The second important theme in the movie is about extra-marital affairs. When we study closely we notice something odd. In this movie, Mr. Robinson appears rather relaxed about the whole issue of his wife having an affair even though he temporarily gets upset. It is impossible to imagine that he didn't know about his wife's affairs and it is also impossible to think that this was the first ever time that she pursued another man for she clearly looked an expert in the area. She was confident of her ability to seduce a man and that doesn't come from a one-time affair. Hence it is strange that Mr. Robinson would still choose to be with her despite her infidelity.
This is what brings us to a study which states that fidelity in older couples is not as serious an issue as it is at the beginning of a marriage. In other words, as time passes and marriage becomes old, both partners become rather tolerant of extra marital affairs. This is what the study found and when applied to this movie, it appears to be quite true. What gives rise to this kind of tolerance is beyond me but I can imagine that both partners come to a point where they understand that despite their best intentions they may go astray now and then because of unmet needs and desires. "90% of women and 80% of men in her survey expected sexual exclusivity at the point of their first marriage but during marriage they became more tolerant and less insistent on sexual fidelity." (Glass, Wright, 1992)
When we watch this movie and compare the study to the behavior of Mr....
Robinson, we realize that this may actually be true. He had become tolerant of his wife's behavior because of the fact that it was sexual infidelity and not infidelity per se. He allowed her such transgressions because he knew he couldn't match her sexual appetite and for the sake of keeping his marriage intact, he turned a blind eye to the whole thing. It is true that Mrs. Robinson makes up a story about how Brad tried to seduce her and convinced her husband that she was not the one at fault but clearly Mr. Robinson is in denial. He cannot possibly remain oblivious to his wife's less than faithful behavior.
In short, while Graduate received rave reviews and was considered a cultural icon of its time, the movie may fail to appeal to many modern viewers because they are more used to the "older-woman younger-man" concept than people in the 60s were. The most outstanding factor of the movie is Dustin Hoffman's performance as a young lost soul who is completely directionless and rudderless. He does an amazing job essaying an otherwise complex role. While the movie is enjoyable and I liked it more the second time I watched it, I still believe that for a modern viewer to truly appreciate this movie, he must study the movie in the context of 60s pop culture.
References
Glass, SP, & Wright, TL (1992). Justifications for extramarital relationships: The association between attitudes, behaviors, and gender, Journal of Sex Research
Donna, Freydkin. Cougars slink their way into films, music and TV. USA Today
