"The Dead Poets Society"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the distress of the character Neil in the movie "The Dead Poets Society" builds up and how he is unable to cope with his feelings or tell his father about his passion for acting and therefore commits suicide with his father's revolver. It attempts to analyze the reasons behind his death and also examines the causes of adolescent suicide in general. In addition, the paper looks at how suicidal behavior is multifaceted and has complex causes and origins and how complicated contributing factors to consider are demographics, psychiatrics, genetics, familial and personality.

From the Paper:

"Neil's father takes no responsibility for his son's death, but rather holds Keating responsible. A 'full investigation' at the school and pressure on the boys results in them signing a written confession blaming their teacher. Keating is the scapegoat, accused of inciting the boys to restart the Dead Poets Society, and he is fired. As Keating leaves the classroom for the final time, Neil's roommate Todd, in great distress, stands on his desk and addresses his teacher as "Captain, my captain" one last time to illustrate that they have all indeed learned something. Keating had tried to make the distinction between unfettered self-expression and self-destructive behavior, but some of the boys aren't emotionally ready to incorporate this independent thinking into their daily lives. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• All Movie Guide - Star Pulse. Dead Poets Society Summary. Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Dead_Poets_Society/Summary/
• Donald, M., Dower, J., Correa-Velez, I., & Jones, M. (2006). Risk and protective factors for medically serious suicide attempts: A comparison of hospital-based with population-based samples of young adults. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 40 (1), 87-96.
• Emerson, J. (1989). Dead Poets Society Movie Review. Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://cinepad.com/reviews/deadpoets.htm
• Kutcher, S.P. & Szumilas, M. (2008). Canadian Medical Association. Youth suicide prevention. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 178 (3).
• Lehmann, C. (2002). Better use of treatment knowledge could cut youth suicide rate. Psychiatric News 37 (2).

More papers on "The Dead Poets Society":

• Term Paper # 96578 : "The Dead Poets' Society"
• Film Review # 36638 : "Dead Poets' Society"
• Comparison Essay # 7487 : "Republic," "Dead Poets Society" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

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