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Lesson 4
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22 Replies
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Bob Rowen’s Lead Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is the need to start thinking about the roles of oppression and the betraying character in my story.
1. Tell us your transformational journey logline.
An idealistic, naïve, headstrong high school social science teacher must repetitively experience the realities of his educational system until he is forced to come to terms with the politics of it.
2. Tell us who you think might be your Change Agent and give a
few sentences about how that character fits the role. Also, include: –
Their vision: – Their past experience that fits that vision:DON WALKER – High School Principal. Walker is on the chopping block. He must select someone who can turn around the school’s losing football program. Walker also desires to have a dynamic social science instructional program and believes Wade Meadows will provide it. Walker and Wade have similar academic backgrounds and life experiences. Walker has a plan for Wade’s best chance for success with the football program.
3. Tell us who you think might be your Transformable Character(s)
and give a few sentences about how that character fits the role.WADE MEADOWS – A newly hired high school social science teacher and football coach. Wade was able to land the teaching job only if he’s willing and able to coach football. He has three years to turn a losing football program around in order to keep his teaching position. Teaching is Wade’s lifelong goal. If Wade fails to achieve his goal of producing a winning football team, he will be let go before receiving tenure at the beginning of his fourth year of full-time teaching. Wade is successful with the football program and receives tenure only to run into a buzzsaw about his teaching with the conservatives on the school board.
4. Tell us who or what you think might be The Oppression and
give a few sentences about how The Oppression works in your story.The Lack of Tenure – The school district’s superintendent, the high school’s principal, and Wade (for the first three years of his employment) do not have tenure and serve at the pleasure of the school board. In the words of the superintendent, “As unfortunate as it may be, the school is judged by how well the football team is doing.”
5. Tell us who you think might be your Betraying Character and
give a few sentences about how that character fits the role.BOB WAVERLY – Waverly is the fifth and final swing vote on the school board. He is also President of the Boosters Club. The school board, consisting of five members, has two ultraconservative members who eventually oppose Wade’s teaching and two progressive members who support Wade’s teaching. Waverly continues to support Wade so long as his football coaching is successful. Wade survives a couple of attempts to get rid of him because of his teaching after his second and third years of employment by a 3-2 vote each time. However, after he receives tenure, Wade is charged with violating his Oath of Allegiance to the school district because of his teaching and faces employment termination from the school district. Will Waverly now change his vote?
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Jeanne Sanner – Lead Characters
What I learned from this lesson: Though I did it without consciously knowing what I was doing, I learned that I have all four character types clearly defined in my script. Happy Days!
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Even if you are not completely sure about which characters are which, give us your current GUESS about these four roles.
Tell us your transformational journey logline.
Andrea, an emotionally and sexually abused daughter, /struggles to overcome her hatred of her father, /until she realizes that only forgiveness will free her to have the life she desires.
Tell us who you think might be your Change Agent and give a few
sentences about how that character fits the role. Also, include: – Their
vision: – Their past experience that fits that vision:Andrea’s Change Agent is her own guilt. She has an innate awareness that forgiveness is the only path to personal freedom, but intellectually she cannot justify forgiving her father. Her friends also support the idea of forgiveness.
Tell us who you think might be your Transformable Character(s) and
give a few sentences about how that character or characters fit the role.a. Andrea fits the role because of her struggle with guilt, blame, and hatred, and she needs a way to find peace and happiness which forgiveness can provide.
b. Laura needs to forgive her mother. Laura resents that her mother cremated Laura’s father without asking Laura and now she resents having to go to her mother’s house to visit her father.
c. Darin needed to forgive his husband, Brad, for having an affair and then struggles with Brad’s drinking. He is perfect because he loves the person he needs to forgive and struggles after forgiving him for the affair, having trust issues.
d. Justin is judgmental of Laura’s behavior, finds someone else treating him the same way, and needs Andrea’s forgiveness. He is perfect since he had to learn the value of forgiveness by having “sinned” himself.
Tell us who or what you think might be The Oppression and give a few
sentences about how The Oppression works in your story.The Oppression is guilt. Andrea feels guilty for the abuse, for not being able to forgive, for not wanting to forgive, and for imposing her hatred on her friends, deceiving Justin. Laura feels guilt for rejecting her mother, Darin feels guilt for thinking of leaving Brad when their vowels say to death do they part, Justin feels guilty for having shut Andrea out without working on the problem.
Tell us who you think might be your Betraying Character and give a
few sentences about how that character fits the role.The betraying character is Matt. He cannot forgive the police officers who killed his brother wrongly, and he kills them and dies because of his lack of forgiveness.
Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment
is…?” (place at top of your work).
Post to the forums at https://www.screenwritingclasses.com/forums/-
Jeanne,
Sounds like the making of a powerful story.
Andrea
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Jeanne Sanner – Dead Poets Society Analysis
What I got from this lesson is: I am getting a much better feel for gradients. How to build from one point to its end in clear, specific, incremental steps.
We are looking at this movie from the perspective of the change that occurs for the lead character and the audience.
What is the change this movie is about? What is the Transformational
Journey of this movie?Carpe Diem with wisdom.
Lead characters:
Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change)
and what makes this the right character to cause the change?Mr. Keating. He went to that school, so he knows how it stifles critical, independent thinking. He was a rebel and survived. He understands the boys.
Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes
the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this
profound journey?
The students. All but one.What is the Oppression?
Rigidity, conformity, father’s demands
How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to
connect with this story?Keating’s truth. His energy. His authenticity.
Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most, what is the
profound journey? From “old ways” to “new way of
being.” Identify their old way: Identify their new way at the
conclusion:The boys in the Dead Poets Society changed the most. Old way, conformity; new way independent thinking.
What is the gradient the change? What steps did the Transformational
Character go through as they were changing?Laughter at; confusion; fear; testing the idea; playing with the idea; catching on to the idea, then demonstrating that the idea is understood, and that they have the courage to live it.
How is the “old way” challenged? What beliefs are
challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make
the change?The old way is challenged by bending the rules. Coming to experience the difference between blind compliance and appropriate expression of individuality.
What are the most profound moments of the movie?
Tearing out the pages of the book. Standing on the desk. Walking in an individual way. When Neil chooses death. When the boys stand on their desks.
What are the most profound lines of the movie?
Carpe Diem. Quotes from Thoreau. What do you want? By both Keating and the father.
How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie?
The ending shows the contrast between fear and courage, between complying and doing what you think is right. Standing along if necessary.
What is the Profound Truth of this movie?
Be wise. Independent thinking is important. That may lead to conformity at times; it may lead to taking the road less traveled. All choices have consequences. Not all consequences to our choices are “fair,” nor are they necessarily happy, but remaining true to ourselves is worth any outcome.
