The Macguffin In Dead Poets Society

The movie Dead Poets Society is a classic that incorporates many film forms throughout its over two hour runtime. The story follows a group of teenage boys through their senior year at a prestigious preparatory school. This close knit group of friends becomes inspired to delve into the world of literature, particularly poetry, by their unorthodox English teacher, Mr. Keating. They all learn valuable lessons about going against the status quo, and in turn have their lives changed forever. It is the opinion of some that the most important film form present within Dead Poets Society is the use of a MacGuffin. Within Dead Poets Society, the MacGuffin is actually the dead poets society, which can be seen through its motivation of characters despite its near irrelevance to the actual narrative.

The MacGuffin within Dead Poets Society is the dead poets society itself. The first part of the definition is that the MacGuffin is a secret that has vital importance to the characters. The dead poets society is certainly a secret vital to the characters, as it defines many of the characters’ actions. Throughout the movie, each of the boys aspires to live up to the reputation of the original dead poets society. They strive towards the ideals of individuality, secrecy, and freedom, all represented by the dead poets. The idea of the dead poets society pushes the boys to live to the fullest and seize the day. For example, it instills Knox Overstreet with the courage to chase an impossible love, and provides Neil Perry with the inspiration to pursue acting. Although the dead poets society is important for the characters, and it guides many of their actions, it’s not what the story is truly