Dead Poets Society
surprised.
“That was a
ridiculous stunt, Mr. Dalton,” Keating said harshly.
“You’re siding with
Mr. Nolan?” Charlie said in disbelief. “What about Carpe Diem and sucking allthe marrow out of life and all that?”
“Sucking out the
marrow doesn’t mean getting the bone stuck in your throat, Charles. There is a
place for daring and a place for caution, and a wise man understands which is
called for.” Keating said.
“But I thought...”
Charlie stammered.
“Getting expelled
from this school is not an act of wisdom or daring. It’s far from perfect but
there are still opportunities to be had here.”
“Yeah?” Charlie
answered angrily. “Like what?“
“Like, if nothing
else, the opportunity to attend my classes, understand?”
Charlie smiled.
“Yes, sir.”
Keating turned
toward the other Dead Poets pledges, who stood nearby waiting for Charlie. “So
keep your heads about you—the lot of you!” he ordered.
“Yes, sir,” they
said. Keating smiled slightly and left.
The next day the
boys sat in Keating’s classroom and watched their teacher walk to the board and
scrawl the word “COLLEGE” in big bold letters.
“Gentlemen,” he
said, “today we will consider a skill which is indispensable for getting the
most out of college—analyzing books you haven’t read. ” He paused and looked
around as the boys laughed.
College will
probably destroy your love for poetry. Hours of boring analysis, dissection,
and criticism will see to that. College will also expose you to all manner of
literature—much of it transcendent works of magic that you must devour; some of
it utter dreck that you must avoid like the plague.”
He paced in front of
the class as he spoke. “Suppose you are taking a course entitled, ‘Modern
Novels.’ All semester you have been reading masterpieces such as the touching Père
Goriot by Balzac and the moving Fathers and Sons by Turgenev, but
when you receive your assignment for your final paper, you discover that you
are to write an essay on the theme of parental love in The Doubtful
Debutante, a novel—and I use that term generously here—by none other than
the professor himself.”
Keating looked at
the boys with a raised eyebrow and then continued. “After reading the first
three pages of the book, you realize that you would rather volunteer for combat
than waste your precious earthly time infecting your mind with this sewage, but
do you despair? Take an F? Absolutely not. Because you are prepared.”
The boys watched and
listened intently. Keating continued to pace. “Open The Doubtful Deb and
learn from the jacket that the book is about Frank, a farm equipment salesman
who sacrifices everything to provide his social-climbing daughter, Christine,
with the debut she so desperately desires. Begin your essay by disclaiming the
need to restate the plot while at the same time regurgitating enough of it to
convince the professor that you’ve read the book.
“Next, shift to
something pretentious and familiar. For instance, you might write, ‘What is
remarkable to note are the similarities between the author’s dire picture of
parental love and modern Freudian theory. Christine is Electra, her
father is a fallen Oedipus.
“Finally, skip to
the obscure and elaborate like this...” Keating paused, then read, “‘What is
most remarkable is the novel’s uncanny connection with Hindu Indian philosopher
Avesh Rahesh Non. Rahesh Non discussed in painful detail the discarding of
parents by children for the three-headed monster of ambition, money, and social
success.’ Go on to discuss Rahesh Non’s theories about what feeds the monster,
how to behead it, et cetera, et cetera. End by praising the professor’s
brilliant writing and consummate courage in introducing The Doubtful Deb to you.”
Meeks raised his
hand. “Captain... what if you don’t know anything about someone like Rahesh
Non?”
“Rahesh Non never
existed, Mr. Meeks. You make him, or someone like him, up. No self-important
college professor would dare admit ignorance of such an obviously important
figure, and you will probably receive a comment like the one I received.”
Keating picked up a
paper on his desk and read from it to the class: “‘Your allusions to Rahesh Non
were insightful and well presented. Glad to see that someone besides myself
appreciates this great but forgotten Eastern master. A-plus.’”
He dropped the paper
back on his desk. “Gentlemen, analyzing
Weitere Kostenlose Bücher