Carpe Diem

I consider Dead Poets Society's central theme to be Carpe Diem, or seize the day. The first lesson that Mr. Keating has with his students is about Carpe Diem. He wants them to make their lives extraordinary, to do something different and bold. Some of the students take this statement in a way that Mr. Keating did not intend for them to take it in. Charlie Dalton insulted the principal at their school and got in trouble, all in the name of Carpe Diem. However, there were benefits to Mr. Keating's lesson. Todd Anderson learned how to make a statement and stick up for himself and Knox Overstreet overcame his fear of talking to the girl that he loved. Carpe Diem is a running theme in this film that is referenced many times and thought of as both good and bad things. I think that the author and director of this story were trying to make a statement about doing something out of the norm, and being extraordinary. They were trying to tell their audience that it is okay to follow their dreams, and highly encouraged by them.