, summers, and falls. One day, hard as it is to believe, each and every one of us is going to stop breathing, turn cold and die!”).

Mr Keating is very near to his students he has no distance. He is on the same level with his students. That distinguishes him from the other teachers. Mr Keating tells his students that they can call him “O Captain! My Captain!” if they feel daring (p. 24: “In this class you may refer to me as either Mr Keating or “O Captain! My Captain!”). Keating goes against the conformist norm; he challenges his students to live life to the fullest. Mr Keating’s methods to teach influence the life of students differently from those of other teachers. He teaches them to act on their impulses and to be spontaneous, romantic, individual, free thinkers. Keating tries to show them their life from another point of view while he demands from the students to jump onto the desk and see the classroom from above.

The boys learn from Keating to express their feelings and to find out who they are and what they really want. That was the reason why the “Dead Poets Society” was founded.

2. Who is Neil and who can be made responsible for his tragic death?

Example 1:

Neil Perry was a schoolboy of Welton Academy and a member of the Dead Poets Society. From my point of view you can say that Neil was the leader of this organisation because he was the one who asked Keating what the “Dead Poets Society” was about and who invited the others to the first meeting (p.46: “Mr Keating?” Neil called after him … “What was the Dead Poets Society, Sir?”…).

The leader of the Dead Poets Society, the very successful and purposeful schoolboy was only one side of him. The other side of him was that he was a boy who stood extremely under pressure of his father, because he wanted him to be someone he just was not. Neil’s father wanted him to become a successful doctor but Neil wanted to become an actor. The father of Neil forbade him every kind of activity like acting or writing the school annual, which could have made him change his mind about becoming a doctor. It was no matter for him what Neil wanted to be or what he really was about. It was just important for him that he lives his dream that he has never reached in his life being successful and earning a lot of money.

Neil never really had the courage to be what he really wanted to be and to break with his father. Nevertheless he played the role of Puck against the will of his father (p. 118: “Neil you are going to quit this ridiculous play immediately”, Mr Perry barked…) But Neil wasn’t strong enough to break with his father in the end and to live his own way of life. He saw no other possibility than committing suicide. But who is responsible for his tragic death? I think that this is a very difficult question and it depends on from whose standpoint you see it. From the standpoint of a realistic person like his father and headmaster Nolan Mr Keating is responsible for his death. They think that he is responsible because he taught him to be individual and a free thinker. From their point of view that is a revolt against the society. Someone who revolts against the society must fail (p. 156: Cameron: “Keating put us up to all this…”).

If you see it from the standpoint of a romantic, you make a realistic person like his father responsible for his death (p. 151: Todd: “Someone has to know it was his father…”).

And of course in my point of view Mr Perry is not innocent. He was the one who wanted Neil to become someone he didn’t want to be. But from my point of view you also should not forget the third possibility. Neil himself is responsible for his death. Of course his father made him act a role he did not want to act, but don’t forget that he acted this role until the bitter end. He knew that he would not be strong enough to say to his father that he is not going to be a doctor or that he is not going to go to the military school. If he had been strong enough to live his own dream he would not have committed suicide. Committing suicide was the only way for him to destroy the dreams of his father, to break out.

That is why I think you cannot make one person or one group responsible for his death; there were many different reasons, which came together. “Seize the day”. Live every day as if it could be your last one. That’s what Neil was doing as he was acting the Puck, but he could not make it to his maxim of life.

Example 2:

