Mr Keating was not to blame for the Death of Neil Perry - Discuss.

Robert Struk

Mr Keating was not to blame for the Death of Neil Perry. Discuss

Mr Keating was not to blame for Neil’s death, however he may have contributed a little to the events that lead to Neil’s suicide. Mr Keating taught the students to think for themselves and open their minds to very different thoughts and ideas. He opened up Neil’s mind and passion for acting, which was strictly against his father’s wishes. However, the main factor that lead to Neil’s suicide was his father. His unwillingness to see things through Neil’s perspective caused Neil to feel like he had no other option but to kill himself. Suicide was his way of trying to gain control and stand up to his father. These little factors contributed to his death, but no one else is responsible but Neil because he was responsible for his own actions.

Mr Keating had many different teaching methods. He encouraged the boys to think for themselves and to seize the day. Mr Keating told them to live everyday to the fullest because it may be their last. Not only did he teach them that they shouldn't act like anyone else, he also taught them that they should live their own lives. Keating taught them the great lesson of living your life for yourself, and not for anyone else. Neil was inspired by Mr Keating and was driven by Romanticism to be an actor, which in turn lead to the reality of his world, which would be impossible due to his reluctant father. Neil had a passion for acting that his father disapproved of. His father had his whole life planned out for him, and the way he wanted Neil’s life to be. It didn't matter to him what Neill wanted, he was forcing him to live his dream, instead of his own. Neil couldn't deal with the idea that to give up acting was to quit playing the roles that he lived everyday, and so he killed himself because he “realized that he had not lived”. The only reason why Mr Keating was blamed for Neil’s death is because the school needed a scapegoat. Keating sacrificed what he had for his students but he taught the boys some of life's most important lessons. Some of life's most valuable lessons are taught in places where we would least expect it. Keating taught the boys so much more then poetry. He wasn't only a teacher, but he was a friend to them, and he touched each and every one of them.

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Mr Perry contributed the most to Neil’s death. He did not let Neil follow his passion for acting, but instead told him that he was going to be a doctor or lawyer. After that he could do as he wished, but until then Neil had to live under his father’s rules. The role of Mr Perry was that he was trying to live out his dreams through his son. Neil’s father was very controlling and left Neil feeling hopeless. Mr Perry put extreme pressure on his son, but Neil never stood up for himself and told his father what he wanted. He had plenty of opportunities to do so, but he felt he couldn't. Neil’s suicide was just his way of taking the easy way out. Instead of trying to gain control of his life, he ended up sacrificing his life and was left with nothing. In one way, Mr Perry was just being a typical parent and was very concerned about Neil's future. He obviously cared deeply for Neil and wanted him to succeed. He wanted Neil to have many opportunities that he never had. Neil did not realise that his father was just trying to do what was best for him. His father was paying all this money to send Neil to this great school to prepare him for college, and Neil, out of nowhere decided he didn’t want to go to college, but he wanted to act. He felt Neil was just throwing away everything so he could be an actor, which may not have lasted very long. He feared Neil would be then left stranded with nowhere to turn to.

Neil realized that it was his own life and he was in the centre of it. His dad had control over him and Neil was too afraid to stand up to him. The only thing Neil fell victim to was his own passions. Suicide was Neil’s personal choice and no one but Neil made him kill himself. Neil never really stood up to his father. There were times he tried, like when Mr Perry told Neil he should drop some extracurricular activities, but it was only when his friends were around him. Even at the very end, when the two confronted each other right before Neil committed suicide, Neil still could not face his father. He specifically asked Neil what he wanted, and Neil couldn't answer him. If Neil gave him an answer his father may have been more understanding.

In the end Neil was a coward and took the easy way out of a difficult situation. Neil chose to commit suicide because of the pressure from his father who wanted to live out his dreams through his son. The Romantics and Realist don’t realise its not each other’s fault, but Neil’s. Suicide was his way of trying to gain control and stand up to his father. Neil only thought about suicide after the confrontation with his dad. He was always obedient to his father's wishes, but he wanted to know more about himself. Acting was something he could do for himself and something that he enjoyed and allowed him to explore what he was able to accomplish. Had Mr Perry been less concerned with Neil becoming a doctor and more concerned with his son's success in his own field, then Neil would have certainly lived an enjoyable life.