How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Graduate.
Quote #10
BENJAMIN: You're the first - you're the first thing for so long that I've liked. The first person I could stand to be with. […] I mean my whole life is such a waste. It's just nothing. I'm sorry. I'll take you home now.
Being around somebody he can finally identify with—who gets him—helps Ben start to see what it is that he might want. His feelings of alienation from other people is what's kept him so confused about where his life should be headed. Up until now, he's been reacting rather than acting. Meeting Elaine dramatically changes this and Benjamin starts taking some initiative—the first step in identity formation.