In the opening to Walden, Thoreau states his intention to “live deliberately… [to] see if I could not learn what [life] had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived” (Thoreau 376). A key point of life is to live to the fullest, but that can be hard when one is not able to speak up for what is wanted. Throughout Dead Poets Society, characters experiment, much as Thoreau did, with living their lives for themselves and not for anyone else. One inspirational teacher, Mr. Keating, influences his students to take chances and believe in what they’re capable of, hoping for the best but ultimately making mistakes along the way. The film Dead Poets Society supports the transcendental belief that healthy and unhealthy relationships are essential to living a fulfilled life, and this is demonstrated through Neil Perry, Mr. Keating, and Todd Anderson.
Neil Perry is a very significant example of an unhealthy relationship in Dead Poets Society. Neil’s father is overly controlling to the point where he dictates his son’s life. The nature of the relationship is portrayed at the beginning of the film when Neil’s father pins him up against a wall upon discovering Neil had chosen to undertake additional extracurricular activities (Dead Poets Society). Neil wanted to act in a play so he forged his dad’s approval and as a result, he discovered that his passion was acting (Dead Poets Society). After Neil’s father dragged him out of the play and arrived home, he told him, “You’re going to go to Harvard and you’re gonna be a doctor” (Dead Poets Society).
Even when Neil is given an opportunity to speak up about what he really wants, he never actually follows through. When Neil’s father voiced his opinions on what he thought about Neil not sticking to just his studies, it shows the viewers just how controlling he can be when it comes to his son’s decisions. While watching the film viewers understand that the longer Neil’s at school, the more he wants to make decisions about his own life. The viewers are encouraged to not like Mr. Perry because of the unhealthy relationship he exhibits with Neil throughout the course of the film.
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An example of a healthy relationship would be Mr. Keating and Neil Perry. It all started when Neil found an old yearbook from when Mr. Keating was in school, he saw that a group called the Dead Poets Society existed once (Dead Poets Society). At a typical meeting, guys would sit in a circle and take turns reading poetry. Neil took it into his own hands to reform this association even when Mr. Keating told him to leave it alone (Dead Poets Society). Even though the students were not sure how to think of Mr. Keating where he first started teaching them, Neil ended up going to Mr. Keating more than anyone else for advice.
This was because of the support he gives to his students when it comes to the choices they want to make in their lives. This is proven when Neil says, “I just talked to my father. He’s making me quit the play at Henley Hall. Acting’s everything to me. But he doesn’t know!” (Dead Poets Society). Mr. Keating expresses to Neil about how he should stand up to his father about his dreams and desires. Instead of listening to what his dad wants him to do with his life (Dead Poets Society). Mr. Keating having such a personal conversation with Neil is showing the audience how he is more of a father figure than Neil’s actual father.
In the end, Neil doesn’t follow through with what Mr. Keating told him and because of that, Mr. Keating got blamed by the school for the death of Neil Perry (Dead Poets Society). Neil was shown that you don’t always have to listen to others when you want to do something, you can make decisions for yourself. The students, including Neil, are unsure of whether or not they should like Mr. Keating because of the nontraditional ways he teaches his class. This is a big reason that affects the way the boys begin a relationship with Mr. Keating as their teacher. Overall he really cares for his students and is trying to do what is best for them, while at the same time building a healthy relationship.
Todd Anderson and Neil Perry are a profound example of a healthy relationship. When Neil found out it was Todd’s birthday and his parents got him the same desk set as the year prior, it may look like Todd’s parents are very supportive, but instead they really just want Todd to be exactly like his older brother (Dead Poets Society). Neil realizes that Todd never actually wanted the desk set, so he convinced Todd to throw it off the bridge (Dead Poets Society). Neil teaches him that he can reject the way others think of him. When Neil took his own life, this meant that Todd would have to figure out how to be strong without him around. But even though Neil was gone, Todd continued to grow and overall succeed as an individual. Todd didn’t agree with the decision made about Mr. Keating getting fired and began to become more closed off now that Neil was no longer with him.
When Mr. Keating was packing up his things and getting ready to leave the class after being blamed for the death of Neil, Todd got up on his desk and yelled: “O captain, my captain” facing Mr. Keating (Dead Poets Society). At this moment Todd expresses his emotions not only to Mr. Keating but to the whole class. Todd grows from this and by the end of the film could stand up for his beliefs and have his own opinion. This led to the rest of the boys imitating Todd (Dead Poets Society). This showed how much the boys appreciate Mr. Keating and how they will continue to look at things from a different perspective even though he won’t be teaching them anymore. When Neil took his own life it displayed how that decision would end up affecting those close to him, especially Todd. Throughout the duration of the film, changes that Todd goes through with the help of Neil Perry are very evident.
Neil Perry, Mr. Keating, and Todd Anderson all show the transcendental idea of healthy & unhealthy relationships. If there’s any lesson to learn from this film, it would be that there’s only so many unhealthy relationships a person can take before they reach their breaking point. There’s more to life than dealing with people that bring you down. As Mr. Keating says, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” One must do what is possible to avoid this fate an any cost.
