Dead poet's Society ?

Question

who's fault was neils death? I think it was his father's what do you think?

Answer 1

The point of the movie was that it was bigger than just one person - it was the fault of society for demanding that people fit into their little boxes, and never think beyond that. I'm not in any way condoning suicide, but Neil felt that he would never be able to live his own life - he would always be expected to be someone that he just couldn't be, and would have to cut out the part that made him feel most like himself. Neil decided he couldn't live with that. It wasn't just the father - he was behaving the way he'd been taught, and living the life he'd been told was acceptable.

Answer 2

I don't think anyone is qualified to make judgments about fault in such a case for several reasons.

1. This is a movie--meaning that it is a work of art subject to various interpretations. It can be the father's fault, Neal's fault, society's fault, the school's fault, even O, Captain, my Captain's fault, or all of the above.

2. The real issue is who's fault is any suicide isn't it? Perhaps several similar answers can be given in any case, just as in this fictional event; however, nothing is ever as simple as "all of the above," either. Suicide is usually the result of multiple factors compounded by often undiagnosed and nearly unrecognizable mental illness.

3. The better question to be asking after seeing this movie is what do we learn from Neal's death?

4. Or, what causes Neal's suicide to be so tragic to the audience while it seems like such a necessity to him? Why do we see his life and potential so much differently than he does?

Just my thoughts. I don't care to ever simplify suicide, even a fictional suicide.

Answer 3

His father's to a large extent, but Neil didn't have to kill himself over what was happening, so he has to take a lot of the blame himself.

Answer 4

I agree 100% with swbiblio!