The movie Dead Poets’ Society explores the concept of individualism in great depth. The numerous conflicts that the characters face throughout the movie demonstrate the fundamental principles of existentialism and transcendentalism. From standing atop desks to kicking soccer balls while quoting Walt Whitman, the schoolboys in English teacher John Keating’s class learn to walk the path of the individualist, the non-conformist, and the “extraordinary”. In other words, the Romantic. The story of these boys and their teacher in Tom Schulman’s movie Dead Poets’ Society creates an appealing picture of Romanticism, a philosophy based on the concept of man as basically good and his feelings as a standard of inherent value. Through characterization…show more content… When the problem of the sin nature haunts mankind no longer and man is considered the measure of all things, values are rendered relative and emotions rule as gods. Rather than proving the philosophy of man’s essential goodness, the dialogue and drama of the movie simply assume its truth. For example, the new teacher Keating tells his class of boys to “find [their] own voice” and “consider what [they] think” above all. He encourages them to trust and express themselves. Keating also exalts and embraces the philosophy of Walt Whitman, the foremost of the “dead poets” in the movie, who said, “I do not understand who there can be more wonderful than myself.” In one of his unconventional exercises, Keating has his students shout lines by Whitman’s “Songs of Joy” while kicking a ball, they proclaim the glory of man accompanied by the Romantic vigor of Schiller’s Ode to Joy. The purpose of this scene is to visualize the students affirming the Romantic symbol of the warrior. The narrative, emotional style of the movie engages the viewers’ sympathies and convinces them to concur subconsciously with this inherently flawed philosophy. Once they believe in the boys’ goodness and potential and see Keating’s good intentions, they are easily induced to agree with his