DEAD POETS SOCIETY

A novel by N.H. Kleinbaum

It's a very popular story also because of the reason that the book "Dead Poets Society" has been filmed in 1993.

I think many of you have seen the film.

The story is fiction but it's written so realistically that you believe it's a true story (non-fiction).

The edition of the book I read is the original one.

SUBJECT:

The story is about a teacher, who wants his pupils to realize that they have to seize the day when they want to have fun and adventures in their lives.

It also deals with poetry and the language.

SETTINGS:

The story is set in the 1960's in Vermont, Illinois. (That's near the Michigan Sea)

PLOT:

The new English teacher, at the really strict and traditional Welton Academy for boys, John Keating inspired some of his pupils so much by his fascinating lessons about poetry and the whole language that they found a secret club with the name "Dead Poets Society". There they read poets to each other or made poets themselves. For all members of the club it was really important to talk about their problems, their dreams and also about unimportant things without being observed by parents or teachers.

The lessons of Mr. Keating had the result that the boys became more self-confident.

But one night there happened a horrible incident, one of the members of the club shot (down) himself because his father had forbidden him to play-act, which was the most important thing in his life.

The headmaster who had never liked Mr. Keating decided to dismiss him because the school and the parent's of the dead boy are convinced that Mr. Keating had caused the incident by his exceptional lessens.

The end of the story shows that Mr. Keating's lessons had been interesting and fascinating for his pupils because they all climbed up onto their desks and said good-bye to their teacher.

The headmaster was trying to stop them doing that but he wasn't able to.

Mr. Keating had to leave them but he had been the one who had helped them to develop into young men.

CHARACTERS:

Mr. John Keating:

He is a new teacher at Welton Academy and because of his strange lessons the headmaster isn't really happy with him.

His teaching method and the ability of talking and explaining inspires the boys so much that they are really fascinated by his (kind of) lessons. He wants the boys to seize the day and if they follow his advice they will have a beautiful and exciting life.

Keating doesn't force them to read poetry but his inspiration drives the boys to be interested in it and some of them really like poets because of him.

For the boys Mr. Keating is more than a teacher but he becomes a good friend.

For the "Dead Poets Society" he is a friend and also a kind of "master".

Neil Perry: (He is the boy who shot himself)

At the beginning of the story he is the happiest and funniest of all boys and the leader of the club. Keating's lessons help him to recognize that he wants to become an actor. He even gets the main part in an act but when his father finds out that his son is acting he forbid him to do that any longer. But Neil is so fascinated by acting that, however, he played an act. After this act his father takes Neil with him home where he tells him that he will go to a military academy and that he will never play-act again.

Todd Anderson:

Todd is a quiet, sensitive and really shy boy, who doesn't like the way Mr. Keating is teaching because he isn't interested in poetry and helps him to overcome his shy behaviour.

Todd Anderson is one of the main characters because he is a person who shows his feelings quite often and he is somebody, the other boys like to talk to. ®Perhaps because he is so sensitive.

MESSAGE:

The author wants to tell us that teachers have a big influence on their pupils. In this story, I think, it is a good influence but teachers can also have a bad effect on teenagers.

Another message of the book is that a teacher has the ability to inspire teenagers, who have never been rally interested in poetry or something like that, to be fascinated by the things he taught them

Another thin that happens nowadays too is that teenagers aren't allowed to do things they really want to do. Therefore they run away from home or even kill themselves.

PERSONAL EVALUATION:

For me it is an exciting and interesting book that I con recommend to everybody.

The plot is exceptional but also fascinating. The thing that is most interesting for me in this story is that a teacher has so much influence on pupils.

The scene of the book I like best is the end because that's a moment full of emotions, which the author has described realistically.

The book isn't easily written but you needn't know every word to understand what's going on.