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The Graduate Scene 2 Summary

The Art of Seduction

  • When they arrive at Mrs. Robinson's house, she invites him in. Once they're inside, Mrs. Robinson offers him a drink and says she doesn't want to be alone in her house while her husband's out.
  • She puts on music, and starts asking him what he thinks about her—like if he knew she was an alcoholic. She mentions her husband won't be home for several hours.
  • Benjamin's clearly nervous and tells Mrs. Robinson that he thinks she's trying to seduce him.
  • She denies it, though she says she feels flattered, and he asks her to forgive him for thinking that.
  • She asks him to go upstairs to see her daughter Elaine's new portrait.
  • Benjamin comments on Elaine's attractiveness. Mrs. Robinson casually asks him to unzip her dress so she can go to sleep.
  • Ben's extremely reluctant, but he eventually pulls the zipper down and then goes to leave.
  • Mrs. Robinson says he's acting strange, but Ben says that if Mr. Robinson came in this would clearly look funny. Things are getting weird, and Ben says he's leaving.
  • Before he leaves, Mrs. Robinson asks him to come back upstairs to bring her her purse.
  • He says he'll just hand it over the railing, but she insists on him coming up.
  • He goes in to put the purse down, but then Mrs. Robinson sneaks in, naked, shutting the door behind her.
  • A freaked-out Ben demands she open the door, but she calmly says that if he won't sleep with her now, he can call her some other time and make an arrangement.
  • Ben hears a car pulling into the driveway, pushes her out of the way, and runs downstairs.
  • Mr. Robinson arrives, doesn't suspect anything, and invites Ben to have a drink. He tells him to take it easier than he seems to be, and to act like a ladies' man—sow some wild oats and have some flings.
  • Mrs. Robinson, fully dressed, comes downstairs, and agrees that Ben looks like a ladies' man.