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‘So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.’
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
One of Fitzgerald’s many masterpieces, ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ is an extremely interesting and ingenious story about a man who is born an elderly and dies a child. Yes, you heard it right. Benjamin Button is born with an unusual condition owing to which he ages backwards.
The story talks about how his life goes on and how he faces a plethora of problems especially once he goes out of his house to school and later college. The story has also been made into an excellent movie starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
Introduction
Name of the Story - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Writer’s Name - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre - Fantasy Fiction
Language - English
About the Writer
Picture Credit - Domain
Born on September 24th, 1896, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American essayist, screenwriter, novelist and short story writer. He is mainly known for his portrayal of the Jazz Age in his stories who in themselves are flamboyant in nature.
In his time Fitzgerald published four novels, four collections of short stories and one hundred and sixty-four short stories.Some of his notable works include ‘Ernest Hemingway’, ‘The Beautiful and Damned’ and of course the most famous novel ‘The Great Gatsby’. Alas! Most of his work received critical appreciation only after his death. He died on December 21st, 1940.
About the Story
Benjamin Button was born in the year 1860 at a hospital which is not the only peculiar thing about him. Young Mr. Button is born looking like an old man and the hospital staff is horrified.
Benjamin's father Mr. Robert Button is shocked and worried at the sight of his son and more so that he has to take this sixty-four year old child home. He is concerned about the gossip that might affect his reputation.
Since his birth, it is pretty clear that Benjamin is no common child and so it is rather difficult for the family to clothe him, feed him or compromise the normal child-like thing that fails to do, like playing with a rattle, which Benjamin does, much reluctantly and rather joylessly.
Years pass and Benjamin faces a lot of trouble in school, where he often falls asleep because he is too old for kindergarten and primary level education.
A few years pass and Benjamin enrols in Yale but when he fails to dye his hair one day, he is thrown out of college and deemed a lunatic. He then decides to go to Harvard.
The year is 1880, Benjamin is now twenty and going out to balls and parties. One such evening he meets Hildegard and they become engaged six months later, despite her father’s disapproval.
More years pass and Benjamin goes on to grow younger and younger which upsets Hildegard as she is growing older. Roscoe, Benjamin’s son now has a son and chides Benjamin for his physical changes and asks him to be a red blooded man. Not being able to explain his condition to anyone, Benjamin slides into a milk-scented haze of nothingness.
Themes Involved
The most prominent theme in the story is that of identity. Benjamin Button fails to recognize himself ever because he is always and constantly changing and thus he fails to have a constant and stable identity.
The second theme which is also common to all Fitzgerald stories is that of wealth and prosperity. The Buttons are a rich bunch but despite the money they are not able to help one of their own.
Famous Quotes
“You are meant to lose the people you love. How else would you know how important they are to you?”
“So he nodded, smiled, listened, and was happy.”
“Old fellows like me can’t learn new things.”
The Bottom Line
The story is one of a kind and so interesting that you hardly notice that it is a little on the longish side. The details, the information and the plot are way too well written for you to pass on the chance to read this story.
My ratings for the story - 4 on 5
Read it now here - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Written By - Sakshi Singh
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