Compare Contrast Paper

Reflection/ Comparison Paper

So far in Sociology we have viewed two movies that paint a perfect portrait of the traditional and present-day education systems. I would like to compare, contrast, and also reflect on both "The Dead Poets Society," and " The Breakfast Club."

There are numerous differences between the two movies, and although they're both in a different setting and different time frames, there are also many similarities. "The Dead Poets Society" is set in the mid 60's in an upper class prep school. On the other hand " The Breakfast Club" is set in the 80's at a typical public High School in a middle-class suburban neighborhood. Although one movie has a timeline of a whole school year, and the other only goes through one day, they both show very clearly how the average student life is and was in their respectable time frames. It is easy to compare and contrast everything from settings and timeframes, to obedience, to discipline, and also even stress given by parents. I believe I could only compare these two movies if they were realistic, and I believe that they were for the most part.

It is very clear in these two movies how obedience, and disciplinary action has changed over the years. In " The Dead Poets Society," the kids got in trouble for such things as staying up past curfew or not turning the lights off when they were supposed to. Of course this is how some schools still work but it's definitely no longer the social norm. When's the last time you heard about someone getting spanked with a paddle in school? It has been a long time since I've heard about something like that, In America at least. If a teacher were to spank a child today, not only would they lose their job and never teach again, but they'd also have a lawsuit set against them for millions of dollars, and they'd undoubtedly lose. Now, in " The Breakfast Club," the kids are getting in trouble for things like bringing guns to school, assault, and possession of illegal drugs. And all the punishment they get is a simple day in Saturday School. Although the punishment doesn't exactly fit the crime, it still shows realistically that today's society is a lot more lenient to such things.

It is also easy to compare such simple things as the principle or the dean of students in both of these movies. In " The Dead Poets Society," the principle is an upstanding citizen of society who is respected by everyone, especially his students. The students wouldn't even speak in front of him unless asked to. It also seems that the students respect their principle, and their teachers just as much as their parents, if not more. In " The Breakfast Club," on the other hand, the students treat their principle like their little brother. They ridicule, mach, and attempt to torment him as much as possible, and they have no more respect for him whatsoever. The principle's supposed to be a leader of the students and staff but instead he's getting advice from the school janitor.

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