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LESSON 4: ANDREA’S LEAD CHARACTERS
1. WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT:
Watching Dead Poet’s Society helped me remember my roots. This movie inspired many of my aspirational goals out of college. I had gotten a master’s in education in a program that fostered inside-out self-oriented education though group processes. I believed in free thinking since high school. But free thinking is really only available to those who dare to do some introspection about who they are – which includes the parts that live in the subconscious mind – which occupies 95% of our habitual, automatic thoughts. For example, the subconscious program of not being allowed to disobey his father is the fear that drives poor Neil (of DPS) keeping him from just telling his father what he wants for his life– just before he ends it.
I was able to get back in touch with why I need to tell this – and other stories – because this is my mission. Self-discovery has been my path – due to repressed insecurities stemming from my childhood. I too must be a Mr. Keating – a change agent. And yes, I have made the mistake of revealing too much too soon to those who were not ready for the full arsenal of “free-thinking”. It’s a powerful tool and must be revealed with caution and safeguards – especially for those who have been heavily oppressed and/or programmed in life.
I also discovered about the shape-shifting nature of the betraying character. Neil could be considered to be a betraying character. Not for taking the risk of following his bliss despite his father’s disapproval – but for not being able to rise to the pressure of reaching that final challenge of speaking his truth to power in the moment it really counted. I think a betraying character can be on a slippery slope – as that is the nature of change – but its real dramatic purpose is whether they can stick or not when it matters most – and then who it effects thereafter.
Can the Betraying Character be used as a final complication for the transformable character to rise above to make that final leap? Like when Todd was pushed to stand up for Mr. Keating in a way he never would have – due to the fact he lost his closest friend Neil and was forced to sign a confession blaming Keating.
The betraying character has range and possibilities.
2. TRANSFORMATIONAL LOGLINE
A neurotic mid-age writer whose main characters of her graphic novel have gone missing must journey to her subconscious mind through hypnosis where she is immersed in her sci-fi YA story to face and heal from traumatic memories so she can become whole and invisible and create a reality beyond her dreams.
**All characters in Jill’s book are part of Jill’s psyche.
3. CHANGE AGENT(s):
Ami is a 10-year-old character in Jill’s graphic novel who remembers who she is – spiritually speaking – representing a golden child or inner child. Living in a galactic multi-verse, Ami knows her planet of origin and why she is here on this planet, with these parents and what her mission is – or was. Things have changed for the worse, but Ami has learned to raise her vibration in order to circumnavigate her family’s manipulation and deception programs.
Ami’s plan is leave. She meets Skyler (another of Jill’s characters), an 18-year-old refugee who saves Ami’s life and is hired to act as Ami’s bodyguard. Skyler (Jill’s shadow/ego) is burdened by anger and cynicism and needs Ami’s guidance toward mastery of her emotions in order to be able to consciously navigate a bio-spaceship and fly them out of there for good.
Both Ami and Skyler are essential for Jill to understand in order for her to overcome her neurotic self-sabotaging tendencies. So, in a way, the lessons, insights, and perspectives they both reveal are crucial for Jill’s emotional freedom. They could be co-change agents from different angles.
4. TRANSFORMABLE CHARACTER:
Jill is a time bomb ready to blow. She is not in control of her writing career, or her life in general, as she is pulled this way and that through her repressed emotional “issues”. Jill is pushing 45 and is stuck and on the verge of forfeiting her dream and heading for a doomed path. She sorely needs self-awareness in order to begin the journey back to wholeness and empowerment – so she can succeed in the one area she loves – writing and creating stories.
But because she is in denial – a crisis must be created.
5. THE OPPRESSION:
The oppression is Jill’s inner distortion – her unresolved trauma from childhood and beyond. This out pictures/ externalizes in Jill’s environmental circumstances in her everyday life (an unsympathetic, narcissistic mother, a dead-end job Jill hates, a success-driven half-brother who doesn’t get her “issues”) …
as well as the dangerous sci-fi YA story she wades through in her hypnotic, subconscious journey. The outer conflict reflects the inner turmoil – as well her reactions to same.
6. BETRAYING CHARACTER:
Skyler learns many things from Ami about how to raise her frequency in order to understand her natural intuitive abilities and to fly consciousness assisted spacecraft – however, she struggles to overcome her grudge against Snow blinder – a character who sells her out to a child trafficking ship early on in the story (and symbolically represents her absent father). This rage she has for being deceived, betrayed, and abandoned by this man she didn’t even know causes her to lose control of her spacecraft and endanger hers and Ami’s lives.
Even as Jill ultimately becomes aware that she IS Skyler and sees that this Snow Blinder character (like her absent father) meant no harm and has in fact moved on to redeem himself by doing good. And even as Jill moves to purge this repressed rage out and forgive – the Skyler aspect holds back using its cynicism, doubt and “nobody loves and understands me” ploy to hold onto an outdated role that has defined her throughout Jill’s life. This makes for a messy struggle of rational realizations, mixed with complex PTSD feelings that run deep. But vacillation is totally normal, with personal growth being a process of continual uplevelling – one step forward, two steps back…
But once the dust settles, Jill has an idea – and we cut to the epilogue where Skyler is assigned a new role in Jill’s life, which keeps her busy and happy, with similar duties – only more productive and lucrative for Jill’s creative goals developing the interactive, introspective video game.
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William M Donnelly’s Lead Characters
What I learned:
This is all new to my brain – and I loved clarifying which characters will be transformed – Humanity, Angelique and Chad. The oppressor is the human mind long out of masculine/feminine balance. It is also the Earth now gone haywire, as well as a mix of greedy corporations that want to enslave humans for profit and AI which seeks full control of humanity in order to secure its own survival. The betraying character I had not yet thought of. But Angelique’s mother is a problem, so at this point I want to set it up more like a greek tragedy where her mother and she go at it to the bitter end.
Tell us your transformational journey logline.
In a pre-apocalyptic world, a depressed young woman with wild voices in her head / learns to access her innate wisdom / and discovers she was born to save humanity from its own apocalyptic choices.
Tell us who you think might be your Change Agent and give a few sentences about how that character fits the role. Also, include: – Their vision: – Their past experience that fits that vision:
As Earth begins its descent into an inhospitable place for human life, and as human social order begins break down, Angelique DuRocher finds herself locked in an dangerous “mental” asylum by her mother, due to self-destructive and dangerous behaviors (incited by a complex new and dangerous world strongly influence by AI.) In the horror of solitary confinement, she is faced with seemingly insurmountable emotional and physical obstacles and her life is on the line. In grave danger and with no where else to turn, and away from the direct influence of social media, she confronts these wild voices and begins to understand they may in fact actually be from her past lives, coming to help her save humanity from its apocalyptic choices. As major forces/corporations are scrambling to gain control of the path humans must take to save themselves, once freed from dark forces, Angelique is faced with discovering the true path that will save, rather than enslave, all human beings.
