The Graduate : What was the point of the 'diving in the pool'- scene?

What was the point of the 'diving in the pool'- scene?

You know where Benjamin is wearing this diving suit?

Re: What was the point of the 'diving in the pool'- scene?

When Mrs. Robinson makes her first advances on Benjamin he is startled and based on his response would not be likely to come see her. However, he feels humiliated after his parents and all their friends treat him like a child during the scuba-diving sequence, so he wants to feel like a man by sleeping with an older woman.

Water is also frequently used as a symbol in the film. His parents consistently pushing him underwater shows how he feels suffocated by them and by living at home. This is also emphasized in the shot of him laying in bed right after the title sequence where the fishtank is directly behind his head and fills the whole frame, making it look like he's underwater.

Re: What was the point of the 'diving in the pool'- scene?

I still don't understand why his parents wanted him to dive a in the pool...

Re: What was the point of the 'diving in the pool'- scene?

Two reasons, in two different spheres:

- In the fictional world of the story - his father wanted him to demonstrate the suit at the party because he spent a lot of money on it, thought it was a really cool present, and thought everyone would be impressed. Given the logistical hurdle involved in having everyone jump in a car and drive to the ocean, he thought that - what with the swimming pool right there in the back yard - jumping in there would be a tidy way to show it off.

- In the heads of the filmmakers - it was a way to convey to the audience visually the extent to which Ben felt alienated from the world of his parents and those around him. He saw them and interacted with them as if he were behind a distorting, sound altering mask, and saw himself as isolated in an empty world,like a person standing underwater in a swimming pool (holding a completely useless spear gun for good measure).

Re: What was the point of the 'diving in the pool'- scene?

Thanks for clearing that scene up, I was confused too.
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