Examples of Transcendentalism in Dead Poets Society

“There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for” (DPS). Transcendentalism is a somewhat daring and rebellious movement that encourages people to live with individuality and independence through the five major tenets: Importance of Nature, Self-Reliance, Self-Trust, Simplicity, and Nonconformity. Both Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau were the leading figures in the movement, strongly believing and exhibiting the ideals of transcendentalism. Additionally, the movie Dead Poets Society has many examples of transcendentalism woven throughout it, making it a good representation of the movement. In the movie, one teacher, Mr. Keating, teaches at the prestigious, and very strict, Welton Academy. The boys, including one of the main characters Neil Perry, are very intrigued by Mr. Keating, as he teaches unlike any other school teachers and encourages the boys to be free thinking individuals. He then inspires the boys to live more transcendentally. Throughout the movie, there are many transcendental actions, which show how living transcendentally can have both beneficial and harmful consequences. Overall, by following the tenets of nonconformity, self-trust, and simplicity, Mr. Keating and Neil Perry show how living transcendentally is more harmful than beneficial.

Mr. Keating is one character that shows how living transcendentally, specifically through the tenant of non-conformity, is more harmful than beneficial as he teaches the boys to also live by the transcendental ideals and free thinking, which causes him to lose his beloved job as a teacher. Since Welton Academy is a school that bases its teachings on traditional beliefs: discipline, honor, excellence, and tradition. Considering Mr. Keating teaches the boys to think for themselves and not let others control their actions, he is going against the beliefs the school and other teachers are trying to enforce on the students. Mr. Keating exclaims that the boys “must strive to find their own voice. Because the longer they wait to begin, the less likely they are to find it at all” (DPS). Mr. Keating stresses the ideas of individualism and nonconformity to the boys and therefore opposes the normal teaching style at Welton Academy. This ultimately led to the school officials becoming skeptical of Mr. Keating’s lesson and then him being fired from his adored teaching spot. Although the boys learning to become their own unique person is not harmful, Mr. Keating teaching them those ideals in a very strict school that strongly values uniformity and tradition, proved to be harmful, as it caused Mr. Keating to lose his job that he truly enjoyed.

Another character who shows how the consequences of living through transcendentalism are not as beneficial as they are harmful is Neil Perry. Neil applied the transcendental tenant of self-trust when he decided to pursue acting despite his father's strong beliefs against it, which ultimately caused him to take his own life. Neil begins expressing his new found love for acting and his determination to become successful as an actor, despite his father’s demands, to his close friend Todd Anderson. Neil explains that “for the first time in his life, he knows what he wants to do! And for the first time, he’s going to do it. Whether his father wants him to or not”. By Neil becoming what he truly wanted to be, and opposing his father, it ultimately led to him taking his life because his father wouldn’t approve of Neil’s love for acting. Transcendentalist believe that one should only live for what one truly believes in, despite what others think of it. Therefore, Neil felt that since he couldn’t live for what he believed in, then there was no point in living at all, again following the tenant of self-trust. Overall, since Neil followed through with his beliefs, showing transcendentalism and self-trust, it led his father to disapprove of Neil’s beliefs, and therefore led Neil to take his life. Additionally, Neil acting transcendentally, ended up hurting the people who cared about him, like Todd, Mr. Keating, his parents, and more. Considering that living transcendentally caused pain to so many people and caused Neil to take his own life, it was more harmful than beneficial.

Although living transcendentally creates more harm than good, one way living transcendentally was somewhat beneficial is shown through Mr. Keating. Mr. Keating lives simply, a tenant of transcendentalism, by focusing solely on his love for teaching. He chooses not to complicate his life by having a variety of different hobbies or by traveling a lot, even though he is said to have the ability to do so. Mr. Keating spends his time and energy on the one thing he is attached to, teaching. Although it is beneficial that Mr. Keating simplifies his life by focusing on one major thing he cares about, it is also harmful as it prevents him from exploring and adventuring the world around him. Thoreau explains just how much people take nature and the outside world for granted by saying he is grateful “men cannot fly and lay waste the sky as well as the Earth” (Thoreau). By Mr. Keating choosing to live very simply and enjoy his love for teaching rather than learning about the world around him and exploring the importance of nature to one’s life, another tenant of transcendentalism, he causes himself to stay stagnant, rather than growing as a person, which is harmful.