The Graduate Movie Themes

Improved Essays
One of the most iconic and well known movies in America today is, The Graduate,

directed by Mike Nichols.This movie touches on the themes of changing cultural norms isolates

the individual, and sexuality and how it is valued defines the individual in society. Another

theme that is present is the major schism between generations, the older being Benjamin’s

parents age and the younger Benjamin’s age, and how that effects the mindset of Benjamin and

his parents. The generational gap prevents any hope for finding common ground. The central

theme of this movie is society is antagonistic towards individuals who are searching for

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Cultural construction of sexuality can be defined as the view that perceptions and attitudes towards sexuality varies due to the diversification in values and practices amongst various cultures. In this essay, I will argue that sexuality is culturally constructed and explore the different ways in which it is perceived and understood, as well as analysing the reasons for these differences. Firstly, I will look at sexually restrictive cultures and discuss how religion and ethos cause some cultures to have strict morals and beliefs regarding sexuality. Secondly, I will go on to look at sexually permissive cultures and explore how some cultures have greater freedom and openness towards sexuality, exploring the alternative connotations of sexual…

    • 1491 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Satire In Brave New World

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Samuel L. Jackson once said, “We’ve come a long way in our thinking, but also in our moral decay.” This quote holds true today as society stays rapidly changing and people become more and more desensitized to the horrors of the world. The line between right and wrong fades and turns to a larger gray area, and many things that happen in society today make us question how we, as a collective people, ended up where we are and how we acquired the customs we have today. Aldous Huxley, in his novel Brave New World, uses a great deal of satire and exaggeration to express his concerns for the society he was born into and bring attention to the problems of moral decay, drug dependency, and brainwashing, among other things, in the world.…

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout a life full of flashbacks and conflicts, a person would imagine being confused in several different ways. In the novel Slaughterhouse- Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Billy Pilgrim has been through a life that no other human can imagine. With several themes built into this novel, Billy shows his growth within himself as a character. As Billy flashes back and forth from being in the army in Dresden, being captured on the planet of Tralfamadore, and his relationship with his fiancé, Billy gives an idea about his post-traumatic disorder. While working in Dresden, Billy begins his journey at a not so very serious approach.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Americans love movies. We watch them on the big screen, on our home theater systems, on our laptop computers and even on our smart phones. Most movies, however, are quickly forgotten. The movies that do make an impression are those that inspire, encourage and motivate us to go beyond ourselves. These movies touch us, emotionally and intellectually.…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    My favorite aspect of this book was the way all of the themes worked symbiotically to create a very dynamic story. This book forced me to pay attention to the plot, something I can say about very few books. The complexity of Slaughterhouse-Five resided in the inability or unwillingness of Vonnegut to settle on a single theme or mode of discourse It took me until the end of the first chapter to discover what was going on; I even thought I had picked up the author’s edition by mistake.…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sexual Identity In Canada

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There are many aspects that can shape an individual’s sexual identity. This identity will play an immense role in the individual’s life, therefore it should be a decision that is made solely on how that person wants to express themselves. With that being said, there are several historical restrains that can make it difficult for people to be who they are. Throughout this paper will give a brief overview on the history of sexuality in Canada as well as how sports culture and education can influence today’s realities. There is no doubt that we have always lived and continue to live in a heterosexual dominant society.…

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Essentialism is a theory that argues that the behaviors of men are biologically determined through genetic predisposition (Kilmartin & Smiler, 2015). This argument states that men and women take on different gender roles due biology, and regardless of the social pressures, there is an innate need to behave a certain way. Social constructionism argues that masculinity is socially constructed and encourages men to behave in a particular manner in order to fit in with cultural expectations (Kilmartin & Smiler, 2015). Discussing the origins of heterosexuality and homosexuality from an essentialist or social constructionist view is a topic that can be covered over the span of numerous textbooks; therefore, for the sake of this argument, sexuality…

