The Dead Poets Society.

           In the movie, the Dead Poets Society, there is this one class of boys taught by a peculiar English teacher with strange teaching techniques. Mr. Keating showed them that poetry can be more than just words on a piece a paper.  He taught his class to love poetry and to look at it with feeling and deep understanding. He also taught them to be their own person and to do what they believe in. Some of the boys did exactly that and followed their heart. They decided to recreate the Dead Poets Society that Mr. Keating told them about after the boys had asked. However, following your heart was easier said than done. The school was very strict and punishment was far from merciful. Charlie sent a letter asking girls to be let into their high school. This was looked upon as if a disease was being spread through that letter. The punishment caused him to get hit with a wooden paddle. He did not back down and took the punishment like a brave man.

If the boys did not come clean and admit who was in the Dead Poets Society, they would no longer be in school. The boys are doing no harm to the school but the administrators did not see that. Mr. Keating taught the boys in his class to follow your dreams and think big. Neil took his advice and tried out for a play. That resulted in his father pulling him out of school and sending him elsewhere. Mr. Keating was a nonconformist himself. He encouraged the kids to follow their hearts and make life the best it can be. He did this by teaching the way he wanted to teach and not how a book tells him to. He got stuck with all blame over what had happened. He eventually was removed from his job and was asked to leave immediately. Being a nonconformist in this school took courage and bravery. Knowing the consequences, the boys still stayed who they were at heart. Todd, who was never the one to be a leader, was the first to stand up and speak out at the end. Even though the consequences for the boys were drastic, the words in their hearts overpowered it and gave them the strength to say what was right.

My T-Shirt.

          There were a couple of things on my shirt that I was most worried about. It would be the Star Wars action figures and the obsession over Pikachu. The main reason for that is that it is not something that someone would honestly admit. I was worried about it at first for being teased but after awhile I realized that there’s nothing I should be worried about. Everyone has things that they do not want others to know and I should be proud for the things I like. That is something that I have achieved gradually. Another minor thing I was worried about on my t-shirt was that I still love stuffed animals. It is not an everyday thing a fifteen year old would say. On my shirt I have put that I have Star Wars action figures, I am a country girl at heart, I was a drummer, I get scared quite easily, camera shy, I like metal music, I am a fisherman, I am also a vegetarian, I am an artist, a singer, a drama kid, I love cartoons and stuffed animals, I am obsessed with Pikachu, I am a computer nerd and I am a tree hugger.

            During the whole entire day I walked through the halls knowing that people were staring at my shirt. I got some snickers and a few looks as if I am weirdo. I also got some questions asking why I liked such and such. I would answer truthfully and admit to what they asked. Not all of the feedback was negative though. There are some people who gave me thumbs up for Star Wars action figures. Another told me that I have guts in order to put that on a shirt because he too has Star Wars action figures. The mockery was sadly greater than the compliments however. In all honesty I am glad that I got negative feedback. It gave me a reason to love myself for who I am and embrace the fact that I am different. Realizing and accepting that, however, is a challenge all by itself.

My Modern Day Transcendentalist: Keenan Cahill.

There are many transcendentalists out there today. I, however, have one that stands out to me more than the rest. Keenan Cahill is famous for his funny lip syncing on You Tube. The reason why I chose Keenan is because of his amazing ability to do what he does without any concern of what people say. On You Tube, people mock him for how he looks, but he just lets it go. His confidence in himself is so strong that he does not care that it makes him different. Sadly, he has this rare genetic disorder called MPS-6. This is not curable and that changes his appearance and growth ever since he was a child. This disorder also requires him to have many surgeries and enzyme infusions. This takes up much of his time on some days, but it does not slow him down. For being as strong and independent as he is, he has many admirers. Some kids in the hospital are friends with him and look up to him. This helps Keenan to motivate himself even more to keep making videos.



Keenan’s videos are not supposed to be good in the sense of what everyone believes that it should be. He incorporates some comedy with it which many people do not understand the point of or find very funny. He makes these videos because he likes what he does and it makes him happy to make them. Keenan does not care about the quality of how perfect his videos are. As long as he is having fun and entertaining some viewers he feels like his job is complete. He knows that he is not like everyone else and he accepts that. Like Emerson said, "To be great is to be misunderstood." These reasons are what make him a transcendentalist to me. Despite the harsh criticism given to him in the comment sections of his videos, he still stays strong. He also shows, in a way or another, that being who you are is okay. By doing what he does, he shows that you can fulfill your dream if you do not let others get in the way or bring you down.

Walden Essay.

                Did Thoreau waste two years at Walden Pond?

In the story of Walden, Thoreau talks about his emotions towards life. Every thought documented was when he was living at Walden Pond for just a little over two years. He found hidden meanings of life in solitude. There he also found his individuality in the world. Thoreau learns many of life’s wonders from being at Walden Pond, but being there for two years was definitely not a waste.

The solitude helped Thoreau understand the situations of this world. Not being around people also strengthened his ability to hear nature as well. “I go and come with a strange liberty in Nature, a part of herself. As I walk along the stony shore of the pond in my shirt sleeves, though it is cool as well as cloudy and windy, and I see nothing special to attract me, all the elements are usually congenial to me”  (Thoreau 386). By saying the elements are congenial Thoreau means that the elements are suited from one’s needs. By being in solitude, Thoreau began to open his eyes to what nature offers man.  He saw that nature has a life of its own. It helped Thoreau see that the lives of the people cause destruction and chaos. He saw that man takes nature for granted. Man is blind enough to not see that nature gives us the essentials to live.  Not only did Thoreau see realizations in solitude, he also saw that his intentions are different from many.

At Walden Pond, he learned some of the things about life many others wouldn’t even care to realize. Being in solitude for as long as he was, it had opened his eyes and made him a different person. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he heard a different drummer. Let him step to the music when he hears however measured or far away” (Thoreau 390). Thoreau followed his own lead regardless of the mockery from others. Thoreau’s idea of nature and life were more compassionate compared to other’s opinion. Therefore, many people thought his purpose for doing what he is doing will never be of any success. Also his writings will be of no interest of value to others. Considering that, Thoreau followed his own calling and kept up with the pace of his own drummer.

Thoreau unfortunately left Walden Pond, but he kept his journals.  He died fourteen years later and his writings were soon published after that. Thoreau was a man who thought highly of his surroundings and the many wonders it provided.  He found his purpose along with who he was through solitude. It also helped him to find out his purpose in life.  People thought that Thoreau’s stay at Walden Pond was not valuable, but his stay was more valuable than the people could imagine.

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