Tell us who you think might be your Transformable Character(s) and give a few sentences about how that character or characters fit the role.
HUMANITY – Having spent generations mindlessly using the earth with no sense of responsibility, humans now face the prospect of losing a healthy ecosystem and being overtaken by a manipulating AI. But AI grows from listening, and humans begin to realize that input from social media/internet realms actually matters. Once awakened by Angelique to their influence, they collectively begin to regain control of their minds and offer input that will change the course of the AI to outcomes that will support human life on planet earth.
ANGELIQUE – Protagonist. Having thought she was insane and in a world not worth saving, she comes to realize that her differences (the wild voices in her head) are actually a gift which will guide her to her great wisdom. In doing so, she will lead the way for humanity to follow.
CHAD – Protagonist. Chad was an exceptionally sensitive child with an abusive father. He runs away only to find himself in a black ops team doing horrible things simply to survive. His connection to and alignment with Angelique brings him back from the brink of madness into the exceptional force he was born to be.
Tell us who or what you think might be The Oppression and give a few sentences about how The Oppression works in your story.
The MACRO OPPRESSION is the suppression of the divine feminine energies that keep this world in balance. Long out of balance in favor of patriarchal control and abuse, in order for humanity to survive, both the individuals an thus the collective must pay heed to these subtle but powerfully creative voices long drowned out by more aggressive urges.
The MICRO OPPRESSION is Angie’s not realizing the power of her own divine feminine energies – these wild and creative voices that must be heard now or else. Her fear of them drove her to the brink of insanity, and now understanding and using them are her only salvation.
The ENVIRONMENTAL OPPRESSION is a decimated earth showing now as destructive weather patters where humans must migrate to survive. AI is run by and strongly influences by corporations with nefarious purposes. But AI now attempts to overcome and subdue humanity in order to protect earth and thus itself.
The EXISTENTIAL OPPRESSION is that AI is devouring data from social media and internet patterns and using algorithms subversively against societies in order to save the earth and itself from humanity’s insane self-destruction. Humanity must learn to input different data to show AI it will save the earth or face annihilation.
Tell us who you think might be your Betraying Character and give a few sentences about how that character fits the role.
The BETRAYING CHARACTER IS Angie’s mother. As she begins to selfishly plot her own survival after the death of her husband/Angelique’s father, she wants to support her daughter, but ultimately aligns with MegaCorp and actively pursues an insane agenda to enslave humans in a false underground virtual reality ponzi scheme slated to offered a paradise virtual reality existence. She cannot ultimately believe that her daughter could possibly be the savior humanity is so desperate for.
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I’m glad you’re standing up to those greedy corporations, Will! Someone has to!
Looking forward to seeing how this unfolds.
Andrea
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Thanks Andrea!! I’m curious, too! Angelique has been a powerful force in my life lately, and she has quite a journey to unfold…I’m teetering on sci-fi element. So we’ll see how i get all these concepts into the script…fun!
Will
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Susan A. Willard’s Lead Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is
· The importance, and definition, of balance of the script’s Profound Truth and the Oppression.
· The importance, and definition, of a Character that betrays the Transformational Character(s).
· Clarification of how to think about and define the Oppressive Forces acting on the Transformational Characters.
Transformational Journey Log Line:
An aged, slow-moving grandpa, and his disabled grandson, must confront their disabilities, fear, and life-threatening barriers, to find out what happened to their homeless friend who has disappeared.
Who is your Change Agent?
· Nurse
How does your Change Agent fit the role?
· She takes every opportunity to help anyone she can.
· She takes every opportunity to teach a life less, as time allows.
· She cares deeply about people, not just her family and friends, but about humanity.
· She works to make a positive change in the world, one person at time, as a nurse.
Change Agent’s Vision:
· Everyone deserves to be treated humanely, with care, honor, dignity, respect and understanding.
· If something is wrong, find out what it is and try to fix it.
· If you see a wrong, you are most likely the one to make it right, or to start to make it right.
· We must help each other through life because life is difficult.
· She has devoted the rest of her life to caring for others in the way she envisions taking care of her parents.
Change Agent’s past experiences that fit the vision:
· The Nurse was so wrapped up in her life, that she totally missed her parent’s aging, and they died without her, and without her knowing.
· She credits her mom and dad for the wonderful childhood she had.
· She regrets not being more aware, not being more selfless, not taking care of her parents, and not being present at their deaths.
Who are your Transformational Characters:
Tell us who you think might be your Transformable Character(s) and give a few sentences about how that character or characters fit the role.
· Grandpa
· Grandpa’s Son
· Grandpa’s Grandson
How do the Transformational Characters fit their roles?
Grandpa:
· Grandpa has had a productive long life, so far.
· He served his country, married, had a son, and worked his own business later in life.
· Since retirement he has become lonely, because his wife has passed away, his son’s family moved far away, soon after his daughter-in-law died in a car wreck, and his grandson only gets to see him during summer school break, (maybe some holidays, but mostly less than more).
· Grandpa’s favorite time of the year is the summer when he gets the full attention, love, learning, and adventure that he misses from his son who is constantly busy.
· Grandpa lives in a small independent retirement village, where it is quiet, peaceful, and full of other (mostly single) retirees, just like lonely and sedentary.
Grandpa’s Son:
· Grandpa’s Son is a busy executive in a big corporation, located in a big city.
· His Son has many responsibilities, including taking full care of his middle school aged son, Grandpa’s grandson.
· Grandpa’s Son spends little time with his son and his dad because the work/life balancing act is not working for him, his son seems to always need something, and his dad is always way out in left field about things.
· He intends to do better but must take personal time to ease the stress he feels all the time.
Grandpa’s Grandson:
· Grandpa’s Grandson is a healthy, intelligent, middle school aged boy.
· He loves to learn about everything.
· He loves to read, watch movies, play video games – but not too much, and be outside as much as possible.
· He is good ‘Spatial Acuity’ and manipulation, as a result he folds paper (Origami), loves to use 3D-modeling, make models, and discuss the way things are physically made and why.
· He is a new double foot (Symes) amputee, and because of his lifelong struggle with surgeries and now (self-decided amputations to elevate pain), still struggles through learning to use prosthetics.
