Dead Poets Society

Jonathan Wroblewski Composition 2 Prof. Mitchell; Section DH Fundamental Problems Ignored in the American Education System Welton Academy for boys had never seen a teacher quite like Mr. Keating before; he came bearing the message of “Carpe Diem” (or “seize the day”), not to teach poetry according to the rigid guidelines of some soulless PhD. Mr. Keating taught his students to think for themselves, rather than become mindless drones that had only one purpose: to regurgitate answers for a test. In stark contrast to the other professors that taught by rote, Mr. Keating believed that high school students were capable of free thought. Movies entertain, but oftentimes they send a message. Dead Poets Society (released in 1989, but about life in a prep school in 1959) sends a powerful message about the faulty logic plaguing American schools: that students should learn specified information, and not to think for themselves. At the very beginning of the movie the viewer sees how strict Welton Academy is, based on a very specific set of principles—discipline, tradition, loyalty, to name a few. Then we see teachers giving their students various textbooks and setting rigorous guidelines for the students to follow, until the boys arrive at Mr. Keating’s class. Keating instructs them to rip out the introduction of their poetry books, which sets a guideline to judge a poem’s greatness. Keating believes that poems are works of art, which should not be subjected to such guidelines, and that meaning is entrenched every line— something I sincerely doubt that many people would disagree with. And then the

message, “Carpe Diem”, is given. He tells the boys to seize every moment of the day, to strive to be the best that they can be, and not worry about what other people tell them to do. A scene in the cafeteria illustrates very clearly what the majority of the professors think of Mr. Keating’s ideas for education. Keating is told that his students’ minds are being filled with delusions of becoming artists, and writers, because of his methods; Keating rebuts “we’re not talking artists… we’re talking free-thinkers”, which invokes laughter from the other professor who then says “free thinkers at 17?” Mr. Keating clearly understands the potential in young minds better than the other professors. Much later in the movie Mr. Keating discusses his educational policies with the headmaster. A short dialogue takes place where the headmaster tells him that Welton’s curriculum works and that he should not question it, because the students may also question the curriculum. Keating reiterates that education should teach students to think for themselves. The headmaster retorts, “prepare them for college and the rest will take care of itself”. That is the essential problem facing American schools today. Too often teachers become infatuated with the idea of sending their students to college, so they push them through classes without properly educating them. What happens when these students get to college? The students, now faced with an insurmountable amount of problems, realize that they are ill prepared for life beyond high school. “Just 54 percent of students entering four-year colleges in 1997 had a degree six years later”. (Associated Press) The problem begins in the early stages of education, where teachers fail to prepare students for life after high school. Students become too reliant on tests being taught to them, and always having someone there to bail them out of a jam. Reality comes as a brick wall to the face when students realize

that it is all on them to succeed. What if they were taught more than just formulas, but concepts? Not just that things work, but how things work? The problem would then, truly, solve itself. That does not happen in American schools today. Mr. Keating taught his students to look beyond the narrow scope of rhyme, and meter, and look deep into the words written to find meaning in poems: for a poem’s greatness lies in its meaning. In the almost sixty-years between the movie’s setting and now, the American education system has failed to recognize these fundamental truths, but Tom Schulman (the writer of Dead Poets Society) has not. Many people would like to blame the lack of funding for schools for our poor education in America, and perhaps they have a valid point. More funding could, potentially, persuade more qualified individuals to become teachers, but that cannot be guaranteed. Dead Poets Society provides the real answer: a change in attitude towards education. Teachers should teach students to think for themselves, not to rely on the answers always being given. That would lower college dropout rate—because students would be better prepared for what they face—which would result in a more intelligent society. If our educational system continues to function in the manner in which it does today, our test scores will continue to drop, and the average American will continue on the path of improper education. The answer lies in Mr. Keating.