电影毕业生the graduate英文论文

The Struggle and Confusion

-----A Brief Comment on The Graduate Abstract:

The Graduate(1967) is one of the key, ground-breaking films of the late 1960s. The influential film is a comedy with stinging satire not only on the college graduates who finds himself isolated with social environment but also on the values of Americans in1960 through the vivid description of the confusion, and struggle of Benjamin. The numbness and confusion of Ben is not only his personal problem but also the miniature of that era.

Key word: numbness, confusion, miniature, graduate, struggle

Introduction:

The movie was adapted firstly from a novel written by Calder Willingham, Buck Henry and then premiered on Broadway in early April of 2002, with Kathleen Turner reprising her role as Mrs. Robinson, along with Jason Biggs and Alicia Silverstone in the other major roles. Mike Nichols Benjamin Braddock who was the main character is adrift after graduate from college. He was seduced and betrayed by a corrupt, decadent, and discredited older generation twice his age Mrs. Robinson. She was an insightful woman who can notice Ben’s inner emptiness in the party. Then Benjamin’s dream girl was shocked when she found out he has been sleeping with her mother. Finally Benjamin followed his heart and went with his dream girl. As far as I concern what impressed me most is the confusion and struggle of the youth in that age.

The struggle:

In 1960s with the rapid economic development, people began to have doubts about the old social order which kept capitalism running. The suspicion promoted a series of struggle. For example, black nationalism, women liberation, anti-Vietnam War, and sexual liberation. The entire struggle reflected the disruptive innovation and

destructive effect of the new generation. Anti-establishment which was the main melody in literary works was deeply reflected in The Graduate. I will analyze the struggle exposed in the movie.

Firstly, on the term of hippies’ struggle, in the movie when Ben and Elaine were sitting in the car and chatting freely, the hippies played rock music constantly outside. The noisy prevented them from hearing each other clearly. When Ben called the hippies to turn down the music, they didn’t follow Ben’ order and even made their music louder. This sight showed a sharp contrast of the youngsters’ rebel personality against the traditional thought.

Secondly, as to the sexual liberation, the resign of President Kennedy left the American society in a mess. People were eager to find outlets for their frustration and confusion for their future. Then sexual liberation appeared as times acquired. In this movie Mrs. Robinson’s sexual allure of Ben was also the embodiment of sexual liberation. In tradition a boy should love a girl who is of the same age. While in this movie Ben, a promising graduate, had a love affair with a woman who was old enough to be his mother. This section of roentgen loves obviously violated the traditional concept.

Thirdly, in the aspect of anti-war movement, the Vietnam conflict broke out in 1950s, and soon anti-war passions began to heat up and soon gained a peak in the end of 1960s. There was a sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo and the middle-class values flowing in the mass. The breakthrough movie described the restless emotion so profoundly and it also mirrored that anarchic mood perfectly for America n youth of the 60s during the escalation of the Vietnam War. In the movie the exhausting Ben sat in Berkley Berkeley. This university was the home of student movements and was also the most active place for anti-war activities. When Ben sat beneath the flying American flag which represented the American Dream, he still felt confused with his future. This sharp satire which indicated the collapse of American Dream.

The confusion:

The main character Ben who had stepped outside the Ivory Tower and was going into the community college. He had to turn his focus from his study to social affair such as love, career and so on. But he lost his way when facing the crossroads in the life. He found his outlook diverged from his peers, so he automatically isolated himself from others. That was because on the one hand he was eager to do something special and live his own life and on the other hand he was forced to follow the old social rule which has arranged for him by his predecessors. The two thoughts attacked each other in his mind and finally he lost in the confusion. Then he finally struggle for a new social concept.

Firstly, the confusion before his struggle, at the beginning of the movie Ben returned to his family which was a ferociously stupid upper-middle-class in California suburb. His family and their social circle demanded that he should perform in the role of successful young college grad. When the party was centered around him and his dad proudly introduced various honor he had received in school, we can obviously notice Ben’anxiety. When Mrs. Robinson --one of his parents’contemporaries-- noticed his emptiness he finally found warm comfort with this decadent women who succumbs mostly out of weariness and disbelief. Ben’ submission to Mrs. Robinson’s sexual temptation reflected the confusion of new social men when facing a choice.

Secondly, the confusion after struggle, in the end of movie the Ben finally kidnapped Miss Ross from the altar to prevent the wedding. He jammed a cross into the church door to prevent pursuit, and they escaped on a bus. While in accordance with common sense, when two lovers finally took the shackles off and got forward to begin their new life, they must be exciting and looked forward to the future with full confidence. After the transient craze gave away to reality, they began to rethink their behaviors. Ben may soon be aware that the looting marriage was the result of hotheaded impulse rather than the pursuit of true love. Then the two people felt desperately depressed and confused. They are wondering whether the love they had been pursuing all the time was the real love. The audience might also question did the two youngster really love each other. After they got on the bus, they didn't show any

sense of excitement and even they separated themselves when the song --the sound of silence-- sounded. They isolated themselves from their families and at the same time they separated themselves from each other as well. Though they got on the bus they didn’t know where the destination the bus would brought them to. After they had struggled for a new life they finally fell into a new confusion again. Their experience also indicated the new generation would ultimately return to the traditional moral values when they approached middle-age and worked in sterile corporate settings. What they struggled for in the early of life would be aimless.

Conclusion:

The Graduate is the milestone of comedy. It is influential not because of sight gags and punch lines, but because its reflection of the American upheaval in 1960s. The movie still resonates across modern Americans after 30 years. Time doesn’t make the pioneering film fade on the contrary bring new meaning to it dramatically.

Bibliography:

(1).Movie The Graduate at https://www.360docs.net/doc/9116152461.html,/content.asp?id=346

(2) David Smith,” The Confusion in the Graduate”, 2005

(3) Roger Ebert, “The Graduate”, Chicago Sun-Times (March 28, 1997).

(4). “Analysis of the Graduate”Retrieved from

https://www.360docs.net/doc/9116152461.html,/subject/1292271