The Graduate Marriage Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Graduate.

Quote #4

BENJAMIN: Will you marry me? …You won't?

ELAINE: I don't know.

BENJAMIN: But you might?

ELAINE: I might.

BENJAMIN: Is that so? You might marry me?

ELAINE: Yes.

Elaine's starting to crack, coming closer to admitting that she really does love Ben. In order to do it, she has to marry a guy who had an affair with her mother. It's not looking like the greatest idea in the world, in our humble opinion. There have to be other motivations at work here apart from affection for Ben, who she barely knows.

Quote #5

ELAINE: Why don't you drag me off if you want to marry me so much?

BENJAMIN: Why don't I just drag you off? All right, I will. Right after we get the blood tests...

Elaine's testing Ben's passion. How badly does he really want to marry her? When he crashes her wedding at the end, he confirms how extremely serious he really is about her.

Quote #6

ELAINE: Carl Smith. He's a medical student. We've known him for years.

BENJAMIN: Who, that guy at the zoo?

ELAINE: Yes.

BENJAMIN: Why do you have to see him?

ELAINE: Well -- I said I might marry him.

BENJAMIN: You WHAT?

Elaine says she told Carl she might marry him; she tells Ben she might marry him. Elaine's caught between what her parents want for her and what she might want for herself. She's not really sure which way to go. Some guys would turn and run immediately in this situation, but Ben stays in pursuit. You get the impression that something else is going on with Elaine other than trying to decide who to marry.