I am currently thinking of doing Dead Poets Society. As someone who is minoring in education with plans of becoming an English teacher, I would love to explore the idea of language and poetry as a symbol of rebellion and liberation against educational institutions and parents, and I want to do it through the arcs shown by Neil, Todd, and Charlie. In order to do this, I want to include sections analyzing the works of Thoreau and Whitman, who are mentioned in the film. I also want to analyze some scenes from the movie that show these moments of liberation and rebellion, such as when Neil participates in the play despite his father's protests, Todd being the first one to stand on his desk to say, "Oh Captain, my Captain", and Charlie always being the one who's already outgoing and rebellious, even more so by being inspired by Keating.
In analyzing Thoreau and Whitman (and maybe some of the other authors Keating mentions), I want to ask what role transcendentalism plays in shaping the film’s themes of individualism, nonconformity, and the pursuit of one’s passions. The film was released in 1989; however, most notably, Welton Academy is an all-White boys' preparatory school set in the late 50s. In terms of both education and literature, does the exclusion of female students, female voices, and non-Western voices from the curriculum in the movie uphold or critique the traditional standards of the academic and literary world? How does Keating’s teaching style align with or challenge past and current educational practices and theories? Going back to the themes of nonconformity and individualism, how does the film portray that in educational institutions? Should I briefly compare it to other films that have the themes of teaching, such as The Freedom Writers? What're the similarities and differences in the ways that both teachers teach English/literature?
In terms of researching answers for these questions, I’m thinking of looking into scholars and theorists such as Gloria Ladson-Billings, Gholdy Muhammad, Michael Focult, and Sara Ahmed.