Todd Anderson Remembers

Buddha, a man who devoted himself to years of contemplation and self-denial, once said “do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”. Thinking too much about times gone by typically keeps your mind stuck in neutral. Existing in an earlier life could result in revisiting feelings of anger, guilt, resentment, sorrow, or shame. Obsessing about the people and events precipitating such negative feelings can lead to endless rethinking. Becoming increasingly lifeless, or infatuated, thinking really cannot progress toward any resolution. Ultimately, it is pointless to employ memory to hold onto what may have been lost many years ago. As a result of not letting go of the past, it is possible to be robbed of present opportunities. Often, in many novels the characters are still dwelling on their past in the present. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author demonstrates how George Wilson and Jay Gatsby are held hostage by their pasts with little hope for their futures.

Self-confidence had a positive effect on Todd because he became less fearful. Many people often feel like their opinion doesn't matter in society, however, Emerson believes that, “People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character” (Emerson). In Dead Poet’s Society, Todd gained self-confidence when he decided not to write a poem. Instead of getting in trouble, Mr. Keating pulled Todd in front of the class, and told him to yell out a

Poet Society, Todd was afraid to read out loud and participate. By the end of the movie, Todd

The main problem that Todd faces is the struggle to maintain a sense of self-confidence as a result of living under his older brother’s shadow of success. Instead of becoming a lawyer like what his father expects, he has a passion for writing which contradicts with his father’s anticipation. However, unlike Neil, he keeps these thoughts and ideas to himself and dares not to speak them out loud to his parents. He remains obedient whether or not his opinions match theirs. There were various obstacles that prevented him from delivering his thoughts and he was often labeled as shy or timid. He was unable to present the well-prepared poem he wrote in front of the entire class due to these traits and the lack of self-confidence but Mr. Keating recognizes his strengths as well as his potential to do something marvelous. By using unusual techniques, Mr. Keating was able to bring out his potential and he receives one of the first applauses which was the beginning of his emerging confidence. It was evident that he debates against himself and requires a lot more courage to get up in front of everyone simply because he did not see the value in both himself and the work. The overall conflict is man vs. self and man vs. man. Most of the time he was bothered by himself for being pessimism and the fact that others have huge expectations on him due to his brother’s outstanding achievements.

Brian started to think about his future. Brian has his mind set on Bellarmine already. He looked toward college and already knows that he wants to go somewhere in Southern California. Chapman and LMU are at the top of his list. After college, he fantasizes about being in the entertainment business. He has his hopes on being an actor or a youtuber, and moving to Bora Bora with all of his riches. However, No matter what happens in the future, he will always live by the most valuable lessons he has learned: family first and live life to the fullest.

Keating forces him to create a poem on the spot in front of the class, although he is well-aware of Todd’s resistance to speak in front of others, after he write a poem on his own as requested. Mr. Keating questions Todd and installs him with a sense of confidence in his own abilities, “Mr. Anderson thinks that everything inside of him is worthless and embarrassing. Isn't that right, Todd? Isn't that your worst fear? Well, I think you're wrong. I think you have something inside of you that is worth a great deal”. Mr. Keating teaches Todd to think freely for himself and that these thoughts and opinions he has are valued. In the end, Todd becomes self-reliant, confident in himself and his ideas and beliefs. He does not conform to society and distinguishes himself amongst the rest, maintaining his own voice, and he overcomes his previous shy and isolated self, becoming a leader, when introduced to these ideas of individualism and

Todd Anderson, the shy new kid to the school, is a prime example of how Emerson’s view that someone can be great without fitting in with society by showing that he is a great poet, standing on the desk in defiance to Mr. Nolan, and beginning to live his own life and not being intimidated by the pressures of filling his brother’s shoes. In the beginning of the movie, Todd is shy and does not like speaking in front of a crowd. The rest of the group, however, does not mind sharing their opinions and views with the rest of the class. Todd is misunderstood in this way. Once Mr. Keating, the boys’ teacher who believes in thinking for oneself, makes him go in front of the class and create a poem on the spot, he ends up being a great poet. He is a quick thinker and quickly creates a poem that Mr. Keating loves. Another way that Todd Anderson reflects Emerson’s views is when he defies Mr. Nolan and stands on the desk as a way to remonstrate Mr. Nolan’s views on education. This act shows that he is misunderstood by the school officials because of Mr. Nolan’s reaction to it. Mr. Nolan does not approve of Todd’s defiance of his power and gets mad. Todd continues to stand on the desk to stand up for what he believes in. Following his example, one by one the other boys avidly

The dreary and melancholy tone which pervades the excerpt reveals something fundamental of the narrator. And that the character runs counter to what one may first expect from the typical twelve year old boy. This juxtaposition is seen within the first few sentences, where Judd goes from describing his times as a child - which we would expect to be recalled as lively and energetic

However heart wrenching; the story is of finding hope for survival, throughout the biting cold,

Keating due to his unorthodox teaching styles and the fact that Mr Keating is trying to get Todd to be more outgoing by “forcing” him to write and read poems for the class. As Mr Keating makes Todd create an impromptu poem for the class, Todd realizes that he has a creative side and is actually a fabulous poet- causing his confidence to grow sky high as the class claps for him and him to be proud of himself. After this event, Todd becomes more and more outgoing, leading to the solidification that Mr Keating effectively taught him Emerson 's principles of being his own person and not being afraid to say what 's on his mind ADD QUOTE HERE. “For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do! And for the first time, I 'm gonna do it! Whether my father wants me to or not!” This is a quote from Neil as he decides to pursue his dreams of doing what he truly wants- to become an actor. This shows that Mr. Keating effectively taught Neil the principles of Emerson because he is finally being his own person and not conforming to the rigorous structure of a person that his father wants him to be. Throughout the entire movie, Charlie dalton refuses to conform. He takes every single lesson that Mr Keating teaches to heart about nonconformity, and while he acts as though he doesn 't appreciate it, he definitley emulates all of mr keatings lessons. For example, towards the end of the movie, Charlie Dalton writes in the school paper about letting girls into

scene when Todd is getting ready to go out, but “his eyes [keep] straying to the photograph...a picture of

"As she listened on, her tears flowed and soaked her cheeks as the heavy snow melts down from the high mountain ridges, snow the West Wind piles there and the warm East Wind thaws and the snow, melting, swells the rivers to overflow their banks- so she dissolved in tears, streaming down her lovely cheeks, weeping for him, her

His teacher begins to stutter, and yells at Cole that he is a freak, a name that he is called by his peers throughout the

Todd grayson is unkind, courageous, jealous, and seemed to be showing a few traits of his father, Shawn. Todd always seemed to have a odd look on his face, as if he was hiding something. At only 6 years old he was caught shop lifting on numerous occasions and was already starting to hang out with a few of the bad kinds on the street. This put his mother Laporsha in a tough spot when it came to her parenting. She wanted all the help she could get for her son Todd, but didn’t want to expose the fact that had been seeing Shawn, her brothers enemy. Her mind always dwelled on this, and she knew that there would once come a day when Todd and his father were revealed to her brother.

“Most men live lives of quiet desperation” describes the boys at the start of the movie “Death Poets Society.” However, Mr. Keating’s saying, “Carpe Diem,” influenced the path the boys took throughout the movie. Most of the boys took this advice to heart, leading them to change, while others decided to ignore the teachings. Throughout the movie, Todd gather courage which helped him change from a shy antisocial boy to an open and expressive one.