Film Analysis--Dead Poets Society

Ordinary World: Sort of unknown. Todd is sent to new school. Very quiet kid.

Call to Adventure: Todd goes to new school. Mr. Keating wants him share poem in front of class. Joins Dead Poets Society, but doesn't want to read.

Refusal of Call: Todd asks Neil if he can just sit in on Dead Poet Society. Lies to Mr. Keating about not writing a poem.

Meeting the Mentor: Mr. Keating gives him the speech after Todd says he doesn't have a poem, covers his eyes and makes his say things in front of the class. Neil gives Todd the pep talk after Neil gets the same desk kit he got last year for his birthday.

Crossing the Threshold: Carpe Diem speech by Mr. Keating, Todd speaks in public. Gains confidence.

Tests, Enemies, Allies: The boys sneak out during the night to go do the Dead Poets Society. Knox goes for the girl with a boyfriend. Charlie publishes the article about how girls should go to Welton in the name of the dead poet society. Neil does the play. (everyone is seizing the day and doing things they usually wouldn't do.

Approach: Neil's dad gets really mad cause he did the play behind his back, tells him he can never do another play, and that he is moving him to military school.

Ordeal: Neil kills himself. Neil's dad wants to fire Mr. Keating. They get turned in by another member of the Dead Poet Society and are forced to sign a paper against Mr. Keading.

Reward: There is no clear reward because it has a sad ending, but they do have a small sense of pride about the club and the knowledge they learned from Mr. Keating.

The Road Back: After Mr. Keating is fired, he goes back to the class while it is in session, to get his personals.

Resurrection: Todd yells, "They made us do it!" He gets on his desk, "Oh captain, my captain!" Most of the class gets on their desks, despite the new teacher yelling and threatening expulsion.

Return with Elixir: Keating says, "Thank you boys, thank you." He knows the kids really did learn from him. The kids show their respect for him, despite his newly inhereted bad reputation.

Journey

Our story begins with our unnamed main character, whose friendly, expect-the-best-from-everyone attitued will be a vital part of the coming events. Years after college graduation, he still is unemployed because an occupation in unneccesary, considering he inherited enough to sustain a comfortable lifestyle from his father. At first he really enjoys being able to go out and frolic through flowers, or giving homeless people spare change he finds in waterfountains. Eventually, however, these activities become boring and unsatisfying, so he decides to get a job to pass the time. He decides to become a middle school teacher, because he thought early teens would be pleasant to work with (he was homeschooled.)

His first day teaching, he walked in the door with his lesson plan in his arms and a big smile on his face whistling a familiar tune when.....WHAM........a huge wet spit wad slaps his face like the hand of an angry girl on Russel Crows face. Shocked at first, he quickly shrugged it off thinking that that was just a wayward child. He was wrong. His first period class was terrible. So was his 2nd...and his 3rd. By the time his 4th period class came along he was curled up like a pig's tail on the ground, crying. The children, never seeing a 34 year old man cry before, showed no compassion, laughing and throwing things at him.

After work, with every intention to quit the following morning, he drove to get himself some chinese food at his favorite restaraunt. As he is finished and rubbing the orange from the chicken off his face, he reaches for fortune cookie, cracks it open and reads: Wisdom comes with age. You’ll also receive wrinkles, constipation, and nose hairs. Realizing the failure of the schooling systems, and also realizing he can help change it he decides to not quit and endure the hardships and continue to teach. But realizing that he needs a defense, he goes to a local dollar store and purchases a small book of useful combacks. Upon returning home, he memorized as many insults as possible, prepared his lesson, and went to bed.

The next day at school, the students came in expecting to take control, and mocked him because he actually tried to teach a lesson. They called him fat. He told them they were ugly and he could always go on a diet. One after another the kids pitched insults and he smashed back insults. He even, got to teach a little in each period because the students gave up.

He thought that he was home free with ten minutes to go in 4th period, when, the biggest, meanest, fatest, most intimidating kid in the whole school got out of his desk and faced the teacher. They stood face to face like an old western shootout. The teacher held his ground like a cowboy who knew his enemy was a bad aim and waited. Insult after insult he waited. Then, finally, he reached in his comeback holster and pulled out this out: "I don't know what your problem is, but I bet its hard to pronounce."

They kid cried and ran home.

From then on out that teacher was the best, most favorite teacher in the middle school until the day he stopped eating (which was about seven months later, when he died from complications during a vasectomy.)

Hero: The teacher.
Ordinary World: Leasurly, lazy life.
Call to Adventure: Becoming a teacher.
Special World: Middle School.

Hero

Real Name: Unknown

Age:32

Height:5' 5"

Gender:♂

Weight:130 lbs.

Nickname: "Hey, look, it's that nice guy again, what's his name again?"

Occupation: Various service activities (no need for income (heir to his fathers morse code walki-talki business.))

Hobbies: Talking about his feelings at sleepovers.
Coming up with solutions to world hunger.
Water Ballet (not to be confused with Synchronized swimming.)

Powers: Open-mindedness (exception: Democrats)
Being sensitive.
Flexibility.

Fears: Cliques.
Bullies.
Absense of smiles.

Favorite Book: Twilight

Favorite Movie: Twilight

Favorite topic of Conversation: Twilight, American Idol, getting to know people.

Favorite Songs/Artists: Prefers a friendly conversation, over music.