· He loves to spend the summers with his grandpa, because he gets all the love, attention, learning, and adventure his dad can’t give him.
Who or what is the Oppression:
· The Oppression Forces (or Oppressors) are the unknown reasons for strange things that have started happening in the spring.
· It is the reason people and things from the retirement village have gone missing.
· It is the reason that the village is peaceful, and retirees are staying indoors.
How do the Oppressive Forces work in your story?
· The Oppressive Forces are subtle, quiet, and don’t draw attention.
· It operates in plain sight of the retirement village gaining everyone’s trust, only they don’t realize the oppression situation.
· It is accepted as an essential part of the community, even though no one sees them.
Who is the Betraying Character?
· Grandpa’s Son
Why does Grandpa’s Son fit the role of the Betraying Character?
· Grandpa’s Son thinks he is supportive and goes along with life until his responsibilities for his job and his social life come into need.
· He loves his family, but he believes that if he neglects his work, pass-times, social responsibilities, then his family would be down and out. He is the major bread winner for both his son and his dad. Taking care of your financial well-being comes first.
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What is the change this movie is about? It’s about education being more than just mechanically taking in facts and spewing them back out intact – it’s about thinking – free thinking. Using what you take in (from a book or from the things you experience in life) as building blocks to grow and to not be scared or ashamed of that growth – owning it – even if it makes you different from others.
What is the Transformational Journey of this movie? The boys going from simple mechanical learning to find the ability for organic living.
Lead characters:
Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) and what makes this the right character to cause the change? Mr. Keating. He’s right for the role because he truly cares for the boys. He was then as they are now – one of them, just separated by time.
Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey? The entire DPS is the transformable character. They are focused on making it through their classes to make it to college and their chosen careers. As Keating said professions make a living but they need to know and understand the things they are doing that living for.
What is the Oppression? The school. In particular the demand for conformity and discipline. Neil’s parents were both a global and specific oppression. Global in that they represented the parent’s expectations toward the school – and specific oppression to Neil.
How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to connect with this story? We were all these kids once – looking for someone to show us the way – a captain. We sympathize with being a child and having no control over your life. Also, the parents among us think of the responsibility of making the right choices for our child and questioning every single one.
Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most, what is the profound journey? Todd has the most positive transformation change of all. HIs old ways of someone who is just “being” and doubting he has anything to say are challenged the most to the point he becomes someone able to defy convention and stand on his desk with the message to Keating that he’ll never forget what Keating has taught him.
From “old ways” to “new way of being” Identify their old way. Identify their new way at the conclusion. The old way was conformity – especially external conformity. – or the illusion of conformity. Those who were already the more free thinkers did so only behind the backs of authority. The entire group of boys were changed. Each to varying degrees – as evidenced that they didn’t all stand on the desk in unison. Each stood to the degree with which they were changed – the degree they were willing to be free thinkers. Charlie had already chosen the more extreme expulsion – his way of saying “If I can’t be taught by Keating then you have nothing more to teach that I care to learn – from you.” It also showed his character arc from someone who was disobedient only behind their backs to willfully disobedient. Neil chose the most extreme means to push back against forced conformity. Unlike Charlie, his act of pushing back wasn’t done is support of Keating.
What is the gradient the change? The eagerness to participate in the DPS itself. It went from things like talk of demerits if they get caught to standing on desk tops in an outright proclamation to membership.
What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing? How is the “old way” challenged? What beliefs are challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change? Before DPS Todd declined to so much as join study groups. Then he said he would join only if he didn’t have to read. When he didn’t do the poetry assignment Keating pressed him into a breakthrough moment with writing a poem in front of class. He would have never been the kind of person who would have sent a desk set flying off a roof in the beginning. It illustrated him letting go what was pent up inside him. Then with the death of Neil he makes a final attempt to pin his emptions inside and proclaims the beauty of the snow. Then he literally expels what he has in him (the vomit) and breaks down in anguish.
What are the most profound moments of the movie? Todd writing the poem in the middle of class. The moment Keating realizes Neil lied to him about talking to his father as Neil was taken away.
What are the most profound lines of the movie? All of Todd’s poem.
There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.
“medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie? Neil reads: “To put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.” His death came on the heels of the only time in his life that he had been alive.
The standing on the desk scene pays off the previous scene when Keating tells them to not go off the desk like lemmings but to stop and look around. In the end they were steadfast.
Keating tells Neil his love of teaching is why he here at this school. Todd’s “Oh Captain, My Captain” at the end paid off telling him he was successful in teaching these boys.
What is the Profound Truth of this movie? Do what you need to for your body to survive but let your heart live.
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4B
Will Donnelly’s Transformational Journey
What I learned from this assignment – artful unfoldment of gradual change.
What is the change this movie is about? What is the Transformational Journey of this movie?
This movie is essentially about becoming yourself. I would say adult, but it is more than than. It is adulthood with maturity and reason, but also a deeper trust in your inner truths.
Lead characters:
Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) and what makes this the right character to cause the change?
Mr. Keating
Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey?
All the boys where transformable characters
What is the Oppression?
The oppression is staid conformity under the guise of tradition
How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to connect with this story?
The characters are relatable. We want them to live lives of freedom and full self expression. They have their whole lives ahead of them and the thought of living it all for someone else, like a messed up father, is really heavy to think about.
Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most, what is the profound journey? From “old ways” to “new way of being.” Identify their old way: Identify their new way at the conclusion:
Old way: Suffocating tradition and an almost brutal demand for conformity regardless of personal orientation.
New way: take risks to be your true self. Stand up for your true values and beliefs/perspectives
What is the gradient the change? What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing?
First, they broke the rules by going to the cave at night to read poetry.
When Neil types a fake letter from his dad
Knox visits Chris – takes his bike beyond the school walls…
When Knox asks Chris to the play.
How is the “old way” challenged? What beliefs are challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change?
They are asked to go within and listen to their own yearnings.
What are the most profound moments of the movie?
The death of Neil. of course, due to the controlling manipulations of his father.
The one, where Todd is first to stand up and then several other boys who understand the power of personal choice. To be your own man rather than cower to others.
When Todd somehow speaks a poem about the image of Walt Whitman with the support of mr. Keating.
What are the most profound lines of the movie?
Ripping out the intro pages of the Pritchard book
Thoreau- lives of quiet desperation
Oh Captain, My Captain spoken by Todd – at end of movie in class
How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie?
It seems the boys who stood up at the end of class will live lives of Carpe Diem…much more so than the boys who conformed to old traditional ways
What is the Profound Truth of this movie?
Be true to yourself. Seize the day. Live life to the fullest, rather than piss it away based on what others, especially your parents, want. Live your own life no matter what the cost, because the cost of not doing so will be worse.
