Dead Poets Society... Two Different Teachers

The movie opens showing a proper school environment, definitely contrasting from where Mr. Escalante taught his students. There’s a new teacher (Mr. Keaty?) whom the students react differently to, probably because he is new. Tradition and excellence are regarded highly in this school.

This school is different than the school in Stand and Deliver… its got rules, the students are held to a certain standard of excellence, it’s a boarding school/prep school, and there’s no room to mess around.

Robin Williams’s character in the film teaches the students many things about life, things that the students are not learning in their other classes. He pushes them to excel and to achieve greatness much like Mr. Escalante’s character, unlike him though William’s character is a free spirit who goes with the flow and is doesn’t criticize his students.

This school is not one where students are typically allowed to think freely, which is why I think that the Dead Poets Society is captivating to so many of them.

The students in this school are given lots of opportunities to excel, whereas students in Stand and Deliver are not… they are rebellious behind closed doors, where the Stand and Deliver students are rebellious where everyone can see them.

The two teachers are similar in their passion and drive for teaching; they both want their students to excel. They both have backgrounds similar to the students.

I look forward to the rest of the film!