Music in The Graduate

One of the things that stood out to me the most while watching The Graduate was its music. Its entire soundtrack was written and performed by the folk-rock group Simon and Garfunkel . In the film's opening moments, we hear the words "Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk to you again", the first line of Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence". The song continues to play as the opening credits roll and Benjamin makes his way through an airport. As the film progresses, other Simon and Garfunkel songs are played, some repeated several times. All of these songs seem to have a similarly depressing mood to them. With such somber songs playing in the background, one would expect the movie to exhibit a similar tone. Benjamin, however, does not have all that much to be sad about. He has recently graduated from a premier east coast university, and his family is incredibly proud of him. He spends his summer by the pool and at parties celebrating his academic success. So why is it that the film's music suggests that this is in fact, a sad story? I believe it is because Benjamin, while he lives a privileged life by most standards, is unhappy because has been unable to find someone to truly connect with. This unhappiness leads to a lack of confidence while he is being sexually pursued by Mrs. Robinson, which is the only reason he decides to sleep with her. But, when Benjamin meets Elaine, he believes he has finally found someone who fills the need he has always had, someone to truly connect with. This connection gives Benjamin the confidence to end his affair with Mrs. Robinson, crash Elaine's wedding, and pursue future happiness with Elaine. However, at the end of the film, Benjamin's deep, blank stare signifies that although he as conquered his personal goal of finding a woman he can truly be happy with, he has still yet to face the world as an adult, and this will certainly not be the last of his challenges.