Who Is Harold And Maude Transcendentalism

In the movie Harold and Maude, Maude, an elderly woman who strives to live life to the fullest, models several fundamental elements of Transcendentalism. This is because she cares deeply for nature, she does what she wants, regardless of the law, and she passionately enjoys life. In this movie, Maude shows that she has profound appreciation for nature, which is a key aspect of Transcendentalist thinking. People like Maude believe that nature, humans, and God are all connected. Essentially, God is in nature and every living thing. This makes nature one of the most important pieces of this philosophy, and it is matters to Maude. For example, to save a dying tree that was planted in the city, she decided to dig it up, place it in her truck, and replant it in a nearby forest, even though this is clearly illegal. This demonstrates that Maude has an intense love for nature.

Transcendentalists believe that people can do no wrong; If someone is doing something that they think is right, that individual is perfectly justified in his/her actions. This belief also supports the notion that God is present in every living thing, so it makes sense that a Transcendentalist would have contempt for rules and regulations. Maude is no exception. Over the course of the movie, Maude repeatedly stole cars, resisted arrest, and she planted a dying tree in the forest when it was originally located in the city. Not only that, but she did not have a driver's license simply because she did not believe in them. This shows that Maude tends to ignore laws, which models the thinking of the Transcendentalist