Dead Poets Society

The novel focuses on the junior class at Welton. Knox, Cameron, Todd, Neil, and Charlie go into Headmaster Nolan’s office to get assigned to extracurriculars, while Pitts and Meeks, two other juniors, wonder about the new kid, Todd. These extracurriculars are assigned based on the boy’s interests and strengths or educated guesses from the Headmaster. When Nolan gets to Todd, he tells him that he’s been placed in soccer. Todd “struggle[s] to say something, but the words just [won’t] come out” (11). He shakes all over and quietly tells Nolan that he’d prefer to row, and the words take every bit of strength he can muster. Nolan dismisses Todd and keeps him signed up for soccer.

When they get to the dorms, Neil and Todd discover that they are roommates this year. Todd quickly learns that Neil is a leader of their class and very popular. Their room is visited by all the boys who went to Nolan’s office with Neil earlier, as well as Pitts and Meeks. The boys discuss which summer school courses they took and tease Todd for being a newcomer, greeting him with “welcome to Hellton” (14). Suddenly, amid the laughter, Neil is surprised to hear a familiar voice. His father, Mr. Perry, is in the doorway.

Mr. Perry interrupts to tell Neil that he’s doing too many extracurriculars, so he’s removing him from his position on the school paper. Neil, who is the assistant editor, protests that he shouldn’t be forced to step down. Mr. Perry excuses the two of them and takes Neil outside the dorm room. He reprimands Neil for contradicting him in front of his classmates and reminds him that as long as he is under his care, Mr. Perry will be the one making the decisions.

After Mr. Perry leaves, Neil tries to hide that he’s upset about having to step down from the paper, but he isn’t able to keep it up for long. He “rip[s] off the school annual achievement pin from his blazer and hurl[s] it furiously at his desk.” The boys try to encourage the clearly upset Neil to stand up for himself more often. Neil reminds them how ironic their statement is since all of them are just as submissive with their own fathers. They don’t know what else to say, so they leave the room to let Neil have some peace.

Neil lays down on his bed, trying to let the anger subside. To distract himself, he watches Todd unpack, and notices Todd pull out a picture of his family. He observes that Todd is set apart from the rest of his family, “with them, but not really a part of them” (18). The next thing Todd sets up is “an engraved leather desk set” (18). As they finish unpacking, Neil asks Todd how he liked his father. Todd remarks, under his breath, that even with his faults, he prefers Mr. Perry over his own father. Neil can’t hear this comment, however, and the rest of their unpacking is done in silence.

The first day of class proves to be even more intense than Todd anticipated. Each class is more rigorous than the last, with loads of homework due from the start. The boys get through chemistry, Latin, and trigonometry before finally settling down in Mr. Keating’s English class.

They are surprised to enter and find Mr. Keating relaxed, staring out the window. They sit down at their desks and allow themselves to breathe for the first time all day. As the minutes pass, and Mr. Keating still does not look up, they find themselves wondering about this new teacher of theirs. Eventually, Mr. Keating stands and walks up and down the aisles between the desks, excited to be working with “[n]imble young minds!” (23). He tells the boys that in his class, he will either answer to Mr. Keating, or “O Captain! My Captain!” (24). With a dramatic flourish, Mr. Keating walks out of the classroom.

The boys, puzzled, follow Mr. Keating out into the hall. There, he stops them in front of a glass case lined with photographs of students from years past. He asks one of the students to read a poem aloud while the class gazes at the pictures. Mr. Keating asks the class to consider how many of these students, who are not too different from themselves, ever dared to live life to the fullest. He introduces a phrase that becomes a motif throughout the novel: “Carpe Diem. […] Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary” (27). He whispers these words behind the boys as they lean in closer, examining the faces of the students. It has an almost ghostly effect, leaving some of them spooked and others, like Cameron, wondering if that is the sort of stuff on which Mr. Keating will be grading them. One thing is for certain: They are all mesmerized by this new teacher.

After gym, the boys get together to organize a study group. Knox can’t attend tonight; he has dinner with the Danburrys, who are friends of his father and major alumni of Welton. Neil turns to Todd and invites him to join their group, but Todd declines. Todd then retreats to his room to be alone for a while. He sits at his desk and, remembering what Mr. Keating said earlier that day, begins to write three words in large lettering in his notebook: “SEIZE THE DAY” (30). He tells himself that he wants to do this and to live life the way Mr. Keating described it. The trouble is that he doesn’t, at the moment at least, know how to do that.

Meanwhile, a car has been arranged to take Knox to the Danburrys for dinner. When Knox approaches the door, he is greeted by a pretty teenager in a tennis dress, a blue-eyed girl named Chris Noel. She asks him if he’s here to see Chet, but he just stares back blankly. Finally, Mrs. Danburry ushers Knox inside. Chris, it turns out, is dating the Danburry’s son, Chet. He watches her helplessly as she runs up the stairs of the house. He is introduced to Mr. Danburry and Virginia, “Ginny” (33), their 15-year-old daughter. Eventually, their oldest son Chet comes down the stairs with Chris. Knox learns that Ginny attends Henley Hall, Welton’s sister school, and will soon be auditioning for the school play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Chet, on the other hand, went to Welton before flunking out and transferring to Ridgeway High. That’s where he joined the football team and met Chris, a cheerleader.

When Knox returns, he relays the night’s events to his friends. He is in despair: He has met the most beautiful girl, but “[s]he’s practically engaged to Chet Danburry, Mr. Mondo Jocko himself” (36). Knox can’t concentrate on anything else; all he can think about is wanting to be with Chris. Some of the boys tell him to cheer up and maybe he’ll get over her soon. Cameron reminds him what Keating said about seizing the day and is certain Knox can woo Chris if he tries.

The next morning, Mr. Keating asks the class to read the introduction to their poetry book aloud. The introduction is written by Dr. J. Evan Pritchard and features a graph that allegedly allows scholars to measure the excellence of a poem. The formula evaluates a poem’s technique in conjunction with its relevance, and from there, one can accurately rate a poem. Mr. Keating turns to his class, says this methodology is complete and utter nonsense, and tells them to rip out the introduction and throw it away. The students are astonished by this but slowly begin to do as Mr. Keating says, finding joy in the sensation. Soon, the classroom is filled with the sound of ripping paper as they wad up the pages and toss them in the trash.

McAllister, hearing the commotion, enters the classroom and starts to stop the students before realizing Mr. Keating is still in the room. He bows out shyly as Mr. Keating takes the floor again. He faces his students, saying, “This is a battle, boys. […] War! Your souls are at a critical juncture. Either you will succumb to the will of academic hoi polloi, and the fruit will die on the vine, or you will triumph as individuals” (40).

Mr. Keating teaches against herd mentality, instead asking the boys to use poetry to gain a sense of self. He tells them that their chosen professions of medicine, law, and banking are all noble pursuits. Poetry, however, is there to remind them what it means to be human. He concludes the class with another quote from Whitman: “That the powerful play goes on, and you might contribute a verse” (41). He sends the boys off, leaving them to wonder what verse they might contribute to the powerful play of life.