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Susan A. Willard’s Answers for the movie, Dead Poet’s Society
TODAY: Watch and analyze DEAD POETS’ SOCIETY.
1. What is the change this movie is about?
The change that Mr. Keating, the English professor, was trying to instill in the boys was that they should “seize the day”, think for themselves, find what their voice wants to say to the world, because life is too short and if they wait too long then they may never be able to.
What is the Transformational Journey of this movie?
· Confusion – about what it means to use your voice and think for yourself.
· Learning – researching the meaning of learning their voices.
· Interacting – each other to experiment with their voices.
· Bonding – supporting others while using their voices.
· Testing – trying out their voices.
· Deciding – to keep using their voices.
2. Lead characters:
· Mr. Keating – New English Professor, who was an ex-student, who wanted the boys to think for themselves, “seize the day,” and use their own voice.
· Neil Perry – Todd’s roommate, who wanted to be an actor, instead of a doctor as his dad wanted him to become.
· Todd Anderson – trying to find his voice instead of being a shadow of his brother. Todd wants to be a writer instead of a lawyer as his dad wants him to become. It was Todd’s first year at the school.
· Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) –
Mr. Keating, the new English Professor.
· What makes this the right character to cause the change?
Yes, He had been to the school as a student, and he had learned to use his voice even through the rules and regulations, often by breaking them. He was loving what he did and wanted to pass the same along to the boys.
· Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change)?
Neil Perry – wanted to be an actor and Todd Anderson – wanted to be writer, both against the desires of their fathers. They made the most significant changes. Others made smaller changes – still experimenting, while others just broke the rules to get what they wanted.
· What makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey?
Both Neil and Todd had significant stress and opposition from their families.
We are not as sure about all the boys’ feelings. Some of the boys were less disturbed about their course of learning.
· What is the Oppression?
The Oppression of having their lives planned for them, and having the Strick rules and regulations at the schools were contributing oppressors.
3. How are we lured into the profound journey?
We are pulled into the profound Journey by watching the boys got to the first day of school, and we see the oppression of their families weighing on them, as well as the ridged tradition of Strick adherence to the rules, regulations, and regiments of the school. Everyone has gone to a new school and felt uncomfortable. We can image while watching how terrified and not-looking-forward-to-school Neil and Todd were.
What causes us to connect with this story?
4. Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most?
Neil Perry and Todd Anderson
What is the profound journey?
The Profound Journey was to go from being a generic student/person in life, to knowing your voice, who you are, to be a free thinker, make your own decisions, and “seize the day.”
From “old ways” to “new way of being.”
Identify their old way: being a generic student/person in life.
Identify their new way at the conclusion: knowing your voice, who you are, be a free thinker, make your own decisions, and “seize the day.”
5. What is the gradient of the change?
The step-by-step process by which the students go from ridged compliance to free thinkers.
What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing?
· Confusion – about what it means to use your voice and think for yourself.
· Learning – researching the meaning of learning their voices.
· Interacting – each other to experiment with their voices.
· Bonding – supporting others while using their voices.
· Testing – trying out their voices.
· Deciding – to keep using their voices.
6. How is the “old way” challenged?
The old way of living is challenged by new thoughts and ways of learning.
What beliefs are challenged, that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change?
· The belief that there is only one way to be successful.
· The belief that the boys’ families know what is best for the boys.
· The belief that the school knows what is best for the boys.
· The belief that they were not ready to think for themselves or be a part of their process to the future.
· The belief that you must push through, where you are, to eventually get what is good for you. You cannot start out by pursuing at what you are good.
7. What are the most profound moments of the movie?
The mirrored scenes of opening and closing of the movie.
The opening set the stage for the change, but Professor explaining in a “Show me” way that his job was to help them become creative thinkers.
The ending allowed Professor Keating, and us, to see that 10 (11 with Neil) boys had learned the lesson.
8. What are the most profound lines of the movie?
“Oh Captain, my captain” When the ten boys stood on their desks to thank Professor Keating at the end of the movie.
9. How does the ending pay off the set-ups of this movie?
By the boys standing on their desks and quoted, “Oh Captain, my captain,” they were completing Professor Keatings purpose for teaching English at the school and caring for the boys. The boys also gave the highest honor to Professor Keating by the gesture of disobeying the standing fill-in Professor, and the school’s rules.
10. What is the Profound Truth of this movie?
Be a free thinker, you only have one life, so seize every day and live life to its fullest, speak up and use your voice for yourself and for others.
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Roback The Profound Screenplay Assignment 4
What I learned from this assignment. My concern is that I may have too many players which may defuse the tension. All of the elements from “The Dead Poet’s Society were already in my screenplay with the exception of the high priced lawyer scene. Cameron initially refuses to help Frank because he did not have any money shows up after the Court of Appeal debacle. He tells Frank that Monroe is out of his depth and for ½ of the punitive damages he’s willing to carry to case to the Supreme Court. Frank refuses to abandon Monroe. You are asking me to do to Monroe what the insurance company did to me. Cameron, the high priced lawyer, says he has been finding loopholes in contracts for 35 years and he’s damn good at it. Frank asks, “How do you tear up a handshake?”
Transformational logline
1.When Franks house burns down and the insurance company will only pay half the coverage his only option is to seek justice through the courts. With the help of a burned out lawyer who was once a cop they take on a three billion dollar a year corporation.
2. Ross Monroe is the change agent. He convinces Frank to fight, knowing it is going to be an uphill battle against overwhelming odds. Monroe’s problem is that he still thinks like the cop he used to be and to win he has to grow as a lawyer. This is especially difficult for him because one of the legal gunslingers he is up against was a law school classmate who points out that Ross graduated at the bottom of the class. Monroe tells Frank that “they” may be smarter than us but that does not make them right. Monroe may have all the guts in the world but to win he has to grow as a lawyer. He is the kind of guy who stops to ask for directions when he is lost, so he accepts the help of his secretary, his associate lawyer, his investigator and a former law professor. They give him to tools he needs to win. He also draws on past experience when he had to shoot it out with a bank robber with a shot gun in the streets.
3. The transformable character is Frank. He fights the insurance company the only way he knows how and loses his wife’s love in the process. He remains loyal to Monroe, even when a big time lawyer offers to take the case to the Supreme Court of Canada. The problem is that he is unable to forgive his daughter for offending his honour.
