Characters
The meek may inherit the earth, but they don’t get in to Harvard.
— Neil • Dead Poets Society
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
A sardonic retort to the comforting promise that gentle people will eventually inherit the earth. The speaker points out that meekness earns no advantage in competitive admissions, so patience and modesty pay off only in some distant future while ambition and assertiveness collect the immediate, worldly prizes.
Context reviewed