The Dangers of Nonconformity

In the movie, “The Dead Poet’s Society,” the main focus is clearly transcendentalism. Whether to be yourself or to be who people around you want you to be. The movie takes a unique standpoint, though, on the dangers of nonconformity. While most movies and books in recent years have focused on the positive attributions of being yourself, Dead Poet’s Society shows that sometimes it’s best to sit back and not stand out. It shows the stares and the inadequate feelings and the being alone that comes with being yourself. It shows how some people refuse to accept how others choose to live their lives. Neil was put in a position where he felt that he had no choice but to kill himself because he spoke out for what he believed in. In modern society, too many people find themselves in situations similar to Neil.

When people act completely as themselves, separate from all opinions and oppositions of those around them, they are basically set up for ridicule. In highschool in particular, kids are not encouraged to be themselves, and sometimes that might just be the right thing to do. While being themselves could make a person happier at that exact moment, if they’re going to be ridiculed for it, wouldn’t it just be easier to wait for a time when they can be themselves free from judgment? Especially in a town like Grosse Pointe. Anyone who is just a little bit different is forced into becoming another carbon copy of everyone else. While this is obviously a terrible thing that should be changed, I know that I, for one, am not going to be the one who decides to ignore what everyone else says. It would just make life so much harder. Situations like Neil’s are terrifying because I can see myself there in less than two years; I honestly have no idea how being myself around my parents could happen.

Being yourself can be dangerous, as is clearly illustrated by the Dead Poet’s Society. What isn’t clear is if being yourself if more important than safety, or if being ridiculed is worth the freedom that comes with nonconformity.