Being Different in Dead Poet's Society

Difference is a major theme that I saw used throughout the Dead Poet's Society movie. Mr. Keating always wanted the boys to be different from the society around them and not to conform into it. He tried to teach them to stand up for what they believed and not pass up on a dream of theirs, just because it is not what is normal in society. The theme of being different pops up numerous times in the film, and is one of the most central themes in the movie. When Keating first came into the classroom to teach, the boys knew that he was not the everyday teacher that taught at Welton. He made them tear out pages in their books that he was not fond of, and later on showed many more teaching differences. He took the students on a field trip outside and made them all do their own thing. He was not only teaching poetry, but he was teaching them how to be one of a kind and not just go with the flow. He wanted the boys to stray from conformity, but there were consequences that followed. Throughout the movie, Neil, Charlie and others were being taught by Keating to be their own person, and they tested out his theory. Neil did not obey his parents since he did not want to grow up and be a doctor, so he pursued an acting career behind their backs. Charlie believed that he could change the face of the school, so he tried to get girls into Welton. Although they were 'seizing the day' as Keating would have put it, they ran into some major consequences. Charlie was punished by the headmaster of the school, and Neil went as far as suicide. Difference in life was the main goal that Keating wanted his students to see. By getting his students to see this, he felt accomplished, but he was also very distraught when he found out about what was happening to them when they tried to live a life of their own.