How it relates to self-discovery:
Dead poets society relates to the area of self-discovery in many ways. Most people find out something about themselves through their experiences.
Among them, Neil Perry discovers that his real passion in life is acting and proceeds to land the role of Puck in a Midsummer Night's Dream at the local theater. He begins to weave a tangled web of deception by failing to inform his father, then lying to Mr. Keating when his father finds out and demands he quit the play. Feeling trapped, after his final performance and a standing ovation, he takes his own life.
The most important discovery made in the film was by Todd Anderson. Todd is painfully shy and terrified that what he says is insignificant and meaningless. This is particularly disturbing to him since he is repeatedly told that he has "big shoes to fill" being the younger brother of a former valedictorian. However, later in the film, Todd’s confidence was boosted by both Mr Keating and Neil. In one final scene, displaying the beauty of a balance between the two ideals, Todd is able to cry out to Mr. Keating, who stopped by the class to collect his belongings, "O Captain, my Captain!" Todd, who previously had no identity, contributed his verse to mankind, climbing to the top of his desk to salute his fallen teacher, who changed his life.
Techniques used:
The story is predominantly viewed through the eyes of Todd Anderson, a newcomer to Welton, and his roommate Neil Perry. The two boys are very different from each other. While Todd is particularly cautious and unsure about his future, Neil, on the other hand, is ambitious and full of passion. Both of them are strained by their family values. This is very important as the influence of Mr Keating and the Dead Poets Society can be clearly shown through them.
The film uses contrast to compare Mr Keating’s teaching and the other teachers. It has a run through the Latin class, chemistry class and trigonometry class. Which immediately creates the strict atmosphere. When the camera focused on the new English class, there was a dramatic change in atmosphere – to one more relaxed. When Mr Keating enters the class with a smile on his face, there is a clear contrast shown between him and the other teachers. This relates to self-discovery as it presents a new world to the students and implicitly suggests that this new teacher is going to change the students’ ideologies and thus their lives.
Comparing with prescribed text “What’s eating Gilbert Grape”:
Dead Poets Society is similar to the prescribed text “What’s eating Gilbert Grape” in many ways. Firstly, the main character’s discovery is made through a catalyst. In Dead Poets Society the characters, Todd Anderson and Neil Perry have made the self-discovery through Mr Keating. While in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”, Gilbert comes to a self-realization by the influence of Becky.
Both films are in some way tragedies. In Dead Poets Society, Todd Anderson did not only make the discovery all through Mr Keating. Through the death of his roommate Neil Perry, Todd gradually released himself from the pressure that has been given to him through both school and family. In “What’s eating Gilbert Grape”, Gilbert also freed himself from his past responsibilities through the death of Bonnie. Therefore, death in both films performed an important role for the protagonists to make their own discovery.
However, there is still one difference between to two texts. Though in the prescribed text, Gilbert was able to free himself totally from the past along with the changes of Endora, Todd is still locked in the constrained ideology of the school. Therefore, Dead Poets Society has a less perfect ending as What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
