Sofia Martinez
In Mike Nichols' 1967 film The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate, is given a lot of advice from older friends of his family. One of these advisors, Mr. McGuire, pulls Benjamin aside at a party and offers him a one-word piece of advice: plastics. Mr. McGuire is referring to the lucrative career prospects in the plastics industry, but to Benjamin, plastics represent everything he despises and fears. This scene captures the generational divide between Benjamin and his advisors, who are clueless about what the younger generation finds meaningful.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film | The Graduate |
| Year of release | 1967 |
| Main character | Benjamin Braddock |
| Benjamin Braddock's age | 21 |
| Benjamin Braddock's outlook on life | Disaffected with wealth and the pursuit of wealth |
| What "plastics" meant to Benjamin | Everything he despised and feared; a cheap, sterile, ugly, and meaningless way of life |
| What "plastics" meant in the 1960s | Anything or anyone cheap, superficial, and artificial |
| Mr. McGuire's advice | Representative of how clueless the older generation was about what the younger generation found meaningful |
| Mr. Robinson's advice | Make the most of his youth, have fun, and experiment |
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What You'll Learn
The Graduate's portrayal of post-graduation advice
The 1967 film "The Graduate" portrays a range of post-graduation advice given to the main character, Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate. At a cocktail party hosted by his parents to celebrate his graduation, Benjamin is approached by several older friends of his parents, who offer him their advice.
One of the most famous pieces of advice from the film comes from a man named Mr. McGuire, who takes Benjamin aside and offers him a single word of advice: "plastics." This is understood to refer to the lucrative career prospects in the plastics industry. However, to Benjamin, it represents a cheap, sterile, and meaningless way of life, embodying everything he finds repulsive about the values of the older generation. Mr. McGuire's advice, though well-intentioned, only serves to alienate Benjamin further, highlighting the generational gap between them.
Another piece of advice Benjamin receives is from Mr. Robinson, who encourages him to make the most of his youth, enjoy his freedom, and experiment. Mr. Robinson's advice reveals his own regrets about missing out on the opportunities that come with being young.
In addition to the advice Benjamin receives in the film, his character also serves as a source of post-graduation advice. Benjamin's paranoia, existential anxiety, and struggles with finding purpose resonate with many new graduates facing similar challenges.
While "The Graduate" does not provide a direct guide to post-graduation advice, it captures the complexities and contradictions of the advice-giving process. It highlights the potential disconnect between the well-intentioned advice of older generations and the aspirations and values of recent graduates. The film also underscores the importance of adaptability, relationships, and embracing change in navigating the post-graduation journey.
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Mr McGuire's interpretation of plastics
In Mike Nichols’s 1967 film “The Graduate”, Mr. McGuire is an older friend of the Braddock family. During a cocktail party thrown for Benjamin Braddock's college graduation, Mr. McGuire pulls Benjamin aside to offer him a single word of advice: "plastics".
Mr. McGuire's interpretation of plastics is twofold. Firstly, it is a reflection of the lucrative career prospects that the plastics industry offered at the time. Mr. McGuire, like many other advisors surrounding Benjamin, believes that this is wise and well-timed counsel. Secondly, and unbeknownst to Mr. McGuire, his advice represents a stark contrast to Benjamin's aspirations for a "different" future. To Benjamin, plastics represent everything he despises and fears. In the context of the 1960s, the term "plastic" has taken on negative connotations, signifying something cheap, superficial, artificial, and without feeling. Benjamin's relationship with Mrs. Robinson, for example, is described as "plastic" due to its phony and emotionless nature. Thus, Mr. McGuire's advice, despite its good intentions, only serves to alienate Benjamin further and highlight the generational gap between them.
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Benjamin Braddock's aversion to plastics
In Mike Nichols' 1967 film "The Graduate", Benjamin Braddock, a 21-year-old college graduate, is faced with an abundance of advice from older friends of his family. One of these advisors, Mr. McGuire, pulls Benjamin aside at a cocktail party and offers him a single-word piece of advice: "plastics".
At the time the film is set, there was likely a promising future in plastics. However, Benjamin Braddock has become disaffected with wealth and the pursuit of wealth. To him, a career in plastics represents everything he despises and fears. In the context of the 1960s, the word "plastic" has taken on negative connotations, signifying anything or anyone that is cheap, superficial, and artificial. Benjamin's relationship with Mrs. Robinson, for example, is described as "plastic" due to its phony and emotionless nature.
Benjamin's aversion to plastics can also be understood in the context of his existential struggles. As articulated to Elaine in one scene, Benjamin feels that he is playing a game with rules that don't make sense to him, made up by all the wrong people. This sense of confusion and alienation extends to the advice he receives from Mr. McGuire and other older individuals, further reinforcing his aversion to the idea of a career in plastics.
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The older generation's cluelessness
The older generation is often seen as out of touch with the aspirations and values of younger people, and this is a trope that has been played out in various films and books. One of the most famous examples of this is the 1967 film "The Graduate", in which a friend of the protagonist Benjamin Braddock's parents, Mr McGuire, gives him a single word of advice about his future: "plastics".
Mr McGuire's advice refers to the lucrative career prospects in the plastics industry. However, to Benjamin, plastics represent everything he despises and fears. In the context of the 1960s, the word "plastic" has taken on negative connotations, signifying something cheap, superficial, and artificial. Benjamin has become disaffected with the pursuit of wealth, and his relationship with Mrs Robinson is described as "plastic" in the sense of being phony and without feeling.
The scene in "The Graduate" captures the older generation's cluelessness about what the younger generation finds meaningful. Mr McGuire, with his well-meaning but ultimately superficial advice, only serves to alienate Benjamin further. This dynamic is not unique to the film but is a common experience for many young people who feel that their elders do not understand their values and aspirations.
In conclusion, the older generation's cluelessness about the values and aspirations of the younger generation is a recurring theme in popular culture and real life. "The Graduate" provides a poignant example of this dynamic, where the advice given by older characters to the young protagonist, Benjamin Braddock, highlights their disconnect from his true desires and the values he holds dear.
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The meaning of plastic in the 60s
The meaning of plastic in the 1960s was multifaceted. On the one hand, plastic had been a part of people's lives since the start of the century, with the invention of Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, in 1907. By the 1960s, plastic was becoming increasingly common in the home, with products like Tupperware and furniture made from plastic becoming popular. Young designers were experimenting with plastic, creating design classics such as the Panton chair and Kartell storage units. Plastic was also used in other products like clear chairs and tables, and plastic inflatables.
In the 1960s film "The Graduate," plastic is portrayed as a symbol of a cheap, sterile, and meaningless way of life. The film's protagonist, Benjamin Braddock, is urged by an older acquaintance, Mr. McGuire, to pursue a career in plastics, representing the older generation's values that seem repugnant to Benjamin. This reflects a shift in American perceptions of plastic during the postwar years, as it was no longer seen as unambiguously positive.
Additionally, the 1960s was a decade of growing environmental awareness, with concerns about plastic debris in the oceans and the persistence of plastic waste troubling observers. The word "plastic" itself began to take on negative connotations, becoming associated with something that was cheap, flimsy, or fake.
Despite the negative connotations that were beginning to emerge, plastic technology continued to advance, and plastic products were widely advertised and accepted by consumers. Overall, the meaning of plastic in the 1960s was complex, reflecting both the optimism and opportunities presented by new materials, as well as the growing concerns about their environmental and health impacts.
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