Harold and Maude an analysis Essay examples

The novel "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is very interesting novel in which the main character, Holden, intrigues the reader with his unpredictable actions and upfront judgments of his surroundings. Holden alienates himself to try and help protect him from the outside world and conserve his innocence. He constantly proves this to reader many in times in the novel by, telling characters he feels different, wearing clothing that makes him stand out even though it may make him look stupid, and failing to come through in relationships with characters in the story.

The book uses fictional documents, such as book excerpts, news reports, and hearing transcripts, to frame the story of Carietta "Carrie" White, a 17-year-old girl from Chamberlain, Maine. Carrie's mother, Margaret, a fanatical Christian fundamentalist, has a vindictive and unstable personality, and over the years has ruled Carrie with an iron rod and repeated threats of damnation, as well as occasional physical abuse. Carrie does not fare much better at her school where her frumpy looks, lack of friends and lack of popularity with boys make her the butt of ridicule, embarrassment, and public humiliation by her fellow teenage peers.

The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger. It is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a cynical teenager who recently got expelled from his fourth school. Though Holden is the narrator and main character of the story, the focus of Salinger’s tale is not on Caulfield, but of the world in which we live. The Catcher in the Rye is an insatiable account of the realities we face daily seen through the eyes of a bright young man whose visions of the world are painfully truthful, if not a bit jaded. Salinger’s book is a must-read because its relatable symbolism draws on the reader’s emotions and can easily keep the attention of anyone.

     A young black man is brutally murdered for a harmless comment to a white woman. A mother distresses over the discovery of her son’s rock and roll collection. A United States soldier sits in a trench in Vietnam contemplating the reason for his sitting knee-deep in mud. The 1960’s was marked with confusion, insecurity and rebellion. It was a period of time when Americans stood up and took full advantage of liberalism in America and their God-given right to freedom of speech to create a decade bursting with social revolutions. The Civil Rights Movement, Counter Culture and the War in Vietnam were three of the most prominent events during this era and helped to define the 1960’s as

Ethan in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome and Harold in Ashby’s Harold and Maude can be seen as characteristics with many differences, however there are several characteristics they share. Throughout the development of both pieces in can be concluded that both Ethan and Harold are depressed and a woman helps them through this. Both men’s relationships with these women can be deemed “inappropriate”. Both of these men are trying to be controlled by women in their life, for Ethan this is Zeena and for Harold this is his mother. Finally in the end both men get what they want only to lose it, however for Ethan this makes matters worse whereas for Harold, he grows from the experience and changes. Before we get to the end we have to start with the beginning

In Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee reveals Miss Maudie’s tender tone toward Scout through her use of detail. One instance in which Miss Maudie’s tender tone is revealed through Lee’s careful use of detail is after Maudie’s house burns down. Scout is clearly troubled because of the fire and is curious as to why Maudie is not the least bit fazed. Scout expresses her concerns about the damage and inquires what Miss Maudie will do about it. Miss Maudie responds by stating, “Don’t you worry about me Jean Louise Finch. There are many ways of doing things you don’t know about” (73). In this situation, Miss Maudie attempts to rid Scout of her anxieties as she knows having Scout agonize over the problem will do no good. She is aware that Scout is already exceptionally distraught by the imminent trial, and considering this, Maudie decides not to lay another burden onto Scout. She instead lists the positive effects of the fire to improve Scout’s state of mind, and make her feel at ease about the whole situation. More than anything, Miss Maudie wants Scout to know that there is no reason to fret about anything else than she already has on her plate. She wants the best for Scout and for her to enjoy a life that is not plagued by the problems of the adult-world. Miss Maudie’s consideration and selflessness show her tender tone toward Scout. Another time in which Lee’s use of detail illustrates Miss Maudie’s tender tone toward Scout is at the town ladies’ meeting. Scout,