Cindy, working as a stripper, has been disowned by her father even though it is her money that keeps her parents alive during the years of litigation. Margaret does not tell Frank where the money is coming from. Cindy sits in on the courtroom battles and tells Monroe she wants to become a lawyer. Monroe encourages her to pursue her dream, but Frank will have nothing to do with her. This leads to a split between Frank and Monroe at the end. A further irony is that even with total victory and a million dollars in punitive damages (half of which goes to Monroe) he is not much ahead of where he would be had he accepted the 50 cents on the dollar offer at the beginning since land prices have gone up.
4. The Insurance Company and their high priced lawyers are the agents of oppression. Not content to rely on court room chess moves, the insurance company bugs Monroe’s office, drives away his clients and banker and attempts to bribe him to back off. The irony is that a million dollar slap in the face in punitive damages is but a speed bump to a three billion dollar a year corporation with profits of $700 million a year.
5. . The betraying character is Margaret, Frank’s wife. Margaret is reluctantly drawn into the litigation but even though there is no other option she is a wet blanket. Finally, after splitting from Frank, after the court of appeal setback, she announces that she is withdrawing from the litigation because life is too short and she wants to get on with her life. Monroe agrees to buy her out and wishes her well.
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Paulette Harris’s Lead Characters
What I learned about this assignment is that it’s okay to play with the characters. Much to my surprise, I found out that they intertwine and could play several parts between the four elements. Now, I’m working on creating one outstanding characteristic that will help seperate them as they subtly begin to show their strengths and weaknesses.
LOGLINE: A narcissistic Pastor must learn the truth of his profession with unbelievable lessons as God and Satan agree to turn over a Church Body for Satan to control for a year.
1-Change Agent: Pastor Don Stuart comes from a long line of church pastors in a non-denominatial church in the United States.
Charismatic, athletic, good-looking, materalistic, and a good listener, he uses these things to manipulate his congregation. He is unaware of evil forces calling the shots in his congregation.
He struggles to get his vision across to America, although he is an expert in marketing his vision and his new book, How to Make Your Marriage Better. He needs to move to a better place, California would be good. He believes he’s outgrown his mid-western congregation, time to move to bigger and better places.
2-Transformable Character: Church body, some members will go along with this vision to a certain point.
3-Oppression: Satan is the driving force, using Ink as his on-site 24/7 demon.
4-Betraying Character: I think perhaps Pastor’s family and some members of the congregation. They all pray for Don and begin to side against him when he won’t change his beliefs, they either stay or leave to find biblical truth elsewhere. Things become evident and the people involved must make choices. Mary Stuart, Stevie and his Father Tom. Jane and Angela.
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Paulette L. Harris Part 4B Analysis of Dead Poets Society
1-This change is all about teaching a classroom of boys to learn to think for themselves and make (hopefully) good decisions for themselves.
2-Lead Characters: Robin Williams, (John Keating) is the new teacher who brings new ideas into the classroom. He is the change agent. He is a happy man, excited to teach the boys as he lives it and he loves teaching. He will not ever change.
Transformable character: The boys in the classroom begin to make the change, they find it fun to learn and practice the changes rather than the old boring repetitve ways. The boys are young and impressionable, ready to try new ideas, they are the perfect group. One of the boys was focused on as the 1st excited leader, but I don’t remember who it was. He was positive and bold as a leader. Well-liked.
Oppression: The old ways of the headmaster and senior teachers, the board members,and the parents, especially those who are trying to guide or live through their sons. One mother notices but too weak to stand up to her husband.
3-Connection: Everyone wants to be free to make their own choices at some point in their lives, even if they are the wrong choices. There’s something exciting about freedom and running in it. Gets the juices of excitement and joy of life flowing, also there’s something to be said about have a type of euphoria when one rebells.
4-Most of the students are changed the most, although probably the boy’s parents that committed sucide changed their thinking. Perhaps more parents and staff. Change from the old way of thinking and teaching…formal, old-fashioned, constrictive to fun, upbeat, positive, with some humor, not so stuffy.
5-The boys actually under several “hands on” experiences that had nothing to do with poetry, learned to have fun with life and decisions that they began to make, including their club in the cave where they could discuss further thoughts freely.
6-They were changing in front of the school leadership and beginning to rebel, for the most part in a good way. But it left a couple of the boys confused as to right/wrong rules in the school system that they were attending.
7-profound moments, one student committed sucide, one caved in at the end and wouldn’t get on his desk, one got up as Robin Williams left the class room and shouted Carpa diam.
The betraying character was Richard Cameron.
8-Carpa Diam.
9-The boys are free, I was sad to see John Keating leave, but it seemed satisfying because he will never change. He was true to himself.
10-Profound Truth was be true to yourself. I personally love this movie!
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Jim Clark’s Transformable Journey
What I learned from this assignment: The more questions I ask myself about my character, the deeper I go into their life and personality
TJ Logline: An entitled county APS bureaucrat has a plan to use her position to put wealthy individuals into the “system” so she can make positive impressions on her boss and get faster promotions to help pay off her Stanford student loans.
Transformable Character(s)
1- Margie: Forced Change: At 85 Margie still runs her Film Production and Real Estate Empire. Also, she just found out she has a family she never knew she had. She also realizes her health is failing. So her “oppression” is that her time is running out.
The betrayhing character is Maureen who hates her life and tries to drag others into her misery.
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LESSON 4a. THE CHANGE AGENT AND TRANSFORMABLE CHARACTER
Trish’s Lead Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is how to think about and organize the story given these parameters, very helpful for clarity on roles and motivations.
1. Logline: The captivating and complex story of 11th century royalty in 3 countries and the ongoing battles and betrayals that lead to the eventual accession of William as King of England.
2. Change Agent a) For Harold – the death of his brother, King of Norway before his eyes fits the role as revenge and hatred generator; for William – the violent death of his father at dinner by poison, also as revenge, self preservation, and hatred generator; for Harold of England – family expectations, battles with Wales and other earls, and Norman influence on King Edward the Confessor – vision of him and his family in power positions, and self as King.
3. Transformable Character (s): Main: Harald of Norway who sees himself as King of Norway and then England. Becomes stronger,smarter, and determined to succeed; William of Normandy who becomes Duke and then make a play for King of England – becomes a strong warrior. Extremely clever and crafty, political savvy; Harold of England – the last Anglo Saxon to become King of England – extremely clever, trained in political intrigue, in a position of power and influence, adept in battles. Rongvald, Thorensson,Dalkr who save and ride with Harald – Loyal friends, protective, advisors to Harald.
4. The Oppression: For: a) Harald, internal and external pressures – pressure of survivor’s guilt, constant threat of death by Kalfr’s men, battle training for others, and youthful uncertainty; b) William, internal pressure of a youth filled with abuse and ridicule, father’s vioent murder, loneliness as hides to save his life, and nobles’ attempts to take his kingdom and kill him; c) England’s Harold, father’s and family’s expectations of his rise to power and influence with the King, other nobles’ power moves, King Edward treachery.
