the challenging journey

The Challenging Journey


Benjamin….the kind of man he wanted to become. The film, The Graduate, illustrates a young man’s development of moral maturity. Benjamin proves to us that maturity does not come at a certain age but through experience of inquiry, questioning, analysis, judgment, and the habit of doing good.
Benjamin Braddock, the main character of the story, has just returned from his four years away at college. Unsure about where his future will take him, he allows the wife of his business partner, Mrs. Robinson, to seduce him into having a secret affair. All is well until Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine, steals Benjamin’s heart. Benjamin is able to express his emotions and be taken seriously for the first time in his life. His feelings for Elaine create a moral conflict for Benjamin, which he is only able to resolve once he has developed his own moral maturity. Although we, the audience, are not sure as to what Benjamin’s initial morals are, or his c...