"Dead Poet Society"- Going Too Far With Transcendentalism?

Transcendentalism is great in many ways. It encourages us to be ourselves and to stand-up for what we believe in. It inspires us to stand-out from society and show our true colors instead of blending in with a crowd. Transcendentalism seperates society into the group of people who have the power and strength to stand-out against society and the group of people who are more cowardly and follow "the current". So while this does show how transcendentalism can be helpful and good, transcendentalism has it's bad sides to. Transcendentalism can be really hurtful and dangerous to those who take it to the next level. Those who can be "extreme transcendentalist" can cause damage to those around them and to themselves. In, The Dead Poet Society, it is showed how extreme transcendentalists can get.

The Dead Poet Society is one of the most transcendentalist movies. Showing how one teacher or one person can give a different outlook on life and change the views of all those who listen to them. It also shows how that if someone hears it, they can take it the wrong way or go too far with it. Charlie (aka. "Nuwanda"), in the movie, is a perfect example of someone taking transcendentalism the wrong way. Charlie starts acting out against the boarding school the movie takes place at and trys to get himself expelled. The dean catches on to his act though and only spanks Charlie. There is a difference between stupidity and standing-up for what you believe in. It is people like Charlie that get this concept mixed up and end-up doing something stupid instead of standing-up for a belief or going against society. If someone does something that is just stupid instead of an act of transcendism, something worse could happen than just getting expelled from a fancy, expensive boarding school.

Those who aren't transcendentalists, can be that way for many reasons. There are those who may not have a fear of being different from the crowd, but those who are afraid of what someone important to them will do if they are different. Children are always trying to please their parents. They are trying to get their approval, respect and love at any means necessary. Neil, in the Dead Poet Society, wants to be an actor, while his father plans for him to be a doctor. When his teacher speaks of being a transcendentalist, he finally decides to go against his father and become a actor. When his father refuses to let him be an actor, he ends up commiting suicide. Neil is one of the few people who have felt "trapped" or "cornered" when trying to be themselves. Those people are the ones who end up taking the ultimate step and try to kill themselves because of their inability to be themselves. Transcendentalism can show them that there is a way to be yourself, but it can show people how "restrained" they are. Transcendentalism is great at showing at how being different is great, but it can be too much for some people.

Transcendentalism is viewed by alot of people as a great thing, but they just don't see how some people can take transcendentalism the wrong way. Being yourself is always encouraged by transcendentalism. It always inspires us to stand away from the crowd. It also can show us a dark side. A side that leads to stupid decissions and rash ones that lead to harm for everyone who listens.

My Experience Being Me

I am a high school girl who loves unicorns.

When given the assignment to make a t-shirt for myself to express who I truly was, I was actually really excited about it. I was excited to show the world who I truly was and was determined to go all out in my outfit. I knew the moment the assignment was given; I was going to make a shirt on my obsession for unicorns. I knew that while me and my friends act and pretty much are two-year-olds and really enjoy this kind of stuff, others find it “lame” or “uncool”. I went with the unicorn theme and wore my unicorn hat, bracelet, and necklace. I even brought in my stuff unicorn named “Pixie” to school.  I knew if I was going to do a project this intense, I might as well go all out.

                While I was totally psyched about the project to begin with, I have to admit, going into school and all my classes decked-out in my unicorn gear, made me nervous. I knew wearing that outfit may not get me a lot of compliments or respect from my peers. I knew being the transcendentalist I was trying to be wouldn’t be easy. A lot of teens in high school view things like unicorns, stuffed animals in general, princesses, faeries, legos, star wars and all those kinds of things as “nerdy” or “childish”. This makes some people lose instant respect for you, opens a door for them to make fun of you and just end up treating you like no one for doing something as simple as being yourself. While as harsh as it is, it is just the way it is and I knew that being my inner “two-year-old” self was going to be interesting.

                I have to say though, I had fun in the end and truly believe that we should have a day like this for everyone to make a shirt like Mr. Provenzano’s English classes did and wear it all day. While I did get some disgusted or judgmental looks from some people, particularly upper classmen, it was really an uplifting experience. I had a lot of people compliment me on my shirt. Some people thought it was funny. Others just asked why I was doing it and once I explained it, they thought it was cool that I was doing it. I loved being who I was for the day. I loved showing the world who I really am. For them to see me not as “one in the crowd”, but as a unique individual who stands out far beyond the rest. Some might have even seen my shirt and seen that it is okay to like unicorns in high school or just something abnormal for someone in high school to like. It might have shown them how we are all a little weird and that being yourself isn’t a crime. My shirt probably wasn’t as powerful to others as I clam it to be, but it was that powerful to me and really changed my outlook on some things.

                I don’t know if my shirt did everything I hoped it did. I am not sure if some people have no respect or dislike me now knowing my passion for something two-year-olds like. I don’t know if I will ever be a “Lady Gaga” and always stand out in a crowd. I don’t even know if I would ever do this again without a bunch of others doing it with me as well. All I know is…

                I am a high school girl who loves unicorns.

                And proud of it.

The "Lady Gaga" Teacher

                To be a transcendentalist, is basically to be yourself. To have the ability to be who you truly are and not care what others think. A transcendentalist is someone who has their own opinions and beliefs and is not afraid for someone to hear. So naturally, people would normally relate to Katy Perry, Lady Gaga or Madonna as transcendentalists. The pop divas who wear crazy outfits, outrageous hair styles, perform the weirdest performances on national television without a worry in site. Yet, there are those who may not always wear the weirdest clothes or sport the craziest of hair styles. There are those who are better at voicing their own opinions and speaking their minds. Those who may not always be able to say it in front of a crowd or a higher authority, but are more than willing to speak it to their students. Someone who is not afraid to say, “I don’t think swimming is necessary for humans”. Mr. Provenzano is the” Lady Gaga” and “Katy Perry” version modern-day transcendentalist teacher.

