The Graduate Read Free

knots.”
    Benjamin shook his head.
    “Now I want you to relax.”
    “I can’t seem to.”
    “Ben, you’ve just had four of the most strenuous years of your life back there.”
    “They were nothing,” Benjamin said.
    “What?”
    “The whole four years,” he said, looking up at his father. “They were nothing. All the things I did are nothing. All the distinctions. The things I learned. All of a sudden none of it seems to be worth anything to me.”
    His father was frowning. “Why do you say that.”
    “I don’t know,” Benjamin said. He walked across the room to the door.
    “But I’ve got to be alone. I’ve got to think until I know what’s been happening to me.”
    “Ben?”
    “Dad, I’ve got to figure this thing out before I go crazy,” he said, unlocking the door. “I’m not just joking around either.” He stepped back out into the hall.
    “Ben?” Mr. Robinson said, holding out his hand. “I’ve got a client waiting for me over in Los Angeles.”

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    Benjamin nodded and shook his hand.
    “Real proud of you boy,” Mr. Robinson said, Benjamin waited till he had gone out the door, then turned around and walked upstairs and into his room. He closed the door behindhim and sat down at his desk. For a long time he sat looking down at the rug, then he got up and walked to the window. He was staring out at a light over the street when the door opened and Mrs. Robinson stepped inside, carrying a drink and her purse.
    “Oh,” she said. “I guess this isn’t the bathroom is it.”
    “It’s down the hall,” Benjamin said.
    She nodded but instead of leaving the room stood in the doorway looking at him.
    “It’s right at the end of the hall,” Benjamin said.
    Mrs. Robinson was wearing a shiny green dress cut very low across her chest, and over one of her breasts was a large gold pin.
    “Don’t I get to kiss the graduate?” she said.
    “What?”
    She smiled at him.
    “Mrs. Robinson,” Benjamin said, shaking his head. “T’m kind of distraught at the moment. Now I’m sorry to be rude but I have some things on my mind.”
    She walked across the room to where he was standing and kissed one of his cheeks.
    “It’s good to see you,” Benjamin said. “The bathroom’s at the end of the hall.”
    Mrs. Robinson stook looking at him a moment longer, then turned around and walked to his bed. She seated herself on the edge of it and sipped at her drink. “How are you,” she said.
    “Look,” Benjamin said, “I’m sorry not to be more congenial but I’m trying to think.”
    Mrs. Robinson had set her glass down on the rug. She reached into her purse for a package of cigarettes and held it out to Benjamin.
    “No.”

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    She took one for herself.
    “Is there an ash tray in here?”
    “No.”
    “Oh,” she said, “I forgot. The track star doesn’t smoke.” She blew out her match and set it down on the bedspread.
    Benjamin walked to his desk for a wastebasket and carried it to the bed. He picked up the match and dropped it in.
    “Thank you.”
    He walked back to the window.
    “What are you upset about,” she said.
    “Some personal things.”
    “Don’t you want to talk about them?”
    “Well they wouldn’t be of much interest to you, Mrs. Robinson.”
    She nodded and sat quietly on the bed smoking her cigarette and dropping ashes into the wastebasket beside her.
    “Girl trouble?” she said.
    “What?”
    “Do you have girl trouble?”
    “Look,” Benjamin said. “Now I’m sorry to be this way but I can’t help it.
    I’m just sort of disturbed about things.”
    “In general,” she said.
    “That’s right,” Benjamin said. “So please,” He shook his head and looked back out through the glass of the window.
    Mrs. Robinson picked up her drink to take a swallow from it, then set it down and sat quietly until she was finished with her cigarette.
    “Shall I put this out in the wastebasket?”
    Benjamin nodded.
    Mrs. Robinson ground it out on