The graduate door Charles Webb

''The graduate''

 

Written by Charles Webb

The Graduate

Written by Charles Webb.

Published by Penguin Books in 1986.

Number of pages: 191

 

Before reading:

I got this book because I found the blurb interesting. It appealed to me and I was

wondering what would happen in this book. I had not previously heard of this book.

`Chapter 1

Benjamin Braddock is graduated and his parents give him an exam party. There are many friends of the parents of Benjamin. But Ben doesn't want to be at the party, he wants to go

away. He feels uncomfortable. But he can't go away because his parents stop him, and friends don't let Ben go.

Then Mrs Robinson asks him (a friend of his parents) if he wants to bring her home. This is exactly what he needs, go away from house. So he brings Mrs Robinson to her house.

Arrived at the House of Mrs Robinson she asks Ben to come inside. He goes inside and drinks what and starts a little conversation with Mrs Robinson.

Then Mrs Robinson tries to seduce him and she dresses herself out. Ben was shocked!

Mrs Robinson is a good friend of his parents, and what if Mr Robinson comes home? Why

does she do this? See page 22: 'Haven't you ever seen anybody in a slip before?' she

said, letting the dress fall down around her and onto the floor. 'Yes I have,' Benjamin said,

glancing away from her and at the portrait of Elaine. 'But I just -'

'You still think I'm trying to seduce you, don't you.'

After this conservation Mr Robinson arrived home. Benjamin went downstairs and had a little conservation with him and later he went home.

 

Chapter 2

Benjamin thinks much about his future. His parents want him to be teacher, but he doesn't want this, he doesn't want to be on a college anymore. But he also doesn't know what he wants to become.

It's Benjamin's birthday. So they are celebrating it. The Robinson's are also there that evening. Benjamin gets from his parents a diving suit. Exactly what he wanted, but he feels very uncomfortable and he would prefer to be alone.

 

The next morning Ben tells to his parents that he wants to make a trip. He wants to go

away. He doesn't want to take stuff or money with him. However, he gets a check for his father. His parents find it weird that he goes, but let him go though.

 

Chapter 3

Benjamin comes at night back from his trip. His mother and father woke up and wanted to know everything about his trip. Ben is very tired but tells what he he's done. He went to the

North. To Redding. There he found some jobs like washing dishes and chores. He has also assisted putting out a large fire.

He found this trip useless and it was a bad idea.

 

Two days later Ben went to a bar at the Hotel Taft. He felt lonely and sad. He decided to

call Mrs Robinson and ask if she wants to come over to drink something with him. Mrs

Robinson comes and they drink something, talk a little bit and they have sex that evening.

 

Chapter 4

Benjamin doesn't feel good. He doesn't know what to do. So he watches TV at home and doesn't do anything else. His parents do not know what is going on with him.

Then the Robinson's came along. It was very awkward and there were often silences. Ben did not know what he had to say. He felt terrible in front of Mr Robinson.

 

That evening Ben's mother asked what happened to him and what is going on. He told his

mother that he is ashamed for the friends of his parents. Because he has no job and doesn't do anything. Also his father talk to Benjamin. He thinks it's because of Mrs. Robinson that it was so embarrassing. He thinks it’s a demonic woman. For no reason.

 

Ben decides to write a letter to Mrs Robinson. He writes that he doesn't want to deal

longer with this affair. He finds it terribly. Terrible against his parents and against Mr Robinson.

But they are still meeting each other. And they still have sex. You cannot call it a

relationship. They don't talk much, so Ben wants to talk more. Mrs Robinson tells him that she and Mr Robinson are married because she was pregnant of Elaine, not because they loved each other.

They still don't love each other. Elaine doesn't know this. Elaine is studying in Berkeley. Mrs Robinson wants that Ben promises that he never will ask Elaine out. She does not give a clear reason. But Ben promises to never ask Elaine out.

