Dead Poets Society Is So Beautiful.
“What will your verse be?”
WARNING: SPOILERS(dont say i didnt warn you)
This is kind of a longer one than usual, but I just need to talk about it.
Dead Poets Society is actually so beautiful. In every aspect. Todd’s relationship with his brother, Neil’s relationship with his dad, Keating’s relationship with his past self and his desire to help the students figure out who they want to be. The boys growing a bond with him, caring about each other like family, learning to appreciate the little things in life. How each of the Dead Poets, despite walking into it all as something of a joke, slowly develop and understanding of why these things are important. The way Mr Keating helps Neil to chase his dreams and pursue acting, the way he helps Todd overcome his anxiety little by little. He inspires each and every boy in the class in different ways, and learns just as much from them as they do from him. Neil, Todd, Charlie, Knox, Meeks, Pitts, and even Cameron all inspire each other in ways they never knew they could.
I relate so much to many of the characters, and whenever I read or watch Dead Poets Society I feel a deep connection to them in both their joy and their pain. I can never hear carpe diem, 598, Walt Whitman, desk set, madman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or “yawp” again without getting emotional. I know I have a habit of getting attached to fictional characters very quickly, but this is probably the easiest it’s ever been for me to find comfort in guys who don’t exist. The whole story captures both the light and the dark in such beautiful ways. The way Neil keeps his crown on when he shoots himself is such amazing author’s craft. To me, it represents him being himself, being defiant—knowing that if he’s going out, he’s going out as the Neil Perry HE wants to be, not his father. Todd’s father referring to him as 598 is so awful, but it’s special to me because it shows how sometimes you feel like you’ll never be enough, no matter how hard you try. I started crying pretty much on the spot when I read the words, “You know what Dad called me when I was growing up? ‘Five ninety-eight.’ That’s what all the chemicals in the human body would be worth if you bottled them raw and sold them. He told me that was all I’d ever be worth unless I worked every day to improve myself. Five ninety-eight”.
My poor baby Todd…out of all the characters, I think I relate to him the most, and when I read this(the 598 thing), I saw it as a manifestation my—or OUR—feelings of inadequacy. All our anxieties of not being good enough compacted into 3 little digits.
When I look at Pittsie, I see a boy with so much to say but so little chance to say it. He seems so quiet on the outside, but there’s so much about him he’d love you to know about. That’s where Meeks comes in.
He’s like that one friend you’re so grateful for because you feel like he’s the one guy who can truly understand you as a person. The whole you. We don’t get to see to much of their friendship, but I love it so, so much.
Another character; Knox, always trying to prove to Chris—to everyone, to himself—that he’s good enough for her. That he’s good enough for SOMEONE. And even though he does make mistakes, like kissing her while she was asleep at that party, he still does try, still loves her deeply and just wants her to know it. Even if he isn’t always the best at showing it right.
Charlie, always loud and boisterous. He just wants people to like him, to think he’s funny. He does seem kind of annoying, but many people use this type of personality to cope; if they’re loud and fun on the outside, maybe they will be on the inside too. That probably sounds so corny but I don’t really care he’s my baby.
Cameron. He’s so hated on by the fandom for being “disloyal” to Mr Keating, but I will always defend him. Think about it: Mr Keating is about to get fired for something that Cameron can’t technically control, and you expect him to put his spot at Welton in jeopardy because of it? While it would have been nice if he stood up for Mr Keating, it’s not his responsibility. Sometimes, you feel like you need to do the SMART thing, not the “right” thing. I relate to him because I also constantly do things I’m not proud of in order to keep myself afloat. It wasn’t his fault that Mr Keating got fired and he shouldn’t be blamed when he couldn’t stop it from happening anyways.
This brings me to the conclusion. The whole message of the story is beautiful(i’ve lost count of how many times i said beautiful lol), it teaches you to do what your heart desires, to chase after your dreams, to live like there’s no tomorrow. Because as the Dead Poets have shown us, there’s a chance there won’t be.