How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Dead Poets Society.
Quote #4
MR. KEATING: Let me dispel a few rumors so they don't fester into facts. Yes, I too attended "Hellton", and I survived. And no, at that time I wasn't the mental giant you see before you. I was the intellectual equivalent of a 98-pound weakling. I would go to the beach and people would kick copies of Byron in my face.
With his opening statement to his new students, Mr. Keating employs an entirely different approach than Headmaster Nolan. He emphasizes how uninformed and mentally puny he was when he attended Welton, rather than lauding Welton's virtues and excellence. He even makes fun of Welton (imagine Nolan's shock) by calling it "Hellton."
He further bucks tradition by addressing the students in the hallway, while they're standing, rather than at their desks. This jarring first day of class helps him shake up their preconceived notions about what Welton has to offer them. It's definitely an untraditional approach.
Quote #5
NEIL: What was the Dead Poets Society?
MR. KEATING: I doubt the present administration would look too favorably on that.
Neil: Why? What is it?
MR. KEATING: Gentlemen, can you keep a secret? The Dead Poets were dedicated to sucking the marrow out of life. That's the phrase from Thoreau we'd invoke at the beginning of every meeting.
Even secret societies have rituals and traditions. In the DPS, the meetings begin with some Thoreau and follow a certain pattern. Why? It's anyone's guess. That's just the way traditions work. People observe them and keep them alive. That's why Neil decides to conduct the newest incarnation of the DPS' meetings the same way. It connects them to Mr. Keating's group, and keeps the traditions alive.
Quote #6
KNOX: I can't take it anymore. If I don't have Chris, I'm gonna kill myself. […] I'm gonna call her.
(He calls her, and hangs up when she answers.)
KNOX: She's gonna hate me. The Danburys will hate me. My parents will kill me. (Pause) All right, god damn it. Carpe diem. (He dials)
It's not customary to pursue someone who's spoken for (or, in the very least, it's not polite). Knox isn't the type to buck tradition in order to get what he wants. But, love seems to have a way of making him act outside of what is societally acceptable. He risks social scorn and trouble with his parents, but he can't resist eschewing custom in order to seize the day. Is "carpe diem" the enemy of tradition?