[Review] Dead Poets Society

✨ O' Captain! My Captain! ✨

📚 Dead Poets Society by Nancy H. Kleinbaum

⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

🏹 Genre: Coming of Age, Drama

🎯 For fans of: Thought-provoking ideas, rebellion, a story that will make you cry

Before I start, I need to give you all a spoiler alert!! I will be discussing and assessing many components of the book that will eventually lead to spoilers.

If you do not wish to read the spoilers, click here to skip to 🔎 A Journalistic Take:

🔎 Synopsis --

Dead Poets Society, written by N.H. Kleinbaum is a novel based on the film's screenplay. This book is set at Welton Academy for boys in 1959.

This story follows a group of students as they meet their eccentric English teacher, Mr Keating– a fun-loving soul, who promotes the notion of individualism in a society that denies it to ridiculous extents.

I watched the movie first and thought it was a masterpiece. Naturally, when I learned that there was a novel, I almost felt like it was essential for me to pick it up. After having watched the movie as well as read the book, this question arose: Was the novel better or less developed than the movie, or was it nothing more than a carbon copy of the screenplay?

What I Loved

✔ Powerful Themes – This book explores many themes like the importance of individuality, non-conformity and free-thinking through the impact of passionate teaching. For example, the message, "Carpe Diem", is a highly inspiring slogan.

✔ Inspiring Characters – This book made me cry due to the deep emotion and reflection it evoked in me.

✔ Highly Thought-provoking – Who truly caused Neil Perry's death?

✔ Symbols – Charlie Dalton changing his name to Nuwanda.

What Didn’t Work for Me

❌ Controversial ideas – This novel romanticises rebellion without stating much of the real consequences, which could influence or exacerbate overly glamourised views of rebellion, leading to legal or criminal issues in certain circumstances. This led to a lot of controversy around this book.

❌ Shallow Storyline – This book was written as an adaptation of the movie. However, this book was basically just a written copy of the show, lacking any depth or background details.

❌ Knox and Chris's Relationship – I do not think that Knox felt love for Chris— rather, this “love” he felt was purely lust.

I am thrilled to share my thoughts on this book. Let's start with the positive sides of things first.

Powerful Themes

This book explores many themes, such as the cruciality of individuality, non-conformity and free thinking through the impact of passionate teaching. The message, "Carpe Diem", or "Seize the day" in English, is an inspiring slogan used to effectively communicate this core idea central to the story, serving as a powerful reminder to actively live each day while filled with passion for life. 

Inspiring characters

This book made me cry. It evokes deep emotion and promotes reflection over controversial issues, ranging from the romanticisation of rebellion, oppression of the youth, or even gender roles in the society, whether past or present.

Highly Thought-provoking

This book gives me a lot to think about. For example, who caused Neil Perry's death? Many people would say it was his oppressive father's fault. However, the inciting incident took its roots in his performance in the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Mr Keating was the one who encouraged his students to "Seize the day," and as such, inspired Neil to actively seize the opportunity to act. In my opinion, Mr. Keating should have provided guidance on how to navigate problems that may arise from this his life philosophy he shared with his students, instead of simply encouraging his students to break free from societal norms. His teaching made his students think that their actions had no consequences. Thus, Neil joining the play without his father's consent would have been influenced by Keating's teaching. Neil's defiance would have been perceived as outright disrespect in Mr Perry's eyes. When tied to how this oppressiveness was also prominent in Welton Academy, suffocating individuality and self-expression creates an overwhelming atmosphere that places further pressure on the characters in the book. Thus, Mr Keating, who draws such a sharp dichotomy to this world, served as a sort of escape away from it, a small indicator and motif of bliss, pleasure, passion, and individuality. However, this high focus on rebellion against typical society conventions that are presented in the book leads to severe consequences, such as Neil’s death. Neil had only pursued theatre under the influence of Mr Keating, so to some moral extent, Mr Keating could have been responsible as a factor leading to his suicide. In order to understand this, it would be of critical importance to understand the significance of Neil’s action. It was an act of defiance against the oppression, whether from his Father or from the school, that was set upon him. His future had been set in stone for him for his entire life. By taking back his power and autonomy in his decision-making by actively choosing to make the decision, directed by his own agency, to end his life, he defies the oppression that he faced in the world that constantly controlled his self-identity. It was a retaliation against the world, reclaiming back and instituting his individuality in society – an act of rebellion against conventions in the desperate grab for self-expression, which Keating so often promoted towards his students. One might also argue that if it hadn't been for Mr. Perry's rejection of Neil's dreams, Neil wouldn't have felt compelled to end his life over this matter. This situation resembles the chicken or egg dilemma, which lacks a definitive answer. In my opinion, the incident was caused by Mr Perry, Mr Keating, and Neil. Firstly, if Mr Keating had provided his students with more guidance on how to be individualistic safely, Neil might have consulted his father and Mr Perry may not have experienced such a terrible shock, complete with the deep layer of tragedy. Secondly, if Mr Perry had been more open to Neil's future career aspirations and had not already laid out a carefully paved path for him, Neil would not have felt so trapped and would likely not have resorted to taking his own life as a means of escape from the overwhelming reality he faced. Lastly, if Neil had not been so hasty, this entire incident could have been prevented. Had he taken a moment to reflect before rushing into the audition, he might have considered the fact that withholding this information from his father could lead to other consequences. Given Mr Perry's reaction to his son's death, it is evident that he cared deeply for Neil and was only trying to do what he believed was right. If Neil had slowed down to have continual open conversations with his father, this whole debacle could possibly have been avoided. However, it is clear that Neil had already attempted to communicate his dreams to his father, only to have them dismissed. Consequently, Neil felt there was no point in trying to talk to his father again. There are two ways in which we can look at Neil's suicide. It can be seen as an escape from the oppression of society, or it can be viewed as an act of defiance.