Harold is obsessed with death and goes to funeral and demolition sites for fun. He does not go there to enjoy what life there was in the objects before their demise, but to obsess over the decay and death. This is due to his mother’s reaction when he blows up the chemistry room at his boarding school and is told of his death. She faints for the attention of the police officers and the party-goers. Harold begins seeing death as a way to get attention, and sees death, and his fake suicide attempts as a way to live. Maude is instead obsessed with life. She goes to funerals in order to celebrate the life that was lived before the death, and goes to greenhouses to see how things grow and live. As she tells Harold, “I like to watch things grow.” (Harold and Maude) Maude’s obsession with life is what allows Harold to learn how to live. Since she enjoys watching things grow and seeing how they turn out, she decides to help Harold. She is also a Holocaust survivor. She already has an intimate experience with death from her time in the concentration camps. Instead of choosing to obsess over the death and destruction she witnessed, she instead chooses to obsess over the life that she, and others lived. Her obsession with life represents the breaking of societal roles that many people are forced into. Since Harold and Maude are such opposite characters in how they view life, the film is able to

Films are almost always centred around people, or aliens or animals with human-like qualities. The purpose of film is storytelling, and the best of storytellers allow their listeners to see the world in a different way, to put themselves into the shoes of a character in the story, to insert themselves where they see fit. Harold and Maude is no different. Despite its age, the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude reaches out for that part of us that we all know is a little odd, that part of us that we want to hide but at the same time know needs to be addressed for the uniqueness of our personal selves. What’s most interesting about the film is how it documents transitions between characters, not just through the plot but through the cinematography

Recently, whenever anyone has asked me what I want to be when i am older, a wave of anxiety washes over me.  The more occupations my mom throws out at me, the more and more phony they all seem.  This is not due to the fact that there is nothing that interests me (and  it is also not because recently I have been reading The Catcher in the Rye).  I think that I cannot pinpoint my future with a crystal-clear image because there are so many things that interest me.  I have been playing the piano for nearly 9 years.  It seems like a rite that every Thursday I get in the car and travel to Grand Rapids for lessons--a rite that I have grown to love.  Recently, my passion for piano has led me to begin giving lessons for the younger generation--hopefully

Although Harold has moved back to his hometown, he quickly recognizes that while he has changed, the world he grew up in has remains the same. Many of

To tell you the truth, the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is one sonuvabitch that can change you goddamn life. The novel begins by Holden talking about his life and background. Holden tells us the reader about the events that took place within a few days. From leaving Pencey Prep to nearly sleeping with a hooker, Holden expresses himself unlike most people. The author, “J.D. Salinger is a highly regarded American author whose most famous work, The Catcher in the Rye, has sold over sixty-five million copies. In addition to being known for his work, Salinger was also known for his reclusive behaviour”. Salinger’s reclusive behaviour would have helped him write The Catcher in the Rye because it gave him more time to write and think about creation of The Catcher in the Rye. “When J.D. Salinger published The Catcher in the

The Catcher in the Rye, a contemporary novel by J.D. Salinger, is a thought-provoking, fascinating look at society’s values and issues in the 1950’s. This book would make an excellent transition to film because it is full of both action and implication. It focuses on a four-day period of time in the life of a sixteen-year-old cynic with emotional problems. The book follows Holden Caulfield as he struggles with others and himself to find his way through the “phoniness” and disillusionment involved in his adolescent life. These struggles essentially make up the novel, occurring during a long “flashback” of the four days as he

In 1997, the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress selected the movie, “Harold and Maude “by Hal Ashby, 1971, for preservation for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”1 This movie was dealt with black comedy and, at the same time, romance that leaves uncertainties in the ending which was significant at that time because it was unusual for Hollywood films making vague endings where the viewers expected solid happy endings or has clear noticeable thriller at the end. Not surprisingly, the last scene from the movie, where, the protagonist, Harold, throws himself off the cliff and weirdly comes out

Man appears to be the only being that has the notion of time in motion. Everyone knows that he or she is advancing towards death with each passing day and that at one point death must inevitably come. However, despite death being inescapable and normal, most people dread broaching the issue. One film, The Bucket List, passes as a comic attempt at the very idea of death denial. In evaluating the theme of death and dying in the movie, one can see how chronic illness tends to drive individuals into reflecting about the concept of death.

Warren Buffett once said “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently.” The simplicity and accuracy of this quote may make a person deeply question how they decide to react to what life gives them. In the movie Harold and Maude, Harold is displayed as an odd boy who has a strange habit of enjoying to portray death, but only to get a reaction from his mother. Harold did not always have this desire to scare his mother, but one day when his mother was told of his “death” he enjoyed the reaction so much it changed how he lived life. Warren Buffett may argue that Harold spent his entire life building a reputation for himself, but everything changed in less