# The Graduate: Mrs. Robinson and Elaine

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 27, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192 "2002-12-27T17:49:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192/1 "2002-12-27T17:49:57Z")

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I watched \*\* The Graduate \*\* over the holiday for the umpteenth time, and something struck me. I realized that I do not understand the relationship between Mrs. Robinson and her daughter Elaine. How does Mrs. Robinson feel about Elaine? Does she hate her? Resent her? Love and cherish her? I no longer understand Mrs. Robinson’s motivations after she threatens to tell Elaine about the affair. Anyone else have any insight on this?

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**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192/2 "2002-12-27T17:55:09Z")

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I’d say Mrs. R has issues, to say the least…that she’s jealous and resentful of Elaine; and that she thinks Benjamin is good enough for her but not good enough for Elaine.

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**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192/3 "2002-12-27T18:05:10Z")

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I think Mrs. Robinson is worried her boytoy is going to exchange her for a younger model – her own daughter.

I’ll never understand why Benjamin did it…Mrs. Robinson was way cooler than Elaine, and way hotter too.

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**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192/4 "2002-12-27T18:35:45Z")

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I would be inclined to agree with **jsc**. By having the afair with her, Benjamin has been soiled and thus he is no longer good enough for her daughter whom she sees as pure and only to be touched by someone equally pure. If Benjamin would not have had the affair with her, she would have willingly accepted him as a potential son-in-law.

Although in that case, she would have possibly resented him for turning her down and opposed the relationship out of frustration or because of the guilty knowledge that he might have about her randiness.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192/5 "2002-12-27T18:36:48Z")

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Actually Mrs. Robinson and Elaine are pretty much a tossup for me.

In real life, Anne Bancroft is only 9 years older than Katharine Ross.

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**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192/6 "2002-12-27T19:22:28Z")

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I keep going back to the scene in the hotel room where Mrs. Robinson reveals that she and her husband had to get married because she was pregnant with Elaine. I think maybe she resents Elaine because she feels that it’s because of her that she’s trapped in a crappy marraige.

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**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-graduate-mrs-robinson-and-elaine/145192/7 "2002-12-29T03:11:29Z")

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Who wants their half-their-age boytoy throw them over for their OWN DAUGHTER!

I’d bitch slap the both into next month:D

doesnt actually have a boytoy or a daughter…