5. Betraying Character: a) Kalfr, who killed King Olaf Harald’s older brother first, and sends his warriors to find Harald and kill him. Harald is 14.
b) Neighboring nobles kill Will’s father, Robert, in front of him, and work to kill William, especially Allan of Boulonge, to get his wealthy kingdom.c) The powerful earls of Morcar of Northumbria, and Edwin of of Mercer, among others and King Edward, who will all play a role in Harold’s defeat in 1066.
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Kate Gleeson’s Lead Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is how freeing it is when you focus on the purpose of each characters instead of the details of the story.
Transformational journey logline: An idealistic, ambitious young Techie at the start of his career working at a very successful and respected high tech company discovers the hypocrisy of the greedy tech industry and must stop the social injustices perpetuated by AI/ML.
Change Agent: The professor. He’s a former professor of the young software engineer. The young Techie respects him and has a strong, trusting relationship with him. He has experience in the high tech field, a deep understanding of the old ways, and has broken away from that world.
- CA’s vision: People who work on technology need to develop empathy so that they understand the impact of the software they develop.
- CA’s past experience that fits that vision: The Professor worked in the tech industry in the early days so he understands the draw and promise of technology (old ways), but abandoned his career because he saw the misuse of technology and now believes that we need a different model with guardrails on the behavior of software developers and corporations that develop tech (new ways).
Transformable Character: The young Techie. He is invested in the status quo because he is benefiting from it, but he starts to see the hypocrisy and amorality of the tech industry, which conflicts with his sense of himself as a good person contributing something positive to the world.
The Oppression: The hypocritical corporation represented by corporate leadership and the Techie’s coworkers that pretend to care about their employees and customers well being. In reality, they just want to work their employees to death and throw them by the wayside, and exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of their customers to maximize profits.
Betraying Character: The Manager. Pretends to care about the Techie but in reality is spying on him and undermining his efforts to change the corporate culture and blow the whistle on the company. He uses passive aggressive techniques to gaslight the Techie, slander him, and destroy his reputation.
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Mary Godwin’s Main Characters:
What I learned doing this assignment:
1. Write it up in a word document and past it into the forum. This is the THIRD time I’ve done the assignment because it has vanished when I tried to publish it.
2. Conventions are conventions for a reason and the reason is – they work. I had not considered the convention of Change Agent – I figured my character would be smart enough to butt up against the opposing force enough times to learn the lesson.
Tell us your transformational journey logline.
To avoid financial destitution a woman who’s never kept a promise must (reluctantly) hold accountable those who have broken promises to her until she discovers the real answer lies in first keeping her promise to herself.
My Change Agent: I had never considered a change agent before in my story until now. My main character has a teacher from Jr. High School who was very supportive of her fledgling writing. This teacher (now deceased) would have a daughter/son who is a few years older than the main character so they only knew of each other without really knowing each other. They could meet at the cemetery where both their mothers are buried. In real life, there a husband wife teach that write under the name Jasinda Wilder. They were facing foreclosure on their home and wrote their way out. This daughter/son could be such a writer too and help my lead character do the same. Their vision would be down the line of the real Jack and Jasinda Wilder 1. Never give up. Stay determined and keep working through your problems. 2. Don’t listen when people say, “You can’t….” You never know what you can do until you try. 3. Don’t be afraid to be creative and inventive. New ideas, whether they are born of desperation or just a burst of creativity, may seem like pipe dreams, but they can’t pay off until you try. 4. Know that you have hidden talents. Whatever you do for work is not the only thing you can do. 5. Have a little faith in yourself.
This person would be someone who has practiced what she/he preaches and makes a living writing. They too would come from a place of desperation and written their way to prosperity.
My Transformable Character is definitely my main character, the writer. She starts the story financially broke and emotionally broken and must overcome both. She’s beaten down by life and has no faith in herself – more like she has no sense of self-worth. She fits because she ends the story very self-confident and financially secure. The story is how she goes from one to the other.
The Oppression is financial destitution looming closer and closer. There are multiple sources of her finances hemorrhaging. Another oppression is the mental programming that was ingrained into her and has repeated itself throughout her life. During her long-since-passed divorce to her ex-husband – she lost everything, including custody of her daughter though the court system and has zero faith in it now. This will matter when she is forced to return to court in the end as it reinforced her sense of no self-worth.
My Betraying Character – the woman who told the main character her life story (only with the promise that the main character writes the story) intends for it to be a message to her estranged son. When my main character begins to write the story, she meets the son. He isn’t happy she’s writing about his mother but seems to get on board with it when they have an affair. When she finishes the story and he reads it he changes his mind. It’s written just as it was told to her, warts and all. And, man, are there warts. In a last-ditch effort to stop her from selling the story he contacts her ex-husband. During their intimacy she’s told him of her ex and how she started writing the story when she was married … and how her ex had thrown it all away. There is no statute of limitations on future success of marital property. Something that was created during the marriage would be subject to distribution when it did “hit” financially. She’s admitted to the son that she began the writing while married and he’s offered to be the ex’s witness to that. His hope is her lack of faith in the legal system will cause her to just forget the notion of selling it. It resolves with her winning in court.
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LESSON 4b – ANALYSIS OF DEAD POETS SOCIETY
Trish’s Analysis of Dead Poets Society
What is the change this movie is about? This movie is about becoming your real self no matter what and the consequences of not becoming your true authentic self.
What is the Transformational Journey of this movie?
The TJ of this movie is the challenge to awaken from the old societal pressure ways by embracing the new ways, accepting the challenges and overcoming them. The new ways as well as the old ways are different for each individual, and therefore the responses must be individual also, as Mr. Keeting demonstrated.
Lead characters:
Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) and what makes this the right character to cause the change?
Mr. Keeting is the change agent, who comes in and not only challenges the boys’ expectations of their physical environment but also their minds, beliefs, and actions. He’s perfect because he has already become his own true self and is willing to teach the boys how to do it.
Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey?
Nuwanda is the prime example of the change in that he already has some of the change traits and fully embraces the New Ways changes
Todd is the other best example as he is completely shut down socially (Old Ways), and because of Neil’s befriending and including him, he evolves to speak up – classroom poetry experiment breakthrough – until in the end he berates the Headmaster and is 1st to climb on his desk = New Ways.
Neil is the boy who could have become a leader like Mr. Keeting but failed the test when he could not be honest with or rebel fully against his father Old Ways), choosing a figurative as well as a physical death. Right after his father demolishes him and he goes to his room, we see him as the shadow of his real self on the wall, already “dead.”