Neil, an overall friendly and often quite lively student at Welton Academy is one among the central characters, if not even the central character of the book “Dead Poets Society”. A popular guy, concerned for the well being of his friends especially his roommate Todd, he may be, but also deeply troubled by his strenuous relationship to his father. Neil having an argument with his father is already shown early in this plot, when his quite dominant father states the intention of limiting Neil’s extracurricular activities. Unable to accept that, Neil, understandably, throws him a fit but immediately gets put down by his old man. His frustration with his father lights up repeatedly throughout the plot and plagues him. Even when he took up acting, believing it to be his true calling, he is torn by the realisation that his father might prohibit it. Eventually he takes upon himself to seize the opportunity, taking permission from his father, but as he is in over his head with the elaborate scheme, it blows up on him and his outraged father threatens to take him to another school. Frightful of this change, Neil ultimately gives in to despair and eventually commits suicide. While the blame for this ends through acts of finger pointing with Mr Keating the sole responsibility lies with Neil himself. It can possibly be argued that he’s merely a victim of the circumstances, but the responsibility of his own state of mind is his. Lacking foresight and throwing a tauntrem about his, from his own perspective oh so evil father who doesn’t understand him, the emotional boy greatly exaggerates the situation he is in and only feels sorrow. Seeing himself as unable to deal with the situation and being unwilling to suck it up he chooses the only way out he can think of: Death.

His own incapability to accept the things he cannot change is his undoing.

Example 3:

Who is Neil Perry?

Neil is one of the students who studies at Welton Academy. He is a 16 years old boy and the roommate of one of the friends of Todd Anderson (p.12).

Neil has a very strict father who does not allow him to take extracurricular activities and never lets him do what he wants (p.16). At first Neil does what his father wants, but because of the “Dead Poets Society” he disobeyed him. The boy gets the book about the “Dead Poets Society” from Mr Keating and he’s the one who founds the new DPS (p.48).

Against his father’s will he takes a part in a play, so Mr Perry is angry with his son and tells him that he takes him from the school, away from his friends and all the things Neil loves (p.142). Because of that Neil is very depressed and finally he shoots himself with the gun of his father (p. 150).

Who is responsible for Neil’s death?

There are two persons who can be made responsible for the tragic death of Neil Perry.

At first his own father who never lets him do what he wants and wanted to take him all the things he loved only because Neil takes part in a play and disobeyed him with that. There is no reason to be so harsh with Neil because he has good marks and the play makes him happy. Neil is so depressed because of his father’s reactions that he shoots himself with the gun.

On the other side there is Mr Keating. He is the one who taught his students to be free thinkers, to seize the day and to make the life extraordinary (p. 26). Neil got the idea of the “Dead Poets Society” from him and if all these things had not taken place in Neil’s mind, he would not have disobeyed his father and he would not have had the idea of taking part in a play without permission.

Example 4:

Neil Perry is a very good student in school. Skilled, intelligent, but always subordinated to his father. His father forbids him the extracurricular work on the school annual and Neil argues with him, because he thinks it is unfair and was looking forward to working on the school annual. He suffers much under the pressure from his father but he has not the courage to contradict him. In the lessons of Mr Keating he finds out what he really likes and what he wants to do. Neil begins to feel the passion for poetry inside him. After the boys asked Mr Keating what the dead poets society is, they decide to found it again and Neil is very fond of it. He even convinces Todd to come to the first meeting. During the meetings Neil got more and more passionate for poetry and decides to act in the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from William Shakespeare. Also he has, like Mr Keating, a great influence on Todd and is responsible for his change. He encourages him and stays a good friend at his side. In the cave during another Dead Poets Society meeting they quarrel and argue about reading poems aloud. Todd is very shy and Neil wants him to read from a book aloud. He says if Todd wants to be a member of the DPS he cannot just sit there and listen.

As Neil got the role of Puck in Shakespeare’s play he is really excited and happy. At this moment he doesn’t think about the consequences of his decision and even fakes the allowance of his father that he has the permission to take part in this play.

Todd tries to change his mind, but Neil describes him his passion for acting on stage. As Neil’s father finds out that his son will act in this play he is really annoyed and forbids him to play. Neil is in agony and in his despair he goes to Mr Keating and tells him about the prohibition of his father. Keating understands Neil’s point of view and advises him to persuade his father. Next time when Keating asked him if he had his father’s permission he lies to him and keeps his participation in the play as a secret before his father.

After the play everyone is enthusiastic because of the play - except Neil’s father. He is really angry about Neil’s disobedience and takes him home like a prisoner.

