Benjamin Braddock

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Benjamin Braddock (born 1942) is the main character of Charles Webb's 1963 novel (as well as the 1967 film) "The Graduate".

[edit] Story

School athlete Ben had just recently graduated from college, uncertain about his future. He is warmly welcomed home by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Braddock and is thrown a party as a celebration (which are attended only by the elder Braddocks' friends). Very awkward, Ben retreats to his room to get space. He is visited upon by a certain Mrs. Robinson, who asks Ben if he can drive her home.

Arriving in the Robinsons residence, Mrs. Robinson asks Ben to accompany her inside the house because she "does not want to be alone". Inside, Mrs. Robinson eventually tries to charm Ben, who begins to suspect that she is "trying to seduce me". Freaking out, he eventually gets to escape and reach home.

Weeks later, Ben decides to ignite an affair with Mrs. Robinson, which whom accepts, and manages to find a hotel room where every night, the would make love.

As a romance is blooming between the two, Mr. Robinson (who does not know about the affair) and Ben's parents arranges a date for Ben with the Robinsons' daughter, Elaine. The two does everything to prevent this from happenning, but anyway, it happened, leaving Ben in love with Elaine and making Mrs. Robinson upset and bearing a grudge on Ben.

Elaine finds out what happens with the two and is angry at Ben for what he did. Ben does what he can to win her back, having to drive all the way to her college at UC Berkeley. In this time, Elaine has found someone in Carl Smith.

After Elaine and Carl exchange vows at the wedding, Ben comes in to protest. As the vows have already been read, Mrs. Robinson tells her "It's too late!" and Elaine responds, "not for me!" These are the last lines in the movie, although it continues to show Elaine and Ben running out of the churgh and catching a bus to escape.