This 1960s film is eerily reminiscent of the 21st century as recent graduates and university students are asked ‘so, what next?’ whilst in the midst of a pandemic. The graduate of course is not set during a pandemic. But as the main protagonist is introduced, we see that his family and family friends are very impressed by his academic achievements and expect him to go to graduate school. This social pressure is still seen today as millennials, Gen Z and almost everyone questions ‘what next?’ as we see yet another economic decline post pandemic. Our protagonist wanders through his house, filled with his parent’s friends asking questions and wanting to be immersed in his conversation, he desperately avoids all conversation and wanted to be confided to his room. Perhaps reminiscent of new graduates finishing their degrees from home and feeling as if they have gone back to their adolescence. He draws the attention of Mrs Robinson who Ben drives home and a scandalous affair unfolds from then on. The use of this character is a sense of escapism, something completely out of the blue from Ben’s life. From a life built up on expectations and high achievements to the most unexpected affair with one if his parents married friends.
After a date he is forced to go on, Ben finds himself infatuated with Mrs Robinson’s daughter, Elaine. It becomes his one and only mission in life to find her and marry her. All other prospects of Ben’s post graduate future seem to have faded away as Elaine and Ben fade into the distance on a bus taking them to an unknown destination. This constant sense of escapism throughout the film is reminiscent of the odd expectation to suddenly be an “adult” at some point in your twenties. From the beginning of the film, we see Ben trying to avoid the crowds of his parent’s friends, to pretending he knows what he is doing while talking to the hotel employees, the graduate perfectly demonstrates the awkward phase between university life to suddenly having a clear path in life.