At home, Mr Perry tells Neil that he is going to take him from the school and he has to go henceforth to the military school. For Neil it is like an execution and he feels like someone would pull away the bottom from beneath his feet and he doesn’t see a way out. He is so despaired that he doesn’t see another way than to commit suicide. After Neil’s death his father realises what he has done to his son. In this case Neil’s father can be made responsible for Neil’s death, because he always subdued him, he didn’t care about his son’s feelings, wishes and desires, and Neil had always to obey him, so that Neil couldn’t see another way than to commit suicide.

3. Explain what the “Dead Poets Society” is and the impact it has on the students.

Example 1:

The “Dead Poets Society” is like a secret union of persons where the members “escape” from the everyday life and where they talk about their dreams, often by reading poems. In a certain way, the members just want to live their life like they want to, not how the “big society” wants to (p.46).

So the students at Welton Academy: As they heard what the “Dead Poets Society” is, they were enthusiastic about this union so that they followed the DPS member’s example (p. 47/48).

Now the students began to think about their lives; they started to do what they wanted to and they said what their thoughts and dreams were, not what any parent, any teacher, any others wanted to (p. 54-58: The boys’ poems).

The DPS-members became open, courageous, they “seized the day”, like Keating said to them. Knox Overtsreet for example had the courage to show his feelings to Chris, that he fell in love with her, what he never had done, if the “Dead Poets Society” hadn’t existed (p. 127/128: poem for Chris).

It’s just like a new generation was born. The students didn’t attach great importance to tradition, honour, discipline and excellence. They held on to their new principles although they knew that Mr Keating would have to leave school (p. 165).

4. Who is Todd Anderson and in which way is he the only character in the book that undergoes a change?

Example 1:

Todd Anderson is new at Welton Academy. The first things he gets to know are the four important columns of his new school, which are “tradition, honour, discipline and excellence” (p. 2).

Todd has a brother who also was taught in Welton and he has to fill big shoes because his brother was one of their best, Mr Nolan, the director says to him (p.7).

Todd wants to go to Welton, his grades were good enough and he knows that he has to live with a high pressure now (p.12).

Because of the pressure Todd is a shy, quiet boy. You can say he’s a little bit afraid of everything: The new people, new teachers, new school and so on, but then he meets Mr Keating. He is his English and soccer teacher. Mr Keating shows him to seize the day because everything is transient.

Alone in his room Todd thinks a lot about those words Mr Keating said in his first lesson, but he can’t break out of his cage built by his parents and the society he lives in with all its rules.

Although Todd joins the “Dead Poets Society” he is not able to show his thoughts and feelings in front of other people.

Mr Keating wants the boys to read a self-written poem and he wants to hear Todd’s but he has not written any. Keating knows that Todd is afraid to show his romantic behaviour. He forces Todd to scream out: “Again! Louder!” Keating shouted. “YAWP! Louder! AAAHHH!” (p. 75). During this lesson he makes Todd another person. Todd was able to say something about a photo with closed eyes in a few seconds. He is outgoing and his classmates were impressed.

After Neil’s tragic death the parents and teachers of Welton search a person who is responsible for his suicide. They thought it was all because of Mr Keating. He showed the boys to be free thinkers and told them about the DPS.

Headmaster Nolan forces the members of the DPS to sign a statement, which accuses Keating of different offences, leading to his prosecution from school. Todd does not want to sign it: “No, I won’t sign it”… “It’s not true…” (p. 161).

He argues against his headmaster although he knows the consequence and does not want to hear what his parents have to say. This is the first time that Todd fights against the things but he has no chance.

Mr Keating has to leave and in Todd’s English lesson Keating fetches his belongings. Todd cannot live without telling Mr Keating the truth and he gives him the tribute as he is standing of his desk and is saying “O Captain! My Captain!” (p. 165).

In my opinion Todd is the only character who changed because he is a shy boy like a hermit at the beginning. He does not want to join the learning meetings of the other boys but at the end of the book he is a self-educated stronger person who fights for the right thing and this is because of Mr Keating.

There are also other boys who are fascinated and seize the day and the DPS became their passion but they do not really change in character.