The Graduate, a semi-autobiographical novel by Charles Webb, tells the story of Benjamin Braddock. Benjamin has recently graduated from college and returns to his parents home in a suburb in California. There he is praised by his parents and friends of his parents for his academic accomplishments. He is asked what he plans on doing with his life. This upsets Benjamin as he doesn't yet know what he wants to do and is constantly being told what to do by his parents and peers. The novel concerns themes surrounding individualism vs. conformity, changing gender roles in the 60s, and traditional v. revolutionary thinking of the 60s. The timeline of the novel made me think of other novels from the time period such as Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury set in the 1950s and Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress concerning the Cultural Revolution and theme surrounding the banning of reactionary novels during the 70s. These themes are depicted in the 1967 film adaption which borrowed the title, characters, and plot line of the novel. The use of the word "plastics" is used to represent materialist, older generation values which will guarantee success and middle class standing in the suburbs. This is opposite of the goals Benjamin has for himself, he wants to be different.
The Graduate is a film set in the 1960s amidst social change. The theme of individualism vs. conformity show up during the first scene in Benjamin's room as he sits by his fish tank. His father asks him what he plans on doing with his life and through an over the shoulder shot of Benjamin we see him as he tells his father that he just wants his future to be different. His mother walks in and soon rushes Benjamin out of his room to greet their party guests. This scene depicts the western value of individualism as opposed to conforming to the traditional values that as so commonly represented in a suburban setting. Their suburban home is like any other, they live middle class lives and strive for stability. His parents want him to have a concrete job as opposed to being uncertain about his future. This is a big contrast to what happens at the end of the film in which Benjamin looks blankly ahead as he is driven towards a new journey of his own, a different path than that of his traditional middle class parents.
Benjamin is constantly frustrated by his indecision to attend graduate school which also an indecision to do conform to the traditional values upheld by his suburban parents. Amongst the many changing social values amongst young adults, gender and individuality are a main focus of the film. The 60s gender roles are represented through the way Mrs. Robinson presents herself to Benjamin. She is an example of the tension between old and new ways of living. Though she is a liberated woman, who has an affair with a younger man, she still forces her daughter to marry a man whom she doesn't love for the sake of social class. The changing gender roles is also represented in the wedding scene as Mrs. Robinson yells at Elaine "that it is too late." Elaine shouts back that "Not for me," symbolizing the change in social values and the breaking away from patriarchal ideas. Her mother slaps her but Elaine still manages to escape. The old values are left behind and the characters break the cycle of traditional values. This scene reminded me of the scene in which the little chinese seamstress, from Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, leaves Mau and her home in the country to venture out into the city. Elaine, attending college and then being pulled out by her parents resembles the chinese seamstress and the Clarisse from Fahrenheit 451. The women of the novels are intellectual women who through books and schooling choose individualism and revolution in opposition to traditional values. The tension between the changing social values is represented through Benjamin's character who is not yet a man and no longer a boy. He is 21, has a car, at some point he begins to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, yet he is still the awkward college student who is unsure about his future. He is constantly caught in-between the values of the older generation, always doing as he is told, until he goes on a date with Elaine. When he is told he can not be with Elaine, he gets upset and decides he will no longer allow others to tell him how he should live his life. This scene reminded me of the scene in Fahrenheit 451 in which Montag no longer will allow himself to be controlled by the values of society but instead he rebels and runs away into the forrest to meet with other intellectuals. There he is reunited with Clarisse. This is similar to what happens with Benjamin and Elaine. They are both intellectuals who are being forced by society to value ideals that are outdated and harmful to the growing and evolution of society.