Symbols

Charlie Dalton's changing his name to Nuwanda is highly significant in the book. The name Nuwanda is derived from Indigenous origins.

Let's compare 1950s America with an old indigenous tribe.

In the 1950s, American society idealised social conformity. "A sense of uniformity pervaded American society. Conformity was common, as young and old alike followed group norms rather than striking out on their own." (The Culture of the 1950s) This represented what Charlie was expected to do by societal normality. When Charlie changed his name to Nuwanda, this served as a means to break free from this oppressive society, since Nuwanda is an eccentric and unconventional name. He thus sought to break away from the idea of conformation, and instead embrace esotericism. He most probably admired the collectiveness of indigenous tribes. These tribes valued collectivist cultures, meaning that there is a lack of hierarchy, which contrasts with the society in which he was living at the present, in which it was rather individualistic, and in which a sharp hierarchy was established, thus segregating people into different groups, juxtaposing with this idea of collectiveness as promoted by these indigenous tribes. Names are means of self identity. By choosing something so unconventional as his name, it reflects his core desire for his self identity to be reflected as something eccentric, away from that idea of conformity as presented by the American society, thus underscoring the deep impact Mr Keating had on him.

However, 

Some aspects of the story were not to my liking.

Controversial Ideas

This novel romanticises rebellion without real consequences which led to a lot of controversy around this book. Mr Keating teaches his students to “seize the day”. He idealises individualism and free-thinking. But we must remember that this was set in 1959, a time in which breaking away from societal norms was rejected and looked down upon. Authorial figures such as Mr Perry (Neil’s father) and Mr Nolan (Welton Academy’s Principal) are seen as oppressive and  Mr Keating’s lessons teach the boys to go against these figures, which eventually leads to conflict. Keating glorifies rebellion and makes it seem that rebellion is the key to success. But do we really need to rebel in order to grow? Or does rebellion eventually lead to recklessness, and thus to deeper consequences?

Shallow Storyline

This book was written as an adaptation of the movie. However, this was basically just a written copy of the show, lacking any depth or much background details.

Knox and Chris's Relationship

In the novel, Knox is portrayed as a boy obsessed and infatuated with a beautiful girl. The only memorable thing about his personality is his "love" for Chris. However, I do not think that Knox felt love for Chris -- rather, the deep feeling he felt was indeed lust. The only thing he would say about her is how beautiful she is. He only ever said materialistic and shallow things about her, but never went in-depth into her personality or other factors that deep, true love consisted of. When they first met, Knox made it seem like it had been love at first sight. However, could Knox really have been feeling love? He fell in love with Chris's appearance rather than her personality. He did not spend any time getting to know her, just lamenting on and on about how in love he was with her and how pretty she looked. Furthermore, he outright sexually assaulted her at Chet's party. What kind of man would do that to a woman he was in love with? His actions displayed a lack of respect for boundaries and an incapability for self-restraint.  In the end, Knox and Chris got together. Maybe Chris forgot that Knox had groped her while she was making out with her boyfriend. I don't know, but I don't think that should have happened. 

