#post: analysis

[toindeedbe-agod]

how about ‘no’ ‘what do you mean no’ ‘no’ to analyse!

ok this is very late bc i suck at remembering to check notes on this blog but its 4 am n my glasses are off which means theres no bwtter time to overthink neil n todd

so that whole scene is absolutely one of my favorites in the whole movie, its very emotionally charged but theyre still 16-17 year old boys in the 1950s so they r like. evasive yea?

everything in this Three Minute Section, starting with "im going to act! im going to be an actor!" and ending with "im being chased by walt whitman!" (seriously.... this scene has half of my favorite lines) is relating to their desires n opinions and their growing relationship, as well as their place in the world

neil is referring back to like 2 things todd said, im guessing the writers mainly meant it in relation to "'...so butt out.' i can take care of myself just fine, you know."

todd is giving up on himself. he consistently backs down from challenges up until the end of the movie, and encourages neil to be cautious, to think things through (see earlier in this scene, how does 3 minutes of movie affect my life so intensely, where he keeps pointing out the flaws in neils plan to try out bc What If His Dad Finds Out). he also couldnt write a poem he felt happy with, so he gave up, until keating put him into a position where he Couldnt. where he was Forced to act, which plays into the final scene of rebellion at the end of the movie.

but here, neil is saying one thing and meaning two things. 'no, i wont give up on you, i want you to be "stirred up" by keatings words, i want you to feel the same excitement i do' and 'no, you cant take care of yourself, because you wont let yourself experience the rush of all of this secrecy, of doing what you want, of finally being supported in your own interests by an adult'.

in the moment i dont think todd gets this at all. and neil knows he doesnt, hence why hes smiling, thinking hes so clever and this is good, and instead of letting todd think about it for long, he grabs the poem and runs around the room. kind of in a distinctly keating way, yeah? bringing attention to something everyone else knows is good, and not letting yourself wallow in your own sorry emotions abt it bc neil loves mr keating so goddamn much he imitates him, from the actual dead poets society to. god. not the time.

anyways. its a very good scene. showing neils perceived enlightenment, to live for yourself and to raise others up, and todd still backing off, shying away from the spotlight bc hes so hsed to being in his brothers shadow. which can also directly related to neil being on the stage, and todd writing behind the scenes. neil leading the dps meetings, todd probably listening to all his stupid ideas when theyre in their dorm together. yknow?

[toindeedbe-agod]

so. neil motherfucking perry.

his father is forcing him into a career path bc of his own shortcomings as a youth and his mother looks idly on. she'll support her husband no matter what and the blind loyalty alienates her from neil.

neil would see her as an enemy no matter what, because she never helped him. she never saw him. she never spoke up for him.

she'll wonder what happened to her perfect little boy, wonder why she just doesnt get him anymore, why he never seems to be around, while his dad yells and doesnt understand.

neil feels stifled at home, and welton. is rhat thw name of the school i can only think of hellton. is his escape- if only a little bit.

he plays along with the boys, calls it hell and boring and hes so conflicted. an escape from his dad- a little. but he's only there to fit into his dads plan, so can it really be a safe space?

the rest of the poets are what make it feel most like home. they get him. they want to strike out on their own and have fun and not go into the family business even if theyve resigned themselves to it at this point

neil is constantly searching for an escape. its why theatre has always been so enchanting to him. no better way to forget your troubles than to become a new person entirely.

mr. keating is pretty much the complete antithesis of his dad. he encourages him, he basically tells him to start up the society again (a complete reverse of his dad telling him to drop newspaper (?) even tho neil enjoys it), tells him to think for himself and to live for himself, to take control of his destiny.

and thats why he looks up to keating so much. thats why he tries to emulate keatings spirit with the other poets, why he tries to stick up to his father like keating has stuck up to the rest of the faculty, etc.

todd is also a major point of neils character arc, bc todd grounds him. hes the logic, the reasoning (even if the majority of it is anxiety fueled overthinking), the thing that brings neil back to reality (see. the flying desk set scene.)

but ALSO. neil is an example of . things .

look he literally is like incapable of finding a balance. he cant rebel quietly, with just the socieyy, he has to sigm up for a play and forge a letter and back mr keating. but he cant stick up to his dad when it matters, he just backs down. he doesnt like listening to other peoples ideas, when he has an idea he sticks to it. i fully believe that during the argument, when neil is like "ask me how i feel" or whatever and then he just sits back down is EXACTLY the moment he decides to kill himself. the rest of the argument doesnt matter, he'll be dead in a few hours anyways. he doesnt argue with his mom, he doesnt want to waste the effort.

he figures that he has spent a lifetime being told what to do. told exactly how his life is going to go. and in that moment, when his ways to escape are taken away, when he cant cope and he'll never be able to see his friends again, he decides to take control of his life.

hes only done it so many times before, by recreating the dead poets society, by befriending todd and helping him become better, by joining the play, which were all some of the best decisions hes ever made.

so surely, the trend will keep.

people listen to his ideas, listen to Him, often unquestioningly. he knows he makes good decisions, has truly yet to be done wrong.

so definitely, he should do this.

its the only option.

its the best decision.