Lucky Number: Loves them all.

Most Common Text Message Phrase: lol, rofl, ha ha, HAHA, ha, lmao.

Misc.: Spends free time in nature, especially by flowers.

Adaptation

Snake Hill

Every morning I'd look over the edge, envious. Envious of the "free" people. I'm not saying I'm wasn't free, technically, just bound by my Mother. She wouldn't let me meet other people, I was home schooled, I couldn't even get a job. I have to give her credit though, it was all because she loved me, maybe too much.

Anyways, my story starts with me, sitting alone on the patio. My mother was out on some errands, I was especially upset at the encounter we had earlier that morning.

"Can I go to town," I had said.
"Of course not honey," she said, "we wouldn't want to risk you getting a cold, or robbed...or killed."
Indignantly I lashed back, "Mom that is ridiculous, I'm 34 years old and I have never even been two mile away from this house. You can't keep me forever, it's not normal. It's not ethical. I don't even think it's legal."
"Come on, sweetie, don't be like this we both know you are being irrational," she said with an ingenuine smile, "now I got to go get groceries, I'll be back later."

I'd had it. I stood up grabbed my gray and yellow parka, put on my best sneakers, and ran for the city lights.

I arrived to the place I had longed to go for years. Overwhelmed, I soaked in the beautiful ectasy of the neon lights. I saw flashing signs for pubs, strip clubs, restaraunts and motels. Saddened by my lack of money, I decided to step in to a bar just to take a look.

As I sat down, despite the yelling and roaring laughter, I saw the most beautiful sight my sheltered eyes had ever seen. She had black hair, black eyes, wore a green apron over her white collored blouse. I longed for her attention, but knew not how to receive it. So I just watched her. She was among barbarious drunks and partially naked women desperate for their attention, yet she was pensive, smiling. As she went to a table, an old, hairy, sleezy-looking man grasped her lustfully. Abrubtly, she pulled away, not angered, but composed.

For an hour or so, I watched, plotting to talk to her. Just as I was doing so, and old, beat up women noticed me. She has nappy blonde hair, and must have used a butter knife to have been able to cake on that much make up.

"You lookin' at that waitress?" she shouted, smacking on her gum.
"Uh..Yeah, I guess so," I said, frightened.
"She's way outta yer league, kid," she mocked, "go home."
"You think?" I said, dejected.
"Are you kiddin? She is the prettiest girl in town, and your just a goofy look hick," She said softly, "go home, kid, for your own good."

Despondently, I made my home. I, at that moment, understand why my mother did what she did, so I never her told her what happened.

Bluuurbs

Snake Hill (Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band)

Conor Oberst lives at home with his mother, and has his whole life. He is told by her that the world is a rotten place, best left alone. He goes to the city despite better judgement by his mother, and meets a seemingly shy farm girl Teresa Johns, who eventually breaks his heart.



Wrinkles (Diamond Rio)

Nancy Jones looks back on a childhood memory, in which she remembers noticing wrinkles on her finger while getting out of the bath tub. She asks her dad and learns a lesson that she remembers till this day: Stress and Hardships will inevetably taint the body, but they don't have to taint your life.



The Baby (Shelton Blake)

Every one thinks that Shelton Blake is a no, good, spoile rotten, baby. Because he is...to his mother at least. No matter how old he grows, Sheltons frusteration grows too, because he is alway his mommas' baby. His indignant feelings abrubtly change when he is called to his mothers death bed.



There Goes My Life (Kenny Chesney)

19-year-old Kenny Chesney becomes saddened and thinks his life is over when is girlfriend gets pregnant. He thinks about his future he will never have. Through the years of being a father, he quickly finds his self full of sadness again when his beloved daughter, Susan, goes to college.

What a Beautiful Day (Chris Cagle)

Polititians Hillary and Bill Clinton think back on the stepping stones of their artificially happy marriage. They remember certain events such as their marriage, theirs childs' birth and the day they met. They know that their true love really doesn't matter, just the image people see on the news.

Story Song

Song Title: Snake Hill

Artist: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Link to Lyrics

Plot
Speaker is born on Snake Hill, warned he has venom by his mother and she tells him that because he has conscience so when he bites it only hurts him. Speak thinks he should say on Snake Hill. He stayed on the hill, and he doesn't think it's fair, but he would go look at the city and then he decides to go to it. He goes to the city and realized his mother was hiding him from girls, he kills her (figuratively I assume) and goes back to Snake Hill.

Character
Speaker
His Mom
The girl

Conflict
He is confined to his home and he wants to go out in the world, and thinks it is unfair that he can't leave "Snake Hill". He goes out anyways and realizes that the world isn't great and gets his heart broken by a girl.

Theme
Importance of home and the safeties it provides.
Dangers and hardships of the real world.
Girls make boys "feel alive" or they make them "wanna die."

Setting
No specific time frame
On Snake Hill, the speakers home
Real outside world

6-Word Memoir

10. When she smiles, I look away.
9. Three..Two...One...One Half...
8. I look in the mirror sometimes.
7. Politics have killed the happy citizens.
6. Ambiguity can be the most clear.
5. I can create, I can destroy.
4. Flesh can be stronger than bullets.
3. Sometimes I staple, Sometimes I glue.
2. 8 weeks? Doctors can't give time.
1. Can't stand standing, can't stand sitting.