Dead Poets Society Transcendentalism Analysis - 1168 Words

Dead poet’s society was filmed through the eyes of transcendentalism using Emerson’s philosophy, as seen in walden. The film deals with a group of young men who attend a very strict boarding school and the english teacher who gives them a new perspective on everything, the damaging effects of conformity, beautiful sense of nature, and emphasis of simplicity and individuality are shown in many elements throughout Dead Poet’s Society and are ultimately highlighted by emerson and thoreau’s philosophies, making the overall concept of transcendentalism understood. _________ One of the main characters of the film Neil Perry, an overachieving, good natured young man who is unwillingly committed to the academic career of a doctor due to his very†¦show more content†¦The boys had a different idea: they refer to the school as â€Å"Hellton† and the four pillars as travesty, horror, decadence, and excrement. Neil Perry was not the only one to face challenges at â€Å"Hellton.† the majority of the boys did. The students at Welton Academy were under immense pressure that was placed upon them by their parents, the staff, and/or both. After attending a few of Mr. Keating’s classes, the boys began to show their true colors. Neil Perry became the leader and enforced all of Mr. Keating’s teachings, Todd Anderson was able to break out of his shell, Knox Overstreet unveiled his hopeless romantic persona, and Charlie Dalton was fearless in exploring poetry. Emerson once said, â€Å"We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of the divine idea which each of us represented† (Self - Reliance). Here, Emerson is portraying the fear and dawdle the boys showed when asked to dispatched their dutiful ways and do things they actually enjoy. One of the many principles of Transcendentalism is the pledge to â€Å"make your own way† and the boys eventually grow ill of alwa ys knuckling under, so they shed their skin in order for their true selves to emerge. Although transcendentalism is primarily viewed as straying from tradition, the element of nature and the simplicity that comes along with it are also very salient. Emerson believed that natureShow MoreRelatedLessons On Nonconformity In Peter Weirs Dead Poets Society907 Words   |  4 Pagesintellectuals? This is the challenge that Mr. Keating in faces as he begins his first year teaching at an all-boys prep school. In Dead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir, Mr. Keating helps many of his students, including Todd Anderson and Neil Perry, break free from their conventional morals and begin to take their lives into their own hands. This philosophy, called Transcendentalism, establishes the individual as the most intellectual. 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