Dead Poets Society Relationships Essay Essay

Due to their complex nature, human familys make up many challenges thus making them integral in the shaping of an individuals get downs. These complexities are practically caused by the power dynamic, where bingle parties assumes dominance over the other. Peter Weirs 1989 inject, Dead Poets Society explores the consuming birth between Neil and his flummox where Neils true self is stifled in his role as the compliant son. Similarly in Roger Dean Kisers short story Elvis Died at Florida groom College (referred to as Elvis), the oppressive human relationship between the orphan and his matron negatively affects his experiences, resulting in a suppression of identity operator.Complexities in addition arise from the leave out of power in relationships as shown through Neil and Mr Keating where the authoritative figure of the mentor is undermined by his student.However, this is not always the case as in 48 Shades of Brown by pass Earl where a relationship between Dan and hi s Aunt get outs for the discovery of independence and development of self. The complexity of power dynamics within relationships may suppress an individuals identity in order to conform to the expectations of the other. In Dead Poets society, the relationship that Neil has with his start is atypical of a fetch-son relationship in the fact that the confidence lies with the father. However, what differentiates this relationship from other father-son relationships is the extreme power dynamic between the two where Neils father is overly controlling to the point where he dictates his sons life.The nature of the relationship is portrayed the beginning of the film when Neils father pins him up against a wall upon discovering Neil had chosen to undertake additional extracurricular activities. This action, accompanied with a high angle short of Neils father, communicates his extreme dominance in their relationship. Neils overt heating for performance is suppressed as he is subdued by the expectations of his father, forcing him to maintain a front as the academic student.This entrapment is expressed through the recurring theme of inside-outside where Neil constantly gazes out the windows of the pragmatic bring in at the romantic natural world which seems far out of reach, embodying his longing to escape from his father. Thus it is Neils relationship with his father governs his decision making, hindering the development of his true identity. Similarly to DPS, Roger Dean Kiser explores the abuse of authority in relationship in his short story Elvis.The plot follows the first person point of opine of an orphan boy who anticipates getting an Elvis haircut only to have his head shaved when his matron does not allow for it. The complex nature of the relationship between the orphan and his matron is conveyed in his first person narration where he addresses her as the matron rather than my matron thus creating a signified of disconnection between the two. The use of t he word the alike evokes a sense of sovereignty reflecting her overbearing dominance on the orphan boy.As a result, the divests attempt to create his own identity is denied when he does not receive his Elvis haircut barely rather has it all his hair shaven off in the selfsame(prenominal) manner that his sense of individuality is stripped from him. This harsh dictatorship on the matrons part denies the growth of the orphans sense of self as his hopes of becoming like Elvis are metaphorically killed as reflected by the anticipate of the short story. Hence, it can be seen in Dead Poets and Elvis that those complexities which arise from the exploitation of power in relationships can have a negative impact upon an individual, impeding the development of self-identity.Although the abuse of power in relationships may have negative impacts on an individual, a lack of authority in a relationship may have equally bad consequences. The relationship that Mr Keating has with the boys in par ticular Neil in Dead Poets juxtaposes that of Neil and his father the power play distributed evenly between student and mentor. This can be seen through the eye-level shots in the film representing them as equals in the mentor-student relationships thus allowing Neil to be comfortable and himself around his mentor.The colloquial language which Neil employs around Mr Keating juxtaposes the perfunctory and distant language and tone such as yes sir of which he expresses around his father. However, as Mr Keating brings himself down to the same level as Neil, his authority is undermined as seen when he tells the boys that Theres a time for dauntless and theres a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for and when he advises Neil to express to his father how he feels.On both occasions, his advice is ignored resulting in Neils suicide and the demise of the Dead Poets Society emphasising consequence of the complexities which arose from the lack of a dominant role in his student-mentor relationship with Neil and the boys. On the contrary, the lack of authority in the relationship can also have cocksure effects on the experience of an individual as seen inNick Earls novel 48 Shades of Brown. The novel delves into the locomote of protagonist Dans self-discovery as he moves away from his pay off Madge in Geneva and in with his new-fashioned aunt Jacq in Brisbane.The two prevalent relationships within this book are Dans relationship with his mother and his aunt of which contrast greatly. Alike to Dead Poets Society, Madge possesses a controlling relationship with Dan however unlike Neil and his father the terms of this power dynamic stems from Madges imposed perception of Dans fragility which has driven her to bollocks him in order to shield him from the world. This has resulted in Dan lacking independence and identity as his decisions are often governed by his mother. The quote Theres still the concern, though, that its all up to me now.As tho ugh, in the past, if Id forgotten something really important my mother would have remembered and things would have been okay convey Dans anxiety when suddenly removed from the confines of this relationship. Due to the close age gap, and the coolness of his aunt, the relationship between Dan and Jacq is more or less a friendship. The absence of a dominant figure which controls him allows, and rather aided by the support and encouragement from his Aunt Dan becomes more in strung-out and in the process develops a stronger sense-of-self.This is seen through the exchange of post cards between Dan and his mother which decreases as he becomes less dependent upon her. Thus the egalitarian relationship between Dan and his aunt has a positive impact on his experiences. Whether positive or negative, the complexities in relationships shape our experiences in the world. More often than not, these complexities present challenges to individuals however when overcome one can then define themselves and take control over their life.