The dead poets society central theme I believe would be "Carpe Diem" or seize the day as we say it now. You can't be in constant fear of authority, and your parents aren't you. They shouldn't control every single little aspect of your life. So, the dead poets decided to do what they could with the time they were given. They didn't look back or worry about what might be, they worried about what is. They only concerned themselves with the now (or then because it's in the past now. Or, then. You get the point) That's a lesson some of us could learn today. Sometimes, you can't worry about the future or what could have been. You need to worry and focus on the now. What's done is done, you can't go back and change it (and we all would go back and change something, or in my case go back and smack myself upside the back of my head) one example of this theme is when Neil decided to audition for the play when he knew his over-bearing father would highly dis-approve. You can tell when Neil said (along the lines of) "Can't you just let me dream? I haven't even gotten the part yet". and then again, when he sent a fake letter so his father wouldn't find out at that moment. and he hoped his dad wouldn't find out until the play was over. Neil worried about the then and now. Not what could happen. Shame his dad drove him to hard. Kid would've been a hit. Also, at the end of the movie when Mr. Keating was gathering everything, and Todd decided to stand up (literally) for his former teacher. He didn't worry about the authority, only that a good friend was leaving. and that made more people stand up, almost the entire classroom. That principle looked really powerless then huh? shows that you might be able to control one, MAYBE two, but not everyone all at once if they decide to seize the day.