Realism In Dead Poets Society

Words can be defined as ‘something that someone says or writes’. In the books and film I have chosen it is clear that words have a great power as it has an impact on the characters and their lives. There is also a form of authority, where an individual or people use words to control the other characters with less authority. In the novel The Book Thief words from books help Liesel to mature, they also caused the death of many individuals because of the way Hitler used them and lastly, it has the power to heal. In Macbeth, words create a positive image at first then prophecies from witches and the words from Lady Macbeth control him and his actions which lead to his downfall. In the film Dead Poets Society, there’s a conflict between realism

A realist can be defined as ‘one who submits to realism and opposes romanticism’ and a romantic can be defined ‘as one submits to romanticism while opposing realism’. These aspects are presented to the students at an all boys’ preparatory school. Welton Academy is founded on tradition and excellence and is based on providing strict structured lessons that is led by the realist and anti-youth administration, parents send their children there with the expectation that they would become doctors and lawyers. It’s as if they believed that only they had a say in their children’s lives and future. Todd Anderson is a new comer to Welton; he is painfully shy and terrified that what he might say may be insignificant and meaningless. Todd is constantly told that he has ‘big shoes to gill’ being the younger brother of a former valedictorian. Neil Perry on the other hand, is bright and ambitious but has a very controlling father. When new English teacher comes, he brings with him a passion for teaching romanticism which opens a never-seen-before world to his students. He starts with his teachings with a lecture on their imminent deaths, explaining to the students that their lives are fleeing so they should seize the day to make their lives count, to leave a legacy of ‘carpe diem’. He teaches them the works of the romantic poets such as Thoreau and Lord Byron and starts outdoor exercises to warm them of dangers of conformity and the power of sports as a way which human beings push each other to excel. From the start, Mr Keating’s words had a very strong impact on most of the students, his way of teaching was different, and he encouraged freedom of speech and read poems containing words and meanings that changed the students’ perspective of life forever. Todd Anderson is given an assignment which he doesn’t complete, Mr Keating sees through Todd’s fear and makes him say whatever comes to mind,