Walt Whitman

     Walt Whitman is an incredible author who uses vivid imagery and enticing vocabulary in order to capture his readers and carry them through each word and phrase, as if they are living the image he is portraying. In the film, Dead Poets Society, Walt Whitman plays a major role, through both imagery and the personalities of the characters.

     Understanding Whitman’s love and fascination of young boys and men, the first influence is the use of all male characters (with the exception of Mrs. Perry, who essentially plays an insignificant role.) In addition, the use of an all-boys school adds to the implication of Whitman’s attraction to males. The second and third influences coincide with this fascination. Mr. Keating, a professor at Whelton Academy, is, in essence, the Walt Whitman of the film. Throughout the film, Mr. Keating consistently quotes many phrases and stanzas from legendary Whitman poems. He also tends to speak in the same tone and manner as Whitman writes. The works he chooses to convey his message have a poetic rhythm and a certain intellect that Walt Whitman portrays throughout his works, such as in “Song of Myself.” Another connection from Whitman to Mr. Keating is their efficient methods of conveying a literal meaning by using concrete methods. For example, in order to prove to the boys that they need to think for themselves, Mr. Keating, for starters, tells them to tear out the introduction of their poetry book. He could have simply said, “Boys, you need to think for yourselves,” but he did not. He chooses to make them do something completely irrational in order to get his point across and to give the boys a way that might make them remember his lessons. Another example of this method of teaching is when he takes the class and makes them walk in circles in the foyer of the school. His point is to show conformity. Everyone starts as an individual, such as the pace in which each boy walks or the first person to cheer the others on, yet, eventually the steps conform to one pace and eventually the rest of the group joins in the cheering. Mr. Keating uses many of these methods as part of his teaching style. Lastly, Mr. Keating represents Walt Whitman by playing the role of an English teacher who loves poetry (especially that of Whitman); not to mention he asks to be called “O’ Captain my Captain” which is one of Whitman’s most famous lines.

     The last influence of Whitman in the film Dead Poets Society is his imagery. In his poems, such as “Song of Myself,” Whitman uses incredible imagery. The descriptions he uses makes the reader feel as though he or she is living the scenes. In the film, almost every scene has vivid imagery. Two specific scenes are when the Mr. Keating and the boys are outside in the foyer practicing how to be an individual and just after the boys find out about the tragic death of Neil Perry. In the first scene, the imagery is of the bright foliage of the trees surrounding the foyer. The second image is of the frozen lake, hills and trees that the falling snow is covering with a thick, white blanket. The use of imagery in both Whitman’s poems and in the film also demonstrates his relationship with and interest of nature.

     In conclusion, Walt Whitman plays a relatively large role in the formation of the ideas behind the film, Dead Poets Society. The characters and the scenery make known the presence of Whitman in the film. The film proves just how inspirational Whitman is to everything, especially poetry and imagery. 

 

 

    

The Crucible

     Identity, apology and forgiveness appear many times throughout The Crucible, and through many people. In a time like this, the identity of many is ruined by what other people say or accuse, no matter what the original perspective of that person is. Apologies may seem inevitable because everyone is looking for a way to escape the horrible accusations of witchcraft. These apologies range from asking God for forgiveness to asking those whom have been falsely condemned. Forgiveness, however, seemed unlikely given the circumstances.

     The first example of the loss of identity is when Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor are accused of conjuring with the Devil. Everyone in the town knows that Rebecca is a good woman and is always helping someone somehow. Yet when the accusation comes out, she is said to be a murderer because she supposedly sent out her spirit to Goody Putnam’s babies causing seven of eight children to die in her arms. Elizabeth Proctor is similar, however, after her accusation, no one disapproved of her. Her identity is challenged because she has been known as a good wife, a good Christian and has never told a lie. When she is accused of witchcraft, people challenged her purity. 

     Apology is the most common theme in this drama. The majority, however, is from the girls asking forgiveness from God for false accusations or attempting to conjure with the Devil. One example of an apology occurs just after Mary Warren supposedly sends out her spirit on the group of girls in the courtroom. First, she asks God for forgiveness by saying she loves him and confessing that it was John Proctor who usually comes to her at night. After this, she cries to Abigail for her forgiveness. Second, Elizabeth Proctor makes the most heart-touching apology just before John Proctor has to decide to either hang or confess. She says, “I counted myself so plainly, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me!… I never knew how I should say my love… Forgive me, forgive me, John – I never knew such goodness in the world.” She is mainly apologizing for taking his love for granted all their years of marriage and she was sorry that she has never shown him how much she loves him, and it is not fair to him because he is such a good and genuine man.

     Lastly, there is forgiveness. The ability to forgive is another important aspect of this drama. This ability is important because people are being hanged for not confessing; how can one forgive, when one could die from the accusation. The first key example of forgiveness comes from God. Everyone knows that God forgives all no matter what. Therefore, when the accused cries out for forgiveness from God, they automatically receive it. The second example is John Proctor’s forgiveness of his wife for her apology of not showing her love for him. The last example is the most meaningful. It is when Elizabeth Proctor forgives John for tearing up his confession in order to preserve his name as a man. In turn, John receives the sentence of being hanged for witchcraft. Elizabeth says, “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him.” She has said it all along. She knew he would make the right and good decision and by her forgiving and respecting his choice, she finally shows just how much she loves him.

     In conclusion, identity, apology and forgiveness play a relatively large role in the drama, The Crucible by Arthur Miller.