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Coming Of Age

Decent Essays

“The Graduate” is a coming of age story as the film attempts to relay a message of an innocent boy being pushed in an unwanted direction through a society filled with expectations. It focuses on the development and the maturing of the young college graduate and his journey from being in the world of a child to adult. It captures what it is to be young, restless, skeptical and confused. It is reflective of a time when no one has any idea what the future has in store. It is Benjamin’s notion of the uncertainty of reaching adulthood, he struggles to accept this transformation and the idea of how frightening the future really is. The obscurity of the certainty in becoming established and successful adult, the film relies heavily on the imagery …show more content…

There are also more complicated issues, such as how he is supposed to assert his masculinity in a society that is no longer the cut-and-dry “man goes to work, woman serves man”. His parents still live in this more traditional world and do not understand that the world is changing. As a result, he spends his time being confused and pulled in two directions. On one hand his father’s understanding of manhood and a future in plastics, and on the other, the need to follow his heart and seek his true identity in a world that his parents would not …show more content…

This is significant simply because it already contrasts the two main issues. The idea of a birthday party is something associated with being a young boy, especially considering that he gets the scuba gear, his “toy” and is expected to play with it in front of the other adult guests. In addition, the fact that those at the party are all part of the older generation. No guy wants to party with a bunch of old people that just ask how college was and what your going to do next.The men at the party just discuss business and the women chat quietly. There is no one at the party or else where who understands the tension Benjamin is feeling. He docent quite understand at this point if he is a man or still a boy, the way the adults treat him almost confuses him. They want him to be a man and get his career started but yet they still treat him like a boy. This quickly turns into stress on Ben’s shoulders. This tension and stress is even further highlighted by what happens later at his birthday party. Benjamin is standing on the brink of boyhood and adulthood for example, as all the guests look on, Benjamin’s appearance seems to waver between man and boy constantly. While he is treated like a young boy, the men at the party seem to put even more pressure on him, such as his need to “be a man”

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