Harold and Maude Socratic Seminar
Is Harold and Maude an existentialist film?
What are the roots of Harold’s angst and alienation? How do his ideas about happiness and meaning evolve as a result of his relationship with Maude? How does his character change?
Has Maude achieved Eudaimonia at the end of her life (deathbed question)? Would Aristotle see her as having cultivated virtue and the Golden Mean? Or do you see her as more of an existentialist? Or something else?
What message is this movie trying to transmit? What might it be trying to teach us about Happiness and Meaning? How does it impact you personally?
Identify 2-3 impactful quotes from the film and explain their literary significance.
Generate 2-3 questions to bring to the Socratic seminar.