Favorite Character In 'Harold And Maude'

Favorite Character: Maude

The text defines characterization as, “the author’s presentation and development of the traits of the characters.” (WEAL, 60) It is important to understand that characters are the heart of a book and good characterization is essential in order to make them real to the reader. Imagine for a moment, reading a book and having a hard time to connect with any of the characters, this would instantly make the reader lose interest in the story. In order to keep the reader’s hooked, it is vital for the author to not only create but also develop the character and make it easily relatable to the audience. The character Maude from the book “Harold & Maude” by the author Colin Higgins definitely satisfies this criteria. Higgins

Wiktionary defines badass [1] as,” a person who has extreme attitudes and behavior and admired by others.” Maude a seventy-nine year old woman did not let age be a factor from holding her back. She follows her heart, does what she knows to be right, and in her small way tries to make the world a better place. However, to some this behavior can appear crazy and erratic, but the matter of fact is, all of her actions have a valid explanation that serves a very important message to the reader. For example, Maude loves to “borrow” people’s car’s because she wants to act as a “gentle reminder…here today, gone tomorrow, so don’t get attached to things.” (30) This message is especially apt for today’s modern society because we live in a technological driven age. We depend so highly on our “things” that we cannot imagine what we would do without them. Maude helps the reader take home the message that things will come and go in your life so learn to value what’s more important and that is human relationships. Then there is the time Maude breaks multiple laws in order to transplant a tree. Here the message is not so much about breaking laws, but standing up and doing the right thing when something is wrong. For example, our generation in particular is facing the threat of global warming, following Maude’s belief to continue, “…fighting for the Big Issues,

The way the author portrays the character is an important factor too. Can you imagine if the author portrayed Maude to have a model life close to perfection and without any sign of struggle? Would you, as a reader be able relate to Maude? The answer would be no because this scenario is far from the reality of a real life. Remember real life is messy and far from perfect and this element is needed to make the character more human and relatable and adds authenticity. The subtle hints of her past hardships add to the dimension and help to build her character. Even though Maude is no ordinary girl next-door, her character is a complex and deep and closely mirrors real people. It is important to understand that real people, are unique and the one-size fits all approach to characterization can limit the character personality. Higgins made sure to stay away from the clichés when portraying Maude and this added to her individuality. A real life example of Maude is Dorli Rainey [2], who shares many similarities, she is an eighty-four year old woman, born in Austria and raised in the Nazi-era. She is an activist and considered a hero after the image of cops spraying her with pepper spray during the Occupy Seattle demonstration went viral that displayed her sheer determination to fight for the unjust causes. Even though Maude is a fictional