The STORY:
A new teacher arrives at a conservative school for elite students. The teacher’s pedagogical
philosophy and teaching style depart considerably from the norms of the school a school
that prioritizes tradition and training over exploration and thought.
The teacher encourages the students to engage with the arts that they encounter, to respond
as themselves and not only as apprentices or echoes of their textbooks and their authors.
This makes some of the students uncomfortable, but other students accept the challenge and
enjoy the opportunities to think for themselves. One student is especially affected by the
teachers enthusiastic support to pursue a secret ambition.
An unexpected event occurs; the teachers unorthodox methods are immediately blamed,
thereby conveniently absolving everyone else of responsibility.
The teacher leaves the school, but the lessons of individual responsibility remain with the
students.
The PLOTS:
The filmmakers of DEAD POETS SOCIETY and MONA LISA SMILE make some very
different choices in how to tell the above story in other words, the plots of the two films
are quite different.
The ASSIGNMENT
1. Identify three differences in the two films plots that you consider significant (6
marks), then
2. Tell us why each difference matters (9 marks).
ADVICE – Be sure to:
1. Demonstrate your knowledge of the following in your answers: explicit and implicit
meanings; plot and story.
2. Cite properly: from the textbook, from lectures, from tutorials.
3. Proofread your work before handing it in to your
T.A.: use proper grammar, sentence
structure, word-choice, spelling, punctuation.
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