Richard Cameron (who just goes by “Cameron”) is a stiff, overly obedient student at Welton, and one of the novel’s most overtly villainous characters. Unlike his classmates, Cameron is skeptical of John Keating from the very beginning, and he echoes Headmaster Nolan’s criticisms of Keating. While Cameron attends meetings of the Dead Poets Society, he does so very reluctantly, since he’s terrified of being caught and expelled from Welton. After Neil Perry’s suicide, Cameron distances himself from the Dead Poets and informs on his classmates, ensuring that Keating is fired.
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Richard Cameron Character Timeline in Dead Poets Society
The timeline below shows where the character Richard Cameron appears in Dead Poets Society. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...some of Welton’s students to define the four pillars of success. He calls on Richard Cameron, the student carrying the “tradition” banner, to define tradition, and Cameron immediately shouts out, “the...
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Chapter 2
The boys enter their dormitory. Cameron tells Neil that Neil’s roommate is a “stiff,” without seeing that Todd Anderson is standing...
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...school. They agree that they’ll be in the same study group that year, reluctantly including Cameron, who’s a “brown-noser.” Meeks and Knox introduce themselves to Todd, and immediately begin talking about...
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Chapter 4
...“Carpe Diem.” Abruptly, the bell rings. After class, Neil observes that the lesson was “different.” Cameron worries that Mr. Keating is going to test them on what he talked about, but...
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Chapter 5
...mentions that he’s having dinner with the Danburrys, a family his father knows well—and, as Cameron informs the rest, major Welton alumni donors. Neil sees Todd lost in thought, and invites...
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Chapter 6
...evening, Neil suggests that everyone sneak out to the old cave—a traditional Welton meeting place. Cameron is reluctant to join, but eventually he, along with Pitts, Knox, Meeks, Charlie, agree to...
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Chapter 8
At the Dead Poets Society meeting that afternoon, Charlie, Knox, Meeks, Cameron, Todd, and Pitts go to the cave and read from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Knox...
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Chapter 9
Back in the cave, Neil, Cameron, and Charlie are outside, gathering logs for a fire. Charlie / Nuwunda explains that he’s...
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Chapter 13
...Welton, the Dead Poets, Virginia, and Chris go to the cave, though they notice that Cameron has left at some point. As they sit down, Mr. Keating appears. The boys ask...
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Chapter 14
Later that day, back in their dormitory, Meeks tells the Dead Poets that Cameron is talking to Headmaster Nolan right now—explaining everything about the Dead Poets Society. Charlie nods,...
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Suddenly, Cameron enters the dorm. Charlie accuses Cameron of “finking,” but Cameron denies it—he claims he just...
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Charlie runs at Cameron and punches him in the face. Cameron staggers back, but begins to laugh—“You just signed...
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Chapter 15
...nods curtly to Keating, then asks his students what authors they’ve been studying all year. Cameron eagerly reports that they’ve done the Romantics—but not, Nolan points out, the realists. Nolan instructs...
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Keating packs up his things, listening to Cameron read the essay. Suddenly, Todd jumps up and says, “They made everybody sign it!” As...
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