Obedience In Dead Poets Society

Within the movie Dead Poets Society, obedience is one of the major topics/ ideas being discussed and specifically involving Neil Perry, a student at Welton Academy. A numerous amount of research and examinations by Stanley Milgram and Erich Fromm depict how human individuality is frequently blinded by the obedience of individuals and how others feel towards a higher power or authority. Throughout the movie, Neil remains consistent and does not change his character at any time. Based on the study of Erich Fromm, author of “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem,” he mentions how behavior changes when authoritative figures are present. Whereas, Stanley Milgram, author of “The Perils of Obedience,” claims obedience only occurs with the specific presence of another individual. However, both authors would agree that Neil was pressured to do things he did not want to do and obey higher authorities, in most cases his father, Mr. Perry. This raises the question, why did Neil not say anything/ argue with his father about certain situations?

The film opens up with Welton Academy starting a new school year and all of the boys moving into their rooms. Neil, a straight-A student and all-around popular, immediately after entering his room, all of the guys stop by to visit and talk with him. He is always surrounded by energy and laughter no matter where he goes when his father isn’t around. Mr. Perry’s presence turns Neil from a very talkative and carefree guy into a quiet and obedient person. When his father tells him that it’s time to give up the yearbook and all other extracurriculars to focus on his studies, to become something Neil doesn’t want to be. He briefly puts up a fight, but then starts to think that there is no point in trying to disagree, so he goes along with his father and does just as he says. This scene is related to Stanley Milgram’s quote, “The most far-reaching consequence is that the person feels responsible to the authority directing him but feels no responsibility for the content of the actions that the authority did prescribes” (pg.77).

Milgram’s quote stated above relates to the scene because in this case Mr. Perry is the authority figure or the person of a higher power, and Neil just has to accept the fact that his father’s word is what goes. Since his father stated that he is to give up/ drop all extracurriculars, even though that’s the last thing he would ever want to do, Neil is supposed to obey his words and do exactly that. As any teenage boy would have done, Neil started to voice his viewpoint and concern and it was quickly shut down by his father and Neil was to go along with it, although he would never admit that he was the one to make that decision.

The next scene is towards the middle of the movie and involves Neil, Mr. Perry, and Mr. Keating, a young English teacher that teaches at his alma mater. Welton Academy’s strict policies start to wear on the boys, as Mr. Keating, or as they call him, “Captain”, attempts to teach the boys to think independently and begins to expand their thoughts to think outside of the box. Keating encourages the boys to live their lives by implanting one phrase in their minds, Carpe Diem which means seize the say. From Neil having Mr. Keating as a teacher, he learned a lot about poetry and English along with simple life lessons that may not have been things that are taught in school, just social things that most teens would pick up on, whereas most of the boys at Welton miss out on a lot of the huge life lessons that are casually taught in the real world. Since Neil trusts and looks up to Keating, he talked to him about how he is in a play although his father found out and doesn’t approve of him continuing with it, this is Neil’s passion and what he is really interested in. Keating advises Neil to talk to his father and express his interest in acting. Neil does just that and comes back to talk to Keating saying, “I just talked to my father. He’s making me quit the play at Henley Hall. Acting’s everything to me. But he doesn’t know. I can see his point, we’re not a rich family like Charlie’s. But he’s planning the rest of my life for me and he’s never asked me what I want.” Keating and Neil proceed to have a conversation about him and communicating with his father and they come to the consensus that Neil wants to talk to his father but he just doesn’t know-how.