"This is Benjamin. He’s a little worried about his future."
The Graduate - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?
— Benjamin Braddock
Context:
Spoken when Benjamin is in Mrs. Robinson's house, and she has manipulated him into her bedroom and begun to undress.
Meaning:
This quote shatters the unspoken tension between the two characters, highlighting Benjamin's awkwardness and naivety in the face of Mrs. Robinson's blatant sexual aggression.
I just want to say one word to you. Just one word... Plastics.
— Mr. McGuire
Context:
Said to Benjamin at his graduation party, as unsolicited, supposedly profound career advice.
Meaning:
It encapsulates the ultimate symbol of the 1960s older generation's values: synthetic, cheap, and entirely artificial. It represents everything Benjamin wishes to avoid.
It's like I was playing some kind of game, but the rules don't make any sense to me. They're being made up by all the wrong people.
— Benjamin Braddock
Context:
Benjamin trying to explain his overwhelming feelings of alienation and confusion.
Meaning:
This summarizes the core existential crisis of the youth in the 1960s—feeling forced to participate in a society whose values they fundamentally reject.