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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 Questions for discussion

 General comprehension

1. Does The Curious Case of Benjamin Button have a moral, or attempt to teach its readers a lesson?

2. What is the effect of the first-person narration, and why does the narrator reveal himself so minimally?

3. Is the story funny, tragic, or both?

4. How sympathetic are you to Benjamin’s character? As a reader, can you relate to him at all, despite the peculiarity of his circumstance?

5. What does The Curious Case of Benjamin Button teach us about the nature of age?

6. Well-executed short stories usually cover a short period of time. How is it that the story functions well as a short piece yet covers the course of 70 years?

7. Why do you think Fitzgerald breaks his story into two parts? What effect does this structuring have on the story?

The theme of Family

We tend to think of family as the people who support us at all possible times. This is not the case in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Because Benjamin is different, his parents have difficulty accepting him for who he is. They are able to love him only in so far as he plays along with a charade of normality. Later, Benjamin encounters the same problem with his wife, and eventually, his son. Still, if they are unable to love him unconditionally, they are still there for Benjamin out of a sense of family obligation.

1. What role do Benjamin’s parents play in this story? What about that of his wife and child, in the latter half of the story?

2. Do Benjamin’s parents love their child?

3. Benjamin loses interest in his wife and child as he grows younger. As readers, do we judge him for this? Or do we understand that it’s part of his condition?

Debate the following observations:

• Because of his condition, Benjamin is essentially alone for his entire life.
• Despite his condition, Benjamin makes meaningful connections with those around him.

The theme of Identity

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of a man who is born old and ages backwards. The story explores the way that age dictates identity; how old we are has quite a bit to do with who we are, and not just where physical appearance is concerned. By being born old, Benjamin is born not just with the body and face of an old man, but with the mind and emotions of an old man. Even though he’s a newborn, then, he enjoys the company of old men. As he gets younger physically, his personality changes accordingly: he becomes more vivacious and social. The story reminds us that age is not, after all, just a number.

1. What aspects of identity does age define in this story?

2. How does Benjamin deal with his odd aging process?

3. When Benjamin is born, what aspects of him are "old" and which are "young"?         

Debate the following observations:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button argues that age has more to do with mindset than anything physical.
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button argues that the age of one’s mind is entirely dictated by the age of one’s body.

The theme of Life, Consciousness and Existence

By presenting a rather unusual scenario (a man who ages backwards), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button explores the nature of life, death, and aging in the rest of us. This story poses several questions: What does age really reflect of a person? What is the value of youth, and what is the value of experience? How do we deal with our own mortality and how does the knowledge of our own impending deaths affect the way we live our lives? These are the questions examined in this bittersweet story.

1. How does Benjamin die? How does Fitzgerald treat the end of Benjamin’s life, and what effect does this have on the story’s tone?

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of something extraordinary; but what does it have to say about "normal" life?

3. Fitzgerald writes that Benjamin quite simply "took life as he found it". How is that Benjamin is able to so calmly accept what is happening to him?

Debate the following observations:

• Benjamin makes the most of the life he is given.
• Benjamin is unable to enjoy his life because of his condition.

The theme of Transformation

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button explores a particular kind of transformation: aging. The story reminds us that physical changes are necessarily accompanied by personality changes: older people tend to be less lively and more set in their ways, while younger people tend to be emotional and eager to learn. This transformation is a way for us to learn more about ourselves – what parts of us don’t change as we get older? If we are continually changing, then how can we define a consistent self over the course of an entire lifetime? These are just some of the ordinary questions that Fitzgerald is able to explore by looking at a rather extraordinary case.

1. What does Benjamin learn through the course of his odd life?

2. What sort of impact does Benjamin have on those around him?

3. How does Benjamin’s rather odd transformation explains the normal aging process the rest of us undergo?

Debate the following observations:

• Benjamin’s odd condition makes it impossible for the reader to relate to him.
• Despite Benjamin’s peculiar condition, he’s quite a relatable character.

The theme of Society and Class

In many ways, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button criticizes and even satirizes the social concerns of the upper class. In the face of an extraordinary occurrence, all that any of these socialites can do is worry about its impact on their social positions. The fear of what is different is strong – reputation is kept intact

primarily through conformity. Fitzgerald makes it clear, however, that at the end of the day, being accepted into the circles of the socially elite has more to do with money than anything else.

1. How would you characterize society’s reaction to Benjamin’s circumstance?

2. Fitzgerald makes a point of detailing Mr. Button’s social status before revealing Benjamin’s circumstances. Why does this matter to the story?

3. Why are Benjamin and Hildegarde eventually accepted into society? What does this say about social status, in Fitzgerald’s opinion?

Debate the following observations:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of society’s refusal to accept anyone who is different.
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is merely a fantasy story and contains no social commentary on Fitzgerald’s part.

Comment on the quotations from the story:

• “We're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us.” - Mrs. Maple
• “You can be as mad as a dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.” - Captain Mike
• “It's a funny thing about coming home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you.” - Benjamin Button
• “For what it's worth, it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be.” - Benjamin Button