 

 

Chapter 5

The daughter of Mr & Mrs Robinson (Elaine) comes back from school. The parents of Ben

and the father of Elaine want that Ben and Elaine date each other. Although Ben find

Elaine very attractive, he can't do this. He has promised Mrs Robinson to ask Elaine never

out. Benjamin and his parents discuss at the table: See page 91, 92:

'Ben?' his mother said. 'Don't you think she's a terribly attractive girl?' 'Yes I do,' Benjamin

said. 'But that's not the point'

'Because I think she's one of the prettiest -'

'Mother, she is a beautiful girl,' Benjamin said, putting the salt shaker back on the table.

'But Elaine and I do not get along.'

'How do you know?'

'Because,' Benjamin said, 'I took her out once before.'

'When.'

'In high school.'

'Five years ago?'

'Yes five years ago, Mother.'

'And you did enjoy each other.'

'No we did not'

'Well I'll bet it would be a lot difference now,' Mrs Braddock said.

'It would not,' Benjamin said. 'It was awkward and strained five years ago and it would be

awkward and strained now.'

Then is the choice to him to eat with the whole Robinson Family, what of course very embarrassing is, or ask Elaine out. So he asks her out.

 

The next evening he takes Elaine out to dinner. He goes to the house of the Robinson's to

pick her up. There he has a conversation with Mrs. Robinson: See page 94:

'Now listen,' he said. 'This was not my idea. It was my father's idea.'

'Benjamin?' she said quietly, not looking at him. 'Didn't I make myself perfectly clear about

this?'

'I'm saying it was not my idea,' he said, taking a step toward her. 'I'm saying my parents

thought it would be a nice little social gesture if I -'

'I thought I made myself quite clear to you.'

'Then why are you here.'

'Because it was either this or a dinner party for two families. And I'm afraid I couldn't quite

handle that, if you don't mind. 'Now I’m taking her out this once.'

 

Benjamin behaved terribly on the date. He did very weird opposite Elaine. At one point she

started to cry and she was sad and wanted to home. Benjamin saw in that what he was doing was not right. So he comforted her.

Elaine wanted to go to The Taft for some drinks. Exactly where Ben always has a

appointment with Mrs Robinson. They went up to The Taft. The staff know Benjamin and gave him two martinis, what he always ordered.

Elaine finds this weird, they had not even ordered some. Then the staff were looking at them and said something. Ben felt very uncomfortable and dragged Elaine out the hotel

and took her as soon as possible the car in. Elaine asked him what was going on. She thought that he is having an affair with someone. With an older women.

Ben confessions it up, but he doesn't say that it is Mrs Robinson with who he's having a affair with.

 

Benjamin is in love with Elaine. The next morning he wants to take her out on date. When

he's at the House of the Robinson's, Mrs Robinson opens the door. She asks him to go with her in the car. There they have a conversation. She forbids him go again on a date Elaine. She says she will say against Elaine that Ben doesn't want to longer with Elaine. Benjamin begs her not to do this, he rushes to the House of the Robinson's, goes up and

asks if Elaine to come quickly. Elaine does not know what's going on and asks why she

has to come. Then Mrs Robinson comes also home. Ben musts say that the affair with the older woman, Mrs. Robinson was.

Elaine is very angry and wants Ben to immediately leave her room.

 

A couple of weeks long they talk not with each other. Ben is thinking a lot. He loves her and decides to ask her to marry with him.

 

Chapter 6

The next morning Ben told his parents he wants to marry Elaine. His parents were very happy, he hasn't asked her yet. Elaine doesn't know anything.

Ben leaves to Berkeley, the city where Elaine studies. There he sells his car and with that

money he hires a room. He dares not got to Elaine. He writes some love letters and doesn't do anything else.

He was in a pub when he saw Elaine walking past. He pursued her. Elaine was terrified

when she saw him. Ben didn't know what he had to say so they had a weird conservation. Since then saw Ben Elaine more often, but they did not talk.

 

One evening Elaine comes along by Ben. She wants to know why he's here.

See page 129:

'I want you to tell me why you're here in Berkeley.' she said, stepping part way through the

doorway. Benjamin smiled. 'Well Elaine?'