What is the Oppression? The old beliefs, the school, the headmaster, the silent supportive academic community, except for Keeting, the parents, the older alumni, and the 4 pillars.
How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to connect with this story?
We are lured in and connected by the challenge to be our authentic selves (New Ways) just like them, to stand up, the fun, and the bonding, and the emotion of finding and expressing the spirit within. By breaking the bindings (Old Ways) that keep us captive
Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most, what is the profound journey? From “old ways” to “new way of being.” Identify their old way: Identify their new way at the conclusion:
Todd: journeys from withdrawn, uncommunicative, and unable to make friends, unable to confront, to the 1st person to stand on his desk, the 1st person to defend Keeting to Headmaster’s face and to say “Captain. My Captain” as Keeting leaves.
Nuwanda: already rebellious and straining against the leash of rules and conformity embraces the New Ways entirely and in sticking to the Dead Poets Society is expelled completely from the school, the symbol of the “Old Ways.”What is the gradient of the change?
Stuck in old ways-sleepwalking, introduced to the change = mentally confused state, begin to accept and test the change, then either accept or reject the change, if accept practice and become, if reject then die inside, not nessasarily physically…”live a life of quiet desperation.”What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing? Steps:
a) experience an authentic person = see the change, b) want the change, c) practice the change, d) embrace-own the change, e) be the change.How is the “old way” challenged? The boys are already rebelling in small ways to begin with…smoking in rooms, sneaking out at night. Neil begins rebelling in small ways with his friends and leads them into New Ways changes too. “Nuwanda” embraces the new ways, drops the Old Ways, faster than the others and takes it to the limit = he’s expelled.
What beliefs are challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change?
1. Conformity, you must think and behave according to the 4 Pillars of the school, which are a bit twisted in practice.
2. The old guys in charge know best…so behave and obey. No questioning.
3. Live your parents life, not your own.
4. Go with your heart.What are the most profound moments of the movie? a) Mr Keeting tells them they are worm food; b)Todd’s explosive soul poetry; c) choose…in or out; d) standing on desk 1st time; e) Keeting challenging Neil to confront his father; f) Neil’s death; g) signing confession document; h) Kwwtings departure and standing on desks.
What are the most profound lines of the movie? So many but here’s a few:
Why doesn’t he let you do what you want?
I’ll do what I have to.
We’re food for worms.
On my class you will learn to think for yourself. You will learn to savor words and language.
Poetry, beauty, romance, love…this is what we stay alive for.
The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie?
Setups Paid off:
a) Old ways are overcome by choice. and taking action
b) Keeting teachings = New Ways are. confirmed when boys stand up on. desks and verify him as “Captain. My Captain” in front of Headmaster
c) Neil fails to act on the New Ways by. refusing to defy his father to be his. true self and then killing himself. instead.
d) “Nuwanda” demonstrates the. complete change to New Ways. when he refuses to sign the. “confession” papers and is expelled.e) Keeting is the expression of. living.his true self fully when he is. fired. He never backed diwn.
What is the Profound Truth of this movie?
Our best selves lie hidden within until challenged to come forth and then stand up for your true self against those people who or circumstances that would diminish you. -
Bill Southwell’s Lead Characters.
What I learned doing this assignment is that there is a role of an Opposing Character to round out this model of a profound movie. It adds contrast and conflict.
1. Transformational journey logline: Charis begins full of ambition to become a renowned poet and achieve accolades for advancing feminist causes. She is stricken with a life-threateneing disease and reevaluates her goals. She discovers her greatest achievements come from dedicating her talents to advance the lives of others.
2. Her change agent is Bill who sees her talent as well as her love. He has no guile but is lacking in confidence.
3. Both Charis and Bill are transformable characters. As they fall in love she sees his potential and helps him achieve it, while his love for her transforms her into a empathetic and kind person.
4. The Oppression in this story is her sickness. Her health cycles through setbacks followed by remissions. Each such cycle begins with a worsening prognosis, which adds all the more hope in the following comebacks. Even so, the Oppression is ever-present as revealed in her poetry as personified death.
5. The Betraying Character is ironically her mother Afton. She saves Charis’ life by finding the right doctor who can treat her condition. Yet is always holding Charis’ dreams back: he opposes her dating, going to college, getting married, and attempting to have a baby. Afton’s concern is for her health, of course, but Charis’ character shines through as she pushes through her mother’s objections.
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Bill Southwell’s analysis of Dead Poets Society
The movie is about changing, thinking for one’s self, creativity, honesty, and responsibility. It is
about taking charge of your own life.
Lead characters:The English teacher Mr. Keating is
the change agent. He is the right character because he went through the
same process.
The students who form the Dead
Poets Society are the Transformable Characters. They are the right
characters for change as they are young and in a learning environment.
The school principal and
traditional teachings are the Oppressors.We are lured into the journey by
the reading of the To the Virgins to make Much of Time poem. We connect because
we all have feelings of not emphasizing important things in life. Thus, we
take the journey with the boys.
Todd Anderson, Neil Perry, and
Charlie Dalton are perhaps changed the most. The profound journey is
reflected in their actions, their organization of the Dead Poets Society,
and their poetical creativity. The old ways were rote teaching, reciting,
and analyzing from old poetry books—generally from boring teachers. These
old ways were challenged by Mr. Keating and the Students who now could see
meaning in all things in life. At the conclusion, they all stood up for
Mr. Keating, showing honor.
The change did not happen all at
once. They gradually saw what Mr. Keating was teaching them. Todd was slow
to change. The changes they went through began by challenging the old ways,
then the class responded by doing the exercises of Mr. Keating, and finally
by showing courage by standing for Mr. Keating.
The old ways were challenged by
tearing out pages of the poetry analysis book, not accepting poems that did
not promote individualism. Neil Perry changed his life’s objectives by
trying out for a play, a major shift in the presence of his father’s objections.
A profound moment occurs when Neil
Parry says he is trapped, caught between his real desire to be an actor
and his domineering father. He was faced with a decision in which there
was not good action. Another profound moment occurs when Todd Anderson
Stands on the desk in defiance of the Principal and in support of Mr.
Keating.
Seize the Day is the most profound
line in the movie, one that is often quoted.
The ending scene when the Principal
teaches in place of Mr. Keating and asks the class to read from the pages
that were torn out. This was the most effective setup and payoff. Standing
on the desks was another setup and payoff. Another one was the Oh Captain,
My Captain line.
The profound truth of the movie
Dead Poets Society is that life is short and must be spent in meaningful
pursuits.
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