Name: PinsandKneazles (Signed) · Date: 17 Mar 2022 06:07 AM · For: can you see what you've left of us

Hi again. Here for another galazy review, and I couldn't resist more Dead Poets Society. There's something very compelling in the way you have developed these familiar film characters. I know you warned us about the contents of this story, but oh my, the pain that Todd and Charlie are feeling here hits me like nothing else. The agony of Charlie telling Todd what Neil felt for him, the indescribable sadness that must be engulfing Todd for feeling the same way and having this potential love taken away from him forever. It's so beautiful in its tragedy. 

 

It's even sadder to learn that Jeffrey committed suicide too. That's such a burden for Todd to bear through life, even though neither death was his fault. And the fact that he's only staying at the school because it will upset his mother if he asks to move. He puts everyone before himself and I want Todd to take some of Neil's courage and stand up for what he wants :(((

 

This was so heart-breaking, but so beautifully wrtten too :cry:

 

Meera <3

Name: RonsGirlFriday (Signed) · Date: 27 Feb 2022 05:53 AM · For: can you see what you've left of us

While I was on your page I figured I'd check this one out!!

 

It's so heartbreaking and I think what makes it so effective and cutting -- even though it's simple -- is the framing of it as, as the title says, "Can you see what you've left of us?" It gets at the anger and the grief experienced by the loved ones after a suicide, even if that anger is misplaced, because Neil's pain was so awful and consuming you can't blame him rationally for what he did. But the emotion is still there, and no matter what, it's still left an irreparable hole in this group of friends. The way that Todd sort of doesn't know what to do or where to go from here, sort of representative of the whole group like "What do we do now? How do we ever move on?" Charlie leaving is like a tangible manifestation of the Poets breaking apart. 

 

The part about them maybe getting a house -- with "space for one more" just killed me.

 

Wonderful also to see Todd's forgiveness of Cameron, and him being able to recognize that they were all in an impossible situation. Cameron was scared and really just a child as they all are.

 

<3 Melanie

Author's Response:

thank you for the kind words melanie!! <33 i wanted to tap into all of the hurt and confusion i was sure that todd felt in the aftermath of neil's death, so thank you for pinting out all of the things! the poets' friendships breaking part always made me sad when i watched the movie, so i tried to leave a little room for hope there, too.