Transformation of Neil Perry from Dead Poets Society
"… the point of conformity: the difficulty of maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others."(Keating) All of the characters struggle with maintaining their beliefs, however Neil Perry had the most difficult time. The combination of Neil's father and Mr. Keating caused Neil's anxiety.
Neil was not new to Welton that year like Todd, in fact he was well known and loved by his classmates. He comes from a family with concrete standards with little room for error, so being an only child just added more pressure for success. In the prior school years Neil was an image of what transcendentalists disliked. For example, at the beginning of the film he obeyed his father by quitting yearbook …show more content…
Nolan, the headmaster, introduced the new literature teacher, Mr. Keating. Little did he know all of what was to come from his teaching. In his very first class he takes the boys to the trophy case asking what they want their legacy to be, this implants a rebellious seed in Neil. One day Mr. Keating announces, "In my class, you will learn to think for yourselves again.You will learn to savor words and languages. No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." This speaks directly to Neil, due to his father always instructing him of what or what not he will do. The highly unorthodox teaching of Mr. Keating opens the eyes of Neil to the basis of transcendentalism. Neil has always had a leadership personality, so when he restarts the Dead Poets Society, he leads by example. He even tells shy Todd that he has to be all in or not in at all for the club, that scene represents a change in behavior on Neils part. From then on he auditions for a play, despite his father's wishes, and goes to a cave to read poetry, greatly unlike his conforming nature from before. Lastly not only does Neil lie, but he also disputes his father in order to keep his extracurricular activities, something completely out of his obedient
"… the point of conformity: the difficulty of maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others."(Keating) All of the characters struggle with maintaining their beliefs, however Neil Perry had the most difficult time. The combination of Neil's father and Mr. Keating caused Neil's anxiety.
Neil was not new to Welton that year like Todd, in fact he was well known and loved by his classmates. He comes from a family with concrete standards with little room for error, so being an only child just added more pressure for success. In the prior school years Neil was an image of what transcendentalists disliked. For example, at the beginning of the film he obeyed his father by quitting yearbook …show more content…
Nolan, the headmaster, introduced the new literature teacher, Mr. Keating. Little did he know all of what was to come from his teaching. In his very first class he takes the boys to the trophy case asking what they want their legacy to be, this implants a rebellious seed in Neil. One day Mr. Keating announces, "In my class, you will learn to think for yourselves again.You will learn to savor words and languages. No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." This speaks directly to Neil, due to his father always instructing him of what or what not he will do. The highly unorthodox teaching of Mr. Keating opens the eyes of Neil to the basis of transcendentalism. Neil has always had a leadership personality, so when he restarts the Dead Poets Society, he leads by example. He even tells shy Todd that he has to be all in or not in at all for the club, that scene represents a change in behavior on Neils part. From then on he auditions for a play, despite his father's wishes, and goes to a cave to read poetry, greatly unlike his conforming nature from before. Lastly not only does Neil lie, but he also disputes his father in order to keep his extracurricular activities, something completely out of his obedient