Dead Poets Society ~ Charlie Dalton

Chapter Seven: The party (Part 1)

The English lesson takes place outside today. Cameron, Pitts, and Knox are walking in circles in their own pace behind each other. Mireille is standing between Charlie and Neil, looking at the three. Charlie has, like always, an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, her head resting on his shoulder.

"No grades at stake, gentlemen. Just take a stroll", says Mr. Keating, following them. After a little while, they start to walk in unison.

"There it is." The boys start clapping in time to the steps. Mr. Keating smiles, starting to talk to the rhyme.

"I don't know, but I've been told."

"I don't know, but I've been told", the others repeat.

"Doing poetry is cold." The class speaks after Mr. Keating again. He walks beside the three who are walking.

"Left. Left. Left, right left. Left. Left. Left. Left, right, left. Left. Halt!" Mr. Keating jumps at the end, making them stop.

"Thank you, gentlemen." The boys stop clapping and Mr. Keating turns to the class.

"If you noticed, everyone started off with their own stride, their own pace. Mr. Pitts taking his time. He knew he'll get there one day", he says, taking long, slow steps.

"Mr. Cameron. You could see him thinking, 'is this right? It might be right. It might be right. I don't know that. Maybe not. I don't know.'" Mr. Keating starts walking again, scratching his head, imitating Cameron.

"Mr. Overstreet, driven by a deeper force. Yes. We know that." He walks a little, his hips forward and leaning his upper body back.

"All right. Now, I didn't bring them up here to ridicule them. I brought them up here to illustrate the point of conformity. The difficulty in maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others. Now, I see the look in your eyes like, 'I would have walked differently.' Well, ask yourselves why you were clapping. Now we all have a great need for acceptance. But you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own. Even though others may think them odd or unpopular. Even though the herd may go, 'That's ba-a-a-ad." The boys and Mireille start laughing. Mr. Keating smiles lightly.

"Robert Frost said, 'Two roads diverged in the wood, and I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.' I want you to find your own walk right now, your own way of striding, pacing any direction. Anything you want, whether it's proud, whether it's silly, anything. Gentlemen, lady, the courtyard is yours." The boys chuckle and start walking around. Just as Mireille was about to start walking, Charlie grabs her hand, pulling her back. She turns her head, looking at him confused.

"What is it, Charlie?" He smirks.

"Well, don't work against the odds. Wouldn't we all be doing the same thing?", he asks, placing a hand on her hip. She thinks for a moment.

"Yeah... I guess you're right?" Mr. Keating looks at them a bit confused.

"Mr. Dalton, Ms. Nolan, will you be joining us?"

"Exercising the right not to walk", he answers with a smug smile. He nods.

"Thank you, Mr. Dalton. Just illustrated the point." Mr. Keating starts walking again.

"Swim against the stream." Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched by Nolan.

Charlie and the others, excluding Neil since he went to practice earlier, are currently walking to their rooms. But before they can enter, they hear an old, baritone voice.

"Ms. Nolan, Mr. Dalton." Both turn around, their smile immediately fading.

"To my office. Now." Mr. Nolan turns around and starts walking. The other boys look at the couple with pity in their eyes. Charlie and Mireille look at each other, slightly panicking before they start to walk after him. Cameron didn't tell him about... that. Right?