Thursday, May 30, 2013

In "Dead Poets Society," how is the relationship between man and women portrayed?

I assume your question is regarding the 1989 film and not the recent stage production. Because there are very few female characters in Dead Poets Society, the best way to answer this question is to contrast the relationship between two couples. Knox, one of the boys at the school, courts a girl named Chris. Their relationship can be contrasted with Mr. Perry and his wife, the parents of Neil, who is a major character. Chris is an example of how the boys at the school view women in general. She is pretty and mysterious and, for most of the film, apparently unattainable. Knox pursues her because he has a very romanticized view of love. Eventually Chris condescends to kiss Knox, but we never learn whether this leads to a real relationship. By contrast, the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Perry is far less idealistic. Mr. Perry is very controlling of his wife, and she finds herself caught between obeying her authoritarian husband and wanting to support the son she loves. In these very brief scenes, we see how toxic a loveless marriage can be.

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