Every aspect of Welton Academy points to the founders' particular beliefs: the necessity of conformity. The beginning of the film starts with the students reciting "Tradition, Honor, Discipline, and Excellence". Expectations are as defined by those four words. When Mr. Keating becomes teacher, he encourages the students to express themselves in their own way. In his unconventional teaching style, he is misunderstood and rejected by the staff. Despite the danger of losing his job, Mr. Keating encourages non-conformity through expressing the idea of the Dead Poets Society. This results in removal from his job in the end of the film.
Neil, representing non-conformity in the film, places himself in danger by his actions. It was expected of Welton Academy graduates to continue to become distinguished doctors and lawyers. When his father found that Neil wanted to be an actor, he demanded that his son quit acting and focus on his studies. The result of his father's demands was Neil's suicide. Non-conformity could have lead to a superior teacher and a successful actor. Due to the conformist ways at Welton Academy, the results were firing Mr. Keating and Neil's suicide.
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