'Can you tell me that', she said. 'Is it because I'm here?'

'What?'

'Did you move up her because I was here?'

He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it and began shaking his head.

'Did you?'

'I don't know!' he said.

'You don't know why you moved up here.'

'Would you come in please?'

'Benjamin,' she said, taking another step into the room, 'I want you to answer yes or no.

Did you move here because I was here or not.' Benjamin turned around to his desk.

 

'Did you?'

What do you think!' he said, clenching his fists beside him and then raising them up over his head.

'I think you did.'

'All right then!' he said. He slammed his fists down on the desk.

 

Mrs. Robinson has told Elaine that Ben has raped her. She told a big lie to Elaine. Ben tries to make it clear to her that it isn't gone that way. But Elaine doesn't want to know

anything. The conversation spiralling out of control. Elaine wants Ben the following morning

to leave. Then he says he loves her. Elaine feels guilty that he has come here for her and wants that Ben first has a plan for what he is going to do and then leave.

A few days later they called each other. Benjamin has no plan yet about what he wants to do. The conversation runs out of control and Elaine wants him to leave Berkeley.

 

Ben picks up his suitcase in and goes to sleep. Then Elaine comes forth along. She cries and is confused. She wants to talk to him. They do.

The they kiss and Ben asks her to marry him. Elaine says no, she can't marry him. But she will think about it.

The next day they meet each other. Ben has bought her a ring and gives it to her.

Benjamin wants to marry as soon as possible but Elaine does not knows it yet. Elaine is

also asked in marriage by another. And what would her parents say if they will get

married?

 

Chapter 7

 

Ben receives a telegram from Mrs Robinson. It says that she wants that Ben goes away from Elaine and leaves her alone.

Also Elaine received a letter. A letter from her father. Mr Robinson knows all that Ben and

Mr Robinson had. He writes that Elaine should stay away from Benjamin. And the as quickly as possible come to Berkeley.

Elaine is very confused an doesn't know what she needs to do.

 

Then Mr Robinson comes to the place where Ben stays. He threatened Ben and wanted

him to leave his daughter alone. He doesn't know that Ben and Elaine want to get married. As Ben goes to the apartment of Elaine, he is too late. Elaine is gone with her father. Ben is looking everywhere for her but doesn't find her.

Elaine has left a message for Ben. See page 181:

Dear Benjamin,

I promise you someday I will write a long letter about everything but right now I can't

think and all I can say to you is please forgive me because I know what I am doing is the best thing for you. I love you but it would never work out. Go to Canada or somewhere I can never see you again.

Elaine

 

After Ben had read this he goes as fast as possible to the House of the Robinson's. There he breaks in and looks at whether Elaine is there. But she isn't there at all. Where can she

be?

Mr. Robinson tells him that he can come back in a few weeks to ask where she is ...

 

Chapter 8

The next day Benjamin landed just before dawn at the San Francisco airport and hurried

off the plane into a phone booth. I called Carl, they man who also asked Elaine to marry

him. He didn't pick up his phone. Then he found out where he lived and went to his house. On the door of his house was a letter. A letter for a friend of Carl. Ben opened it and began to read it.

In the letter was written that Carl was getting married with Elaine in the First Presbyterian Church on Allen Street in S.B. So Ben went as soon as possible to the church. There he interrupted the wedding and took Elaine with him.

They fled away together. They jumped in a bus and drove off.

 

This is the end of the story.

 

 

After reading:

In the beginning I didn't understand much of this book. I found it very boring. Later, i began

to understand the story and it became more interesting. It was getting more exciting. The

book was suddenly a lot more fun. Ultimately, I think this is a very beautiful and exciting story. I found it fun to read this book.

The most interesting scene was the end. When Ben interrupted the wedding and took Elaine with him. I found it exciting.

The most interesting personage is Benjamin. I didn't expect much of this book. I didn't know what would happen. But what has happened is very interesting. I really would recommend the book to someone else.