Dead Poets Society: An Epilogue Interpretation

By Andrew Nickerson

Following the termination of John Keating, his alma mater continued to be rocked by the scandalous death of Neil Perry, as well as the rampant accusations of his dad. It took the better part of a year for the anguish to cool, but there was no question the lives of those involved in the 1959 school term were changed forever. This is an account of what happened to the biggest names involved in the incident:

• Steven Meeks: After Neil’s death, he pushed himself to absorb Mr. Keating’s wondrous lessons, ultimately becoming one of the most ardent advocates of his teacher’s innocence. He went on to graduate with honors before being drafted into the navy, where he served with distinction as a machinist mate on an aircraft carrier. Upon leaving, he attended Princeton, where he earned a mechanical engineering degree and went to work for the maritime industry, building/designing new and improved cargo liners.
• Gerard Pitts: He also continuously advocated Mr. Keating’s innocence, even writing several stinging letters to the Vermont School Board about his teacher’s mistreatment. After graduating with honors, he enlisted in the air force, where he served a tour in Vietnam as an F-4 Phantom pilot before returning to attend Yale as a history major. He received his PhD and ended up teaching at the Air Force Academy, where he used Keating’s unorthodox methods to become one of its most popular teachers.
• Charlie Dalton AKA Newanda: After being expelled, Charlie’s parents moved him to another Vermont prep school, where he graduated with honors in spite of his goofy nature. He was drafted into the army, where he ended up working as a DJ for Armed Forces Radio, his sense of humor a huge morale booster for the troops. When he mustered out, he went to Boston University as a communications major, graduating with the superlative ‘Most Likely to Succeed’. He loved Boston so much he stayed to work as a DJ at a big-time radio station, becoming known as ‘Beantown’s Funnyman’ within two years.
• Knox Charles: He and Chris continued dating through the rest of high school, only being separated for a span of two years when the former went into the air force, where he worked as a maintenance technician. The pair then attended Bowdoin College together, both majoring in English, earning the superlative ‘Cupid’s Couple’. Marrying shortly after graduation, Knox published a series of popular novels about prep school life, becoming very wealthy in the process, while Chris wrote short stories and poetry for a national newsmagazine, earning them the moniker ‘America’s Couple’ for the rest of their lives.
• Todd Anderson: Todd was profoundly changed, especially to his parents, who saw their son go from meek to amazing. He started writing poetry and short stories like a machine, selling more than 20 before graduating as valedictorian. Drafted into the army, he became a combat correspondent in Vietnam, earning a reputation for daring that made him a highly sought source. After his discharge, he rejected his parents’ demands that he become a lawyer so he could study journalism at NYU. Relying on the GI bill after being disinherited, he became a superstar on campus, going to work for the Wall Street Journal after graduating. He later learned, secondhand, his idealized brother had gotten caught up in the Flower Power movement, become an addict, and died from an overdose the same day Todd received the first of three career Pulitzers.
• John Keating: Due to his students’ efforts and the recommendations of former colleagues, Keating went to work at a New Hampshire academy, never losing his energy and love of learning. Freed from the constraints of his last position, he went on to inspire multiple generations of students to reach their full potential. He also kept in touch with every Dead Poet Society member the rest of their lives, praising them and honoring their numerous successes as they all grew together.
• Richard Cameron: After selling out Keating, Richard was abandoned by all his friends, spending the rest of his time at the academy miserable and alone, referred to as ‘the back-stabber.’ His parents managed to get him out of the draft, making him even more unpopular when he attended Harvard as a pre-law major, and his reputation for brown-nosing merely worsened with time. Graduating from Harvard Law towards the middle of his class, he went to work for a corporate law firm, only to be fired/disbarred when he tried to stop a colleague exposing a corrupt partner. Unable to get work, Richard turned to drugs and alcohol, ultimately dying, broke and alone, of an overdose exactly 10 years to the day of Neil’s death.
• Gale Nolan: The academy headmaster was devastated when he saw his students not only disobey him, but completely reject his authority. Eventually, the scandal took a toll on his health and he was forced to retire by the school board, demanding they uphold his principles, only to see radical changes inputted, including co-ed attendance. It was the final straw, and he died three years later from undisclosed causes.
• Mr. and Mrs. Perry: Neil’s parents were stunned by the venom of the community aimed at them, particularly from his fellow cast members, who never believed any of the accusations against Keating or the society. The loss of her son, as well as the guilt for not intervening on his behalf, took a huge toll on Mrs. Perry, and she died in her sleep two months after her son’s suicide. Mr. Perry’s reputation was smashed by the stigma of being ‘the one whose son killed himself’, causing so much trouble with his job his boss forced him to resign. He moved to New Hampshire, attempting to start over, but his past shadows followed him the rest of his life, making him an outcast wherever he went. Mr. Perry ultimately died penniless in a cheap apartment, his body found by the super when he failed to pay his rent. Clutched in his hand was an unapologetic note, blaming Keating and the Dead Poet’s Society for every tragedy in his life, especially Neil. No one attended his funeral.

Andrew Nickerson originally from Massachusetts, and has studied military history/tactics/strategy for almost 30 years. He has a BA in History (English minor) from UMASS Lowell and JD from Mass. School of Law. He’s self-published a novella on Amazon, printed 1 article apiece on Polygon, Anime Herald, and Pipeline Artists, 2 on Ariel Chart, 2 articles and 1 short story on Academy of Heart and Mind, a short story in Evening Street Review’s 2022 Winter Edition, an article in the August 2023 edition of “Alice Says Go F*** Yourself” online magazine, and recently printed another article in NewMyths’ September issue.