    • 1298 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sex selection attempts to control the sex of new births in order to select a desired sex. This shows our communities continual marginalization of women throughout the world. When it comes to sex selection and gendercide, it is normal to think that it must be happening only in countries like China and India which have a very manly controlling community and they prefer men over women all the time. However it is actually happening in Unites States as well. Gender is a term pertaining to various biological characteristics that can identify an individual as female or male.…

    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sexual Segregation

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    We have all seen in our schools, on the streets, in social media, and in pop culture. Sexual segregation is a problem that is alive and well. People can argue that a person’s sexual orientation comes from the way they were raised. Others may argue that it comes from genetics. Nevertheless, people will continue to discriminate due to ignorance and old school beliefs.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Boyhood Movie Analysis

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The following essay will focus on the film Boyhood (2014) in attempts to explain how three significant events in the main character’s life story, Mason, exemplify developmental changes in the lifespan. There will be references to three developmental domains, cognitive development in terms of information processing, conceptual resources and perceptual skill, physical development referring to growth in the process of puberty and psychosocial development being the expansion of the personality, including the gain of social attitudes and skills particularly according to Erikson theory, the battle of identity vs role diffusion (Sigelman, 2013, p. 38). Boyhood is a story, based over a 12-year period, of growing up captured through the eyes of a…

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sexuality has been a way to express our sexual desires, our gender identity and ourselves as human beings that help establish a relationship between individuals, giving love, trust, respect and care towards one another. With the psychology of sexuality, we are able to convey our feelings, sexual interests and preferences, and show our sexual orientation and gender identity. Human sexuality spectrum identifies various labels that would indicate the sexual preference of an individual, though is known to contradict gender binaries. The LGBT community is a diverse population that pertains to non-heterosexual people and is recognized all around the world but is ever since careful of their protests, as not all countries support nor tolerate LGBT people. Several countries in the African Continent, the Middle East, Indonesia, and Russia have an anti-gay law, wherein homosexuality and/or transsexuality is illegal and is punishable by…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    What we understand to be true about sexuality begins to ingrain itself in our person since the time we are born. At a young age, our parents influence our beliefs on sexuality by teaching us what is right or wrong for our gender. Over time, our peers and the media contribute to our understanding of our own sexuality as well as others’ sexuality. We are taught and socialized to follow societal norms or otherwise be faced with the possibility of being viewed negatively by others. Impositions by one 's society and culture aid in determining our attitudes towards sex and the perceived role of sexual activity in individuals.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Sexual Deviance

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages

    With describing and defining sexual deviance, it is important to define sexuality. Sexuality denotes those encounters that lead to erotic arousal and a genital response. As John Curra states in the chapter The Relativity of Deviance, “human sexuality allows opportunities for communication that is deep and extensive, personal disclosure, and physical pleasure.” However, sexuality is indeed a social construction; there are rules that “govern” society’s expectations.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Human Sexuality

    • 1056 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Present Personal Views and Beliefs on Human Sexuality Human sexuality can take on a number of connotations; all of which can vary depending on someone’s background, personal view and beliefs. Over the years my understanding of sexuality has changed as I have grown and matured. Present day, my sexuality plays a major part in my everyday life. My sexuality determines how I interact with others and is integrated into my feelings and reactions. I consider myself a very sexual being, my femininity is emanated into who I am.…

    • 1056 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lgbt Community Reflection

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In our society sexuality is a popular yet controversial term. Several commercials, magazine and advertisements feed into using sex as an eye catcher to the product(s) being sold. As the term sexuality arises many think of either identifying as either being a heterosexual, lesbian, transgender or homosexual. Just as one word can trigger an individual to separate themselves into a category, society also places a strain on forcing people in social groups. Groups that are not limited to • Social class regarding to socioeconomic status • Race • Ethnicity • Gender not recognizing if an individual who is transitioning may be excluded Being placed in social categories can stem feelings of unfairness and allow certain persons of a group to be viewed…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays