“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

February 15, 2024 127 Views

F. Scott Fitzgerald is a familiar name to the public as an author, known for his globally renowned work “The Great Gatsby.”

In his works, he portrayed the character “Gatsby” as a passionate figure, offering us much to contemplate. Apart from this masterpiece romance novel, he also wrote various other works, including “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” which contains satirical elements rather than romance.

“The famous line from the movie adaptation of Benjamin Button: ‘Time goes backward for Benjamin Button.'”

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels have also been adapted into movies. Before “The Great Gatsby” was adapted into a film, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” had already been made into a movie.

The film effectively conveyed the essence of the novel with a structure similar to that of the book, and the concept of aging backward from old age to infancy was innovative and well-received in the movie.

“A novel containing the bizarre concept of time flowing backward from old age to infancy.”

The novel portrays the life of “Benjamin,” who is born as an old man and gradually becomes younger until he dies as a baby. This work was inspired by the following famous quote by Mark Twain:

“It was a Pity that the Best Part of Life came at the Beginning and the Worst Part at the End.”

The protagonist of the story is born with the appearance of an old man. Despite the shock this causes to those around him, only his father decides to accept it as reality, and the story unfolds from there.

From the beginning, intriguing scenes emerge, such as Benjamin, born as an old man, speaking to his father for the first time:

“Are you my father? If so, I wish you would take me out of here. Or bring me a more comfortable cradle.”

The story then follows Benjamin as he ages backward, eventually regressing into childhood and eventually infancy. Of course, the absurd and surreal events that unfold along this reversed timeline are also depicted with imagination.

“A novel containing satirical elements.”

This novel contains satirical elements, highlighting the idea that despite aging backward, Benjamin’s life is not significantly different from ours.

The depiction of a middle-aged couple growing increasingly distant over the years, the generational conflict between father and son, and the unsteady gaze of those around them are all stories we encounter in our daily lives. However, even when these elements are applied to “Benjamin,” who ages backward, the outcome remains much the same.

While the novel was born from the idea of what life would be like if the beginning and end were reversed, it ultimately becomes an intriguing story conveyed through the author’s imagination.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”