The characters within Dead Poets Society are the most important component of the film, although it is filmed with incredible cinematography and paired with a fantastic score. As the title implies,

the film is about a group of boys who eventually become the newest members of the Dead Poets Society. Todd Anderson, the shy new kid, moves into his dorm at Welton Academy, a prestigious male preparatory school. His roommate, Neil Perry is almost the opposite of Todd in terms of

social skills. He is extremely outgoing and makes conversation with Todd very naturally. As the two boys unpack, Neil’s other friends, Knox Overstreet, Steven Meeks and Charlie Dalton, all pile into Neil’s room. This group changes the most dramatically as the movie progresses, with each of them undergoing significant personal growth. Other side characters are also important to the plot, but this select few that change the most throughout the film. As the school year takes off, the boys meet a new teacher at Welton named Mr. Keating, who teaches them life lessons through literature. Here the group hears about the Dead Poets Society from Keating. Soon after joining, the new members’ lives begin to change forever. Everyone’s values begin to change, and their actions and words show that. Each of the boys came to Welton living the life their parents commanded them to, and none of them were pursuing a career that they chose for themselves. All of them were living life unconsciously because they were never allowed to make their own decisions. Neil Perry, who seems the most impacted by Keating, starts to realize that they were living lives that were not their own. However, after being influenced by Mr. Keating, the boys start to live life consciously. Their new lives brought newfound sources of joy and adventure. Unfortunately, Neil's father gets word of his son acting directly against his will, and he removes Neil from the school. For Neil, this strips him from his own newfound life, which he sees as worse than death, causing him to take his own life. The Dead Poets are left with a heavy decision to make. Each of them had to personally choose to either return back to their old, easier life with no control or continue to live consciously. Although They had all found value in conscious living, Neil's death made them question if it was worth it. Todd,  the once quietest of them all, boldly decides to live consciously. He takes a literal stand in the final scene of the movie, displaying that he still values conscious living. His friends follow his bold action, and the film ends shortly after. The Dead Poets find new lives through making their own decisions, and they learn to value their new conscious lives far more than their old ones, even if conscious living proves to be more difficult at challenging times.