Theme Of Challenge In Dead Poets Society

Challenge will never cease to exist, though we may forget about it. From the very first minutes of Dead Poets Society, Mr Nolan’s expectations of “great things” are clearly imposed only Neil. Weir highlights the omnipresent nature of challenge, by centralising these sequences around challenge, before the full plot and settings have been fleshed out. With his father (Mr Perry) pushing for him to get into “medical school”, Neil appears to be well conditioned with the constant pressures of challenge, expressing how he “won’t disappoint” the authorities. In his very next encounter with Mr Perry, Neil simply accepts he cannot “dispute” those in authority, especially Mr Perry, and will do as he “tell(s) him”. Neil’s hasty recovery from being scolded in front of him

friends, emphasises Neil’s experience of being challenged. By placing 2 such scenes in such a narrow period, Weir reinforces the idea that challenge is a constant force.

Towards the middle of the film, Neil receives the job as Puck in the school play, and then almost naturally commences to forging a permission note. When Todd states Neil is “crazy” to do such an act, Neil dismisses the point and instead commences the forging and laughing. By juxtaposing Todd’s careful personality to Neil’s recklessness (a trait which has been built up by constant exposure to challenge) and placing the sequence towards the centre of the film, Weir conveys the ease in which challenges are forgotten, even if we are being reminded. During Mr Perry and Neil’s final argument, Mr Perry continues to dish out challenges, the high camera angles on Neil demonstrate his powerlessness against these. He then reminds Neil how he is “gonna be a doctor”, a line foreshadowed by Mr Perry’s earlier remark about Neil getting into medicine. By defying his father for a moment, but then commencing to acceptance, Weir reveals how Neil has ultimately not changed much at all. Through Neil’s somewhat lacking changes, Weir reveals to the audience how challenge never ceases, even appearing cyclical to a

point. By forgetting this fact, we may face dire repercussions, as Neil eventually had to answer to.

Challenge demands self-discovery, change and growth. Coming in brand new into Welton Academy, with “big shoes to fill”, Todd is possibly challenged to perform academically, more than any other character. Dead Poets Society accentuates his quiet persona through the lack of dialogue, and juxtaposition to the louder personalities of others. The confliction between the expectation of being “that Anderson”, and Todd’s apprehensive charisma continues throughout the film. In numerous cases, where he is invited to join his friends (Dead Poets Society, study groups etc.), Todd does not “want to do it”, and prefers independence. Weir then demonstrates the power of discovery and exploration, overhauling Todd’s personality in a single encounter. By “free(ing) up” Todd’s mind, and helping Todd unlock his “imagination”, Mr Keating truly inspires the exploration of the unknown. This dramatic change is symbolised through the dynamic camera rotating around the two subject, blurring the background, as if nothing else matters. Dead Poets Society immediately follows up Todd’s realisation of the “truth”, with the victory of a soccer match, with the winning goal scored by Mr Keating, further highlighting just how important self-discovery is. Consequentially, Todd manages to overcome his biggest challenge, not of performing academically, but a self-created one of confidence. This is especially evident in the final scene of the movie, where Todd refuses to “sit down”, with authority and expectations no longer able to contain him. The high point of view shot following soon after, further reinforces the shift of power. Through the exemplum of Todd, Weir portrays just how much the process of overcoming a challenge can change one’s personality. All it takes is a single source of inspiration for us to discover ourselves, drastically changing our personality, and helping us grow, ready for a new challenge.