Stereotypes In Dead Poets Society

The film Dead Poets Society (1989) is about an English teacher, by the name of John Keating, who is new to an all boy’s preparatory school Welton Academy. Keating uses unorthodox methods, which clash with the old traditions of Welton, to teach and connect with his students dealing with the pressures and values placed on them by their families and school. With his help, inspiration and guidance, two students Todd Anderson and Neil Perry, along with their classmates, learn to break from the norm to pursue their dreams and “seize the day”.

Dead Poets Society is an artistic interpretation of the communication theory “Generalized other”. As we grow and develop we learn to take on the roles, culture and values that society sets for us. We tend to accept the attitudes and perceptions of those that have the greatest influence on us; our families, friends, and in the case of Dead Poets Society, our teachers. The generalized other helps us figure out our behaviors and choices in any particular situation. It gives us a sense of who we are, and it helps us view ourselves in relation to others, and the students of Welton Academy were no exception.

Neil’s parents want him to have every advantage they did not have in life, so he is expected to get into medical school whether he wants to or not. Todd and Neil are both predestined for greatness all they have to do is figure out, with the help of Welton, how to achieve it. They know no life outside this generalized other bubble; they know what their parents expect of them, and to do otherwise would be going against the grain. That is, until the new teacher, Mr. Keating, arrives to teach them about individualism, dreams, and how to break free from the norms set by their parents and