To some degree, however, Knox’s actions could have been influenced by Mr Keating. Mr Keating actively promoted the use of passion in life, rightfully so. However, Knox’s actions and desperate pining for Chris, who already had a boyfriend, could be interpreted as a result of lust, which to some degree, is passion as well. Since it is an obvious fact that the boys in the class had taken a much more rebellious approach to life after Mr Keating’s teachings, then it can be inferred that Knox’s passion/lust for Chris was mildly influenced by Mr Keating as well, which poses forth the controversial question of the extents of the influence of passion on various areas of life.

🔎 A Journalistic Take:

🌍 Impact of Dead Poets Society on the world

How is society in the Dead Poets Society different from society now?

The Role of Women

I understand that this book is about the journey and development of a group of teenage boys. However, all the female characters in the book are portrayed as stereotypical love interests with no real substance to their character besides their looks. Chris is only shown as a figure that Knox wants to pursue. He emphasises her pretty face and good figure, hardly ever mentioning anything about her personality, showing how women are only seen for what they are on the outside rather than on the inside. This reflects what women were viewed as in that time and society, and exacerbates the shallow view of women that may already exist in society. The two girls Charlie Dalton invites to a meeting are shown as stereotypical good-for-nothing bimbos. One of them is described as a "pretty blonde girl" and the other is a "brunette with a plain face." Notice how everything is focused on their looks? It is also shown that Charlie takes a greater interest in the blonde than in the brunette, presumably because of her looks, which insinuates and reflects the priority he takes on physical appearance rather than other factors like personality or intelligence. He recites the well-known poems, saying that he had composed them specially for the two girls. The two girls are gullible and believe his lies, displaying how women are shown to have a lack of intellect, tying into the theme of gender discrimination.

This brings up important questions, which directly relate to the nature of society.

Why does feminism exist? When did gender discrimination start and why? The basis of human desire would be attributed to the desire for power, which could lead to the oppression of another group they feel to be inferior. See, if everyone were seen to be equal, where would hierarchy be? There would be a lack of power disparity, which disrupts order (take into account the government system that exists in the world today), affecting the function of humankind as a general society. Compare this to the concept of viewing that others are superior to you; it does not undermine one's own worth. By dictating oppression, we feel as if we have a higher degree of autonomy than others, even though we don't actually hold this amount of agency.

Now that the context is set, we can directly address the question of the stemming of misogyny and humanitarian rights. So where does it stem from? The origin can be attributed back to fragile masculinity. But what results from this concept? Is it insecurity? Did one species' insecurity impact another species' rights and other people's thoughts on them? Despite this seemingly condescending tone toward men, the insecurity that some of them may face is not entirely their fault. Even in the past, the idea of "manning up" or not to "be a girl," has been drilled into them such that it becomes almost instinctual. These statements are made to mock them when they express their vulnerability. Thus, it is a society that shapes what men are seen as and expected to be. This influences their thoughts and actions, eventually leading to the oppression of females because of this insecurity and the need to be superior to others. More than anything else, this is a societal issue that society itself needs to address.

The Influence of Parental Figures

Neil Perry's father is the most prominent parental figure in this book. He is portrayed as an oppressive and assertive man, which in turn served as a factor in Neil's story to symbolise how close he was constantly to that very idea of oppression, and what a deep relationship they hold to each other, creating an overwhelming atmosphere since the very man that who was meant to guide him an act conversely as a symbol of hope and guidance instead sought to dictate his very life. This deep relationship makes it seem even harder for Neil to escape oppression, and thus makes Mr Keating all the more starkly crucial to the story as a symbol of that hope Neil has been waiting for.

Education and Conformity

In the past, conformity to societal expectations and structure was valued to a high extent. In modern society, critical thinking and individualistic views are valued.

What are the aspects explored in Dead Poets Society that are still applicable to the world today? How can they be improved to a greater extent?

Final Thoughts

The Dead Poets Society is a highly thought-provoking and heartbreaking novel. It made me feel many different emotions at once.

Frustration, Melancholy, Euphoria -- it was a blend of these ideas that gave life to this strong emotion that I hold towards this book, far too complex for me to encapsulate into trivial words alone.

Credits

Article written by Fong Min Xuan and Kirsten Lee

https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/2018-07/92003.pdf

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1354067X18763799#:~:text=To%20begin%20with%2C%20members%20of,relationships%2C%20both%20natural%20and%20symbolic.

https://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/postwar-america/the-culture-of-the-1950s.php#:~:text=During%20the%201950s%2C%20a%20sense,over%2C%20traditional%20roles%20were%20reaffirmed.

💬 Was Dead Poet's Society a beautiful coming-of-age, inspirational story or is it more than anything else, a highly controversial piece? Let’s discuss! ⬇️