The Dead Poets Society portrays the views of transcendentalism seamlessly into movie through the characters Neil Perry, Todd Anderson, and Mr. Keating. These characters represent the ideals of transcendentalism by vicariously demonstrating the teachings of Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman, who are all transcendentalists that practice self through nature and non-conformity. Throughout the movie, all three characters represent transcendentalism, but express the ideals in their own way. Neil Perry exhibits his true human self in the scene where he opens the window and strips down of his clothes before killing himself. Whitman, a poet who practices self through nature utters, “[He] will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked.” …show more content…
Emerson, who embodies the beauty of nature states, “To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society.” In the scene where the boys step outside into the peaceful snow blanketing the cold trees, Todd steps out from the group and embraces the chilliness of the air. To escape, we see that he frantically runs away, deeper into nature, to go into complete withdrawal from reality. The distress that comes from his cry echos in the silent yet peaceful woods, that only mimics back his shout of grief. As we see in the Dead Poets Society, Todd struggles with, “Shall we be content to obey them,...and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?” (Thoreau). Todd has a difficult time expressing his true feelings because of conformity. He presents resilience at first to demonstrate conformity due to the high expectations that follow his last name, Anderson, because of his brother’s receivement of the National Merit Scholarship. As his development as a character flowers, he chooses to follow non-conformity to make the statement, “Oh Captain, My Captain,” as Mr. Nolan, the headmaster, instructs for him to sit down or else it will result in expulsion under his name (Whitman). Todd’s defiance against conformity illustrates his rightful decision against the unjust ruling of firing Mr. Keating. Todd