Headmaster Nolan’s speech depicts an image of conformity and tradition as he proudly asserts that the secret to the school’s success is the school’s dedication to its four pillars. The first chapter of Dead Poets Society introduces the setting and the stiff, formal context that the main character is living in. Eventually, the headmaster approaches Anderson and remarks that he expects great things from Anderson, considering that his brother “was one of our best” (Kleinbaum, 1989). He introduces John Keating, the new English teacher, and Alexander Carmichael, the oldest surviving graduate from Welton.Īfter Carmichael makes an incomprehensible speech, the students say goodbye to their parents while Anderson stands awkwardly alone.

The headmaster continues to cite the school’s accomplishments and asks four students to recite the meaning of the school’s four pillars. When asked to recite the four pillars, the students obey, but Todd Anderson is more reluctant to join in. He stresses that the school’s success is dependent on an unwavering dedication to principles, referring to the school’s four pillars. Four boys carry banners that show the school’s values, which include “Tradition,” “Honor,” “Discipline,” and “Excellence.” They are followed by an older man carrying a candle, which the headmaster, Gale Nolan, introduces as “the light of knowledge.”Īs the older man transfers the light of his candle to candles held by the students in the room, Headmaster Nolan proudly asserts that since its founding, the school has grown from graduating five students in its first year to 51 in its previous year, the majority of which attend Ivy League schools. The great hall is filled with 300 all-boy students and their parents. The novel begins as the opening ceremony for a new school year at Welton Academy, a private school in Vermont.

Dead poets society book