" Harold tries to prevent Maude's death by having her rushed to the Emergency Room. Maude assures Harold that it is to late and she will die before midnight. Maude was correct, and she passes away shortly before midnight. Harold is heartbroken. Harold drives the car his mother bought him off a cliff, jumping out before it is too late, and destroys the final symbol of his former life. .
From the beginning of the Harold and Maude Harold is portrayed as a troubled youth. The root of Harold's trouble is his relationship, or a lack there of, with his mother. Harold is fascinated by death because he sees it as the complete opposite of life. Harold hates life before he meets Maude, his entire life his mother has always told him what to do. He sees death as the only escape from his mothers iron fist. When Harold was young the police wrongfully informed his mother that Harold had died. Harold was upstairs in his room listening to the whole event. Harold's mother fainted when she heard the news. It was at this point that Harold began to wish that he was dead, death was his only escape, and the only way he could put an end to his mother's control. .
Maude is a truly unique and wonderful human. Although she is not a religious practitioner Maude is Taoist by nature. She does not perform acts of compassion for any other reason than they are the compassionate things to do. Also Maude holds all forms of life at an equally high value. On one of their many road trips Harold and Maude are driving through town when Maude sees a dieing tree. Immediately Maude stops the car and tells Harold that the tree has become asthmatic from living in the city. Maude makes and than executes a plan to take the tree to the forest. The behavior that Maude demonstrated parallels that of a mother in the event of her child becoming ill. Saving the normally preceded insignificant life of a tree truly exemplifies Maude's Taoist nature.
Harold Amos is an African-American scientist of microbiology and bacteriology, who is at the top of his field. ... Amos was pronounced a Maude & Lillian Preseley Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Emeritus. ... Harold Amos, an honorable African-American elder, continues to carry on a tradition of excellence in both his scientific field and in his service to his community. ...
