Engelsk B
Book review: Dead Poets Society
Marianne Breving
2.a
Morten Kristensen
Book review:”Dead Poets Society”
Summary
The story starts in the chapel of Welton Academy. Welton Academy is a very
traditional New England boarding school for boys only. The school has four
word that describes the schools principales;”honor, tradition, excellence and
disciplin”. In the chapel we meet seven boys, Neil Perry, Todd Anderson, Knox
Overstreet, Charlie, Cameron, Meeks and Pitts. In the chapel we also meet
their new English teacher Mr. Keating.
In Keating’s first class he tells the students to call him “O Captain, my
Captain”. His lessons are very different from the Welton standards. At Welton
Academy the teaching is old fashioned and follows the above mentioned
principals. Mr. Keating teaches them to have their own opinions and be
independent students. He introduces them to the idea “carpe diem”, which
means seize the day.
The boys find out that Mr. Keating has graduated from Welton Academy many
years ago. He was the founder of the poetry club “Dead Poets Society”. The
members of this club met outside the school and took turn reading poetry. The
boys decide to re-establish the club. Todd Anderson is a very shy boy, and is
not happy about the idea, but Perry talks him into it, by promising him that he
only has to listen.
The boys meet the same night, and a lot of other nights, in the original Dead
Poets Society cave and read poetry.
Mr. Keating understands that Todd has a big problem and one day at school he
forces him to read an unprepared poem in front of the class. In this way Todd
gets clear of his shyness.
One of the members in the club, Perry, has a hard time. His father won’t let
him do anything but study. He wants him to become a doctor. Perry wants to
have fun, and one day he decides to participate in a play. He gets the main
character.
The day before the show night Perry’s father shows up at the school. He won’t
let him participate in the play and Perry promises not to play. When the father
leaves Perry turn to Mr. Keating to get help. Mr. Keating urges Perry to tell his
father about his dream and wishes.
21-09-2007
1/3
Engelsk B
Book review: Dead Poets Society
Marianne Breving
2.a
Morten Kristensen
Perry is afraid to tell his father about it, but he won’t give up the play. Later
that night he plays the play with success. But in the last scene his father shows
up, and after the play he escorts him home.
At home his father tells him that he won’t be able to go to Welton any more,
but in stead he forces him to join the military. This statement despairs him so
much, that he can’t find any other solution that commit suicide.
When the members of the Dead Poets Society find out that Perry is dead they
all know that the father is the reason. The school management blames Mr.
Keating. If he hasn’t urged the boys to have a different view of life, then Perry
had participated in the play. The management fires Mr. Keating, and he will
never be able to teach again.
In an English class (which is overtaken by the principal, Mr. Nolan), Keating
interrupts to pick up his personal things. Todd, the shy boy, suddenly stands
up at the desk and shouts “O Captain, my Captain”, to honor Mr. Keating.
Almost all the other student follow suit.
Time, place, theme
I think the story takes place in the late 1950s, because of the punishment and
the way they talk to their teachers and parents. When Charlie puts an article in
the School paper about having girls at Welton, he gets a punishment by the
principal. He gets an unknown number of slashes in bottom. They speak to
their teacher with “sir”. I don’t believe this is standard to day in an American
boarding school.
The whole story takes place at Welton Academy in New England. Welton
Academy is a very disciplined and traditional boarding school.
The theme of the book is learning to break old habits, and to get own opinions.
Mr. Keating introduces the boys to carpe diem. He wants them to seize the day
and to stand up for their own opinions and wishes.
Persons
Neil Perry:
Neil Perry is a teenage boy, who is very oppressed by his father. Perry wants
to do all other things but study. His father wants him to become a doctor, but
Perry finds out that he rather will be an actor. Neil is very friend, for example
when he talks the other boys to let Todd be a member in the “Dead Poets
Society” without reading poetry. When his father withdraws him from Welton
Academy, Perry gets so despaired that he commits suicide.
21-09-2007
2/3
Engelsk B
Book review: Dead Poets Society
Marianne Breving
2.a
Morten Kristensen
Todd Anderson:
Todd Anderson is also a teenage boy. He is very shy and lives in the shadow of
his very famous brother. Todd just wants to be on his own. He breaks his
shyness when Mr. Keating forces him to read a poem in front of the class. After
that day Todd is more outgoing and participates in a lot of activities. In the end
Todd honors Mr. Keating, by standing on his desk shouting “O Captain, my
Captain”.
Mr. Keating:
Mr. Keating is a former student from Welton Academy, who has come back to
teach English. Mr. Keating teaches in a very different way than the Welton
Academy standards. He teaches the boys to be individualists. The boys like Mr.
Keating and his way of teaching. They think that he is right. Mr. Keating is kept
responsible for Perry’s suicide, because he taught him to think on his own and
to do the things that he liked.
Dead Poets Society
The seven club members in “Dead Poets Society” are very alike. They reestablish the club and read poetry in the old cave. All of the members break
free, and do things that they wouldn’t have done without Mr. Keating’s
guidance.
Judgment
The book is in my opinion a very good book. The things Mr. Keating teaches
the boys are things that we to day takes for granted. In our school we learn to
be independent and to have our own opinion. At Welton Academy the standard
is that all persons are alike and all have to follow the principals.
I do also think that a big part of the book is unnecessary to understand the
main theme in the book. For example are many of the lessons you hear about
unnecessary. I also think that it is unnecessary with all these persons (Knox,
Charlie, Cameron, Pitts and Meeks). You could settle for about two or three
persons.
21-09-2007
3/3