                Mr. Provenzano may not always be the one to voice his opinions to a large crowd or to his boss. He may not always be sporting his “nerd look”, but he is a transcendentalist in a different way. He is a transcendentalist teacher. Mr. Provenzano openly argues with his class on whether or not swimming should be required for humans along with many other topics. He voices his opinions and that allows the opinions of students to be heard. Compared to the usual, “this is what I say and that is how goes” as most teachers teach by. His English classes are taught with as much technology as possible to cut down on the paper used. He uses IPads, the Smart board and other technological advancements in his class, instead of the usual 20 stacks of papers students receive from other teachers. He wants his students to have blogs so they are allowed to do homework assignments on them. Mr. Provenzano encourages students to “tweet” him questions or statements on twitter. He prefers classes with kids talking and voicing their opinions on articles and pieces of literature instead having them listen to what he has to say. He creates a completely and different learning environment that is nothing like those of other teachers. He doesn’t match the traditional form of teaching. He makes his classes more interesting and unique with all the different form of technology he wants the kids to use. He brings in a different environment with encouraging kids to talk openly in classrooms. He marches to his own beat when teaching a classroom and makes it just that much more interesting and inspiring to the students he teaches. He is a true modern transcendentalist when it comes to being a teacher.

                He may not wear funky outfits, crazy hair styles or put on an amazingly weird performance on MTV, but he is a teacher transcendentalist. He makes the classroom a different experience for all those who have him. He doesn’t follow the guidelines of other teachers. He is different in every sense in this case and is ready to voice his own opinion when it comes to teaching his students. He is the “Lady Gaga” and “Katy Perry” version of a transcendentalist teacher.


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Waldon Post

Where Our Society Has Gone

                Humans like advancement. They enjoy the latest gadgets and gismos that have updated them to the “21^st Century”. These advances have caused their lives to become essentially, easier. They come with a high price to pay though. Humans are eating through their eco-system like a bug on a leaf to get the latest and greatest technological advancement. They have ignored and forgotten important skills from their history that are necessary for their education. Humans have become the essence of laziness and greed because of their advancements. The progression they have made has caused them to become a society that lacks in areas that are essential. The human society needs to slow down in their progression and look back on what is truly needed for humans to become superior and survive. Progression may be helping society, but at the cost of things more essential to humans.

                They are causing destruction to planet earth. Humans want the latest and greatest technological advance from a cell phone to a car. They don’t realize where they are getting these technological advancements from. Factories are being built all around the world in place of forests and natural habitats for animals. These animals are defenseless against the superior human intellectual and evolutions and have just as much right to live here on planet earth as humans do. Humans are treating them as inferiors and are removing them from their homes so they may have that cell phone and car they always dreamed of. By removing some animals from their homes though, the humans are essentially hurting, killing and destroying animals that are in need of the habitat destroyed for the factory. Then, once the forest is destroyed and the factory is created, it needs a source of energy. Humans then turn to fossil fuels and other resources of the earth to power these heavy machineries. These fossil fuels and other resources may power the plant, but they also produce toxins, such as carbon dioxide, which are pumped into the atmosphere and kill not only living things, but the planet’s ozone layer. This layer is essential for human life to live here on planet earth. Since we are producing so much carbon dioxide and other toxins, the hole just keeps growing and won’t stop. Just because one person wanted that cell phone or that car, they have basically killed off many habitats, animals and the ozone in the process. All because humans are spoiled by the progression they have made over the years. Humans are unable to stop and see, let alone care, about the damage they are causing. Progression has made the humans greedy and incompetent of what is truly going on around them. They do not see how their progression comes with the cost of destroying the natural life found on this earth.

                Humans rely on technology. They see it as the passage to making their lives simpler and easier to live. Their reliance on technology though has caused them to lose insight on the past. They are forgetting skills that use to be required and now use technological advances, such as computers and cell phones to do the work for them. People are forgetting how to spell and do cursive writing because of some of the advances. Day after day, people forget what it is like to write a paper or write something in cursive. Computers have become the main source for writing documents, such as essays and notes, and people slowly lose the need to write and eventually forget. No longer do they write out letters, but send emails. They don’t hand write essays, but type them. Humans are using the technology to do the work for them. Then, when they use cell phones to send messages to each other, they use abbreviations and acronyms in place of actual words. People no longer see the need or importance of actually writing out the words. They have become lazy and just use the simplest method possible. This gives them a harder time to use actual words when it becomes truly important for them, like on: essays, test papers and projects. People use these methods because they don’t see progression as a problem, but as a source of help to move forward into the “modern era”. They see it as an easier path to take and are willing to sacrifice whatever is needed to make their own lives simpler. Little do they know of the skills they are losing in process. Humans don’t see how lazy they have become and how reliant they are on all the advances to do the work for them. Humans are losing the skills and achievements made in the past and replacing them with ones that require less skill and are essentially, easier. Progression is causing our society to be lazy and less skillful as they once were.

                Progression may make life easier, but it does come at high costs. People see progression as making their lives easier, when it is really just destroying what was already there. Humans need to see the damage they have caused. They need to stop and look back to see what is really important: our lives and skills or that new cell phone.