#thomas perry

Because Neil’s father was the sweaty toothed madman

Because Thomas Perry was the one who reached out and choked Neil, chocked him off of life all while mumbling truth- the truth of what he thought was right for Neil.

And in the end, Neil’s feet were left cold, by the blanket of happiness he could never fully achieve.

And he pushed at it, he really tried. He stretched it, it was never enough. And oh no matter how hard he kicked at it, how desperately he beat at it, it never covered him fully.

Now, from the moment he entered the world without his consent, to the moment he chose to leave it again, this time in his full will, the blanket of happiness- the smile he always put on for his friends- covered his face as Neil wailed and cried and screamed for a way out. And no one noticed until it was too late.

This wasn’t JUST Neil falling in love officially. This was the moment he realised what his life had become and how it was about to end.

These scenes are parallels. We have the poets sitting more or less in the same positions, and Todd where Neil sat, and Charlie and Neil smoking vs Charlie and Todd smoking (hourglass plot save me…). Someone tries to blow the smoke away when they hear someone coming, and the one that comes is Mr Perry/Cameron (who their anger is directed towards. In the first scene, Charlie is angry at Mr Perry, in the second scene, Charlie is angry at Cameron). Charlie just standing there, not doing anything vs Charlie fighting with Cameron and throwing a punch. Todd just standing there not talking (not to Mr Perry, not to the poets) vs Todd talking. The beginning vs the end.

(They also sit like that while in the cave)

The many sexual references. References to boobs, to sex, to virgins, to naked bodies, one that I interpret as a dick reference, and even non sexual scenes like kissing. In a time period such as the 50s where sexuality was pretty conservative, and specially in Welton which was somehow even more conservative and sexless (it was an all-boys school, so no heterosexual sex, and obviously gay sex was forbidden), this many mentions are rare. Sexuality was very restricted, and yet the poets talk about it freely, and so does mr keating. Another way he’s liberating them, just like taking them out of class to teach (taking them out of closed spaces) this sex references are also a way of helping them be free.

The “tradition” banner being visible in this scene (and the clock, and white and black pictures of students I think, reminiscent of Keating’s first lesson)

The term “madman” appears before, Todd didn’t just pull it out of thin air. While they’re in the cave telling stories, they mention a madman.

“the face of a demented madman” -Neil

“and there's a madman on the-” -Cameron

It makes me think than Todd saw Walt Whitman, associated him to poetry, and when thinking of poetry that night at the cave was what first came to him. That’s so cute ngl.

Since we talked about Neil/Todd and Charlie smoking just now, Charlie smokes a lot, Neil smokes since the first scene (it’s only him and Charlie the ones smoking). I’m talking cigarette, not pipe. Neil’s mom is a smoker (one thing he has in common with her, alongside not really having a voice when his dad is concerned. Neil and his mom…), but so is Todd’s! A little similarity with Neil’s parents and Todd’s, quiet smoker mom and dad that does the aggressive talking.

Oh and these scenes right here? Parallels

Can you see in the second picture how there are two gaps? One for Neil and one for Cameron? :)