Dead-Poets-Society

IntroductionDeadPoetsSocietyisa1989AmericandramafilmdistributedbyTouchstonePictures.WrittenbyTomSchulman,itisacoming-of-agemovieaboutboysataconservativeandaristocraticprepschool,WeltonAcademy,inVermontin1959.WiththeinspirationoftheirnewEnglishteacher,playedbyRobinWilliams,theboysreviveasociety,dedicatedtopoetry.Inthissociety,however,theboyshelpfosterfreethinkingandacertainkindofbravery.•Won:BestOriginalScreenplay(TomSchulman)•Nominated:BestActorinaLeadingRole•Nominated:Director(PeterWeir)•Nominated:BestPictureIntroduction•RobinMcLaurinWilliamsisanAmericanactorandcomedian.HewontheAcademyAwardforBestSupportingActorforhisperformanceinthe1997filmGoodWillHunting.HehasalsowontwoEmmyAwards,fourGoldenGlobes,twoScreenActorsGuildAwardsandfiveGrammyAwards.IntroductionIntroductionBackgroundInformation•SocialBackground•DeadPoetsSocietywasshotin1989,aneconomicallydepressedperiodofAmericaafterthecollapseofthestockmarketof1987.ItwasalsothetimetheatmosphereofColdWarwasgoingtomelt.Sothetheme“seizetheday(carpediem)”isquiteunderstandable.Thestoryinthemoviehappenedin1959.TheMcCarthyismwhichwaspopularinthe1950swascomingtoanend,andtheindividualismwasdrawingnearinthe1960s.Thereforetheshootingtimeandthetimeofthestoryhadsimilarsocialneeds:aspiritualrelease.BackgroundInformation•TheGoalsofAmericanEducation•SinceDeadPoetsSocietyisamoviesetoncampus,aglimpseintoAmericaneducationwilldefinitelyenableustokeeptrackofcertainWesternculturalnotions.AmericaneducationisanindispensiblepartoftheAmericanDream.Notonlydoesitdeterminetheindividual’ssocialstatusandeconomicprospects,butitalsobringsgeneralsocialbenefitssuchaseliminationofpovertyandimprovementofcitizenship.TwoofthemostprominentfeaturesofAmericaneducationalgoalsare:1.Self-actualizationBackgroundInformation•Americanschoolshighlyvaluethefullrealizationofone’spotential.Theylayemphasisonpersonaldevelopmentincludingbasicskillseducation,understandingofbasicprocesses,intellectualdevelopment,criticalthinking(toevaluateideas)andcreativethinking(togenerateideas),recreationalandaestheticinterests,emotionalandphysicalwell-being,andmostimportantly,characterformation.2.TeamSpirit•Americaneducationalsointendstofosterthelearner’scommitmenttothecountry,theneighborhoodandthefamily.Patriotismistaughtasthecardinalprinciple.Interpersonalskillsarecultivatedtoenhancehumancooperationandappreciation.BackgroundInformation•PrepSchool•Auniversity-preparatoryschoolorcollege-preparatoryschoolisasecondaryschool,usuallyprivate,designedtopreparestudentsforhighereducation.Someschoolswillalsoincludeajuniororelementaryschool.•Prepschoolsareselective,academicallychallenging,andlargelyindependentofstateandlocalcontrol.Thestudent-to-teacherratioiscomparativelylow,hence,smallerclasssizesthaninpublicschools.Someadmitstudentsofonlyonesex;othersareco-educational.•Prepschoolsoftenplaceastrongemphasisonsports.Synopsis•WeltonAcademyisfoundedontraditionandexcellenceandisbentonprovidingstrictstructuredlessonsprescribedbytherealist,anti-youthadministration.Withthedawningofeachnewsemester,hundredsofparentsabandontheirsons,leavingtheminthetriedhandsofWeltonstaffinhopesthattheywillraisedoctorsandlawyers.Synopsis•NeilPerry•ToddAnderson•KnoxOverstreet•CharlieDalton•RichardCameron•StevenMeeks•GerardPittsSynopsisQuestions•WhatistheschoolethosdefinedbytheheadmasterGaleNolan?Andwhatistheboys’interpretationofthefourpillars?•“Tradition,Honor,DisciplineandExcellence”.•“Travesty,Horror,Decadence,andExcrement”.•WhatisTodd’sproblem?•Toddispainfullyshyandthisisparticularlydisturbingtohimsinceheisrepeatedlytoldthathehas“bigshoestofill”beingtheyoungerbrotherofaformervaledictorian.•WhatdoyouthinkofNeil’sfather?•Overbearingandcontrolling.Synopsis•trigonometry三角学•hormone激素•invincible无敌的•fertilize施肥•daffodil水仙•weird怪异的•spooky令人毛骨悚然的SynopsisQuestions•Howdoyoulikethewaymostcoursesaretaught?•HowdoesthenewEnglishteacherimpressyouwhenheshowsupforhisfirstclass?•Whatdoeshetellthestudentsthattheymaycallhimiftheyfeeldaring?•DidMr.KeatinggotoWelton?•Whatdoes“carpediem”mean?•WhydoesMr.Keatinghavetheboystakeacloselookatthepictures?Synopsis•WhydoesMr.Keatinginstructhispupilstoriptheintroductionoutoftheirbooks?•Itisridiculoustoprescribeamathematicalformulatoratethequalityofpoetry.•Whatdoeshewantthestudentstolearninhisclass?Why?•Tothinkforthemselves;tosavorwordsandlanguage.Becausewordsandideascanchangetheworld.•Whydowereadandwritepoetry?•Becausewearehumanandhumanraceisfilledwithpassion.•WhatdowestayaliveforaccordingtoMr.Keating?•Poetry,beauty,romanceandlove.Synopsis•HeteachesthemtheworksoftheromanticpoetssuchasThoreauandLordByron.Laterhehasthestudentsstandonhisdeskinordertolookattheworldinadifferentway.•Heemploysoutdoorexercisestowarnthemofthedangersofconformityandthepowerofsportsasawaywhichhumanbeingspusheachothertoexcel.Synopsis•TheboysdiscoverthatKeatingbelongedtotheschoolliteraryclub,theDeadPoetsSociety,whenhewasastudentatWeltonanddecidetosecretlyreviveit,meetinginacaveofftheschoolgrounds.Synopsis•Duetoself-consciousness,ToddfailstocompletethewritingassignmentandKeating