The first question that came to mind as I read “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was how the birthing process could have possibly worked. It is a major detail that was excluded by Fitzgerald. How can one give birth to a 5 foot 8 inch tall human being? Also, how does Benjamin discover that he is aging in reverse? He looks in the mirror one day at the age of 12, and realizes he is aging in reverse... but how did he come to this conclusion? He knows nothing different in the cycle of life. How did Benjamin develop the sense of young and old, when he was technically only 12 years old? Either way, Benjamin Button is indeed a curious case.... one that raises questions about the aging process. Part of me says that Benjamin Button’s reverse aging process would be better than our normal aging process, in that one would be born with intellect, emotion and feeling, and can instantly begin to enjoy life as a mature adult would enjoy it. Putting aside the criticism and scrutiny from the public eye, having these abilities so early in life would be advantageous in many ways. And, as Button ages, he is able to do more and more with his life. At about 40 years of age, Benjamin can join the army and experience military valor, and at age 50, he is about 20 years old and can enroll in university. Benjamin still experiences the same “circle of life” that normal people experience, except that youth and old age are reversed. He begins by experiencing old age, which carries its obvious limits, and ends his life with the incapacities of a baby. I feel that this reverse aging is beneficial for Button in the sense that the final years of his life don’t consist of pain and suffering, but rather naivety and playfulness before memories and senses fade out in the end.
The obvious negative aspect of Button’s reverse aging is the lack of a sense of normalcy. From the moment he is born, he is seen as abnormal by his family and those who know him for extended periods of time. His father starts off wanting nothing to do with him, and later we see his son lose interest in him as he grows younger. He falls in love with his wife, but as she ages normally and he grows younger, they lose attraction for each other. Also, the criticism by society around Benjamin is an issue. Benjamin’s father felt the need to “retain something of his own self-respect--not to mention his position in Baltimore society.” Benjamin’s case could have ruined the Button reputation had the Civil War not “drawn the cities attention to other things.” When he tries to enroll in Yale at the normal age of 18 (looking 50) he is turned down and the registrar thinks it is a ridiculous prank. This type of public mockery would be discouraging and only further the sense of alienation due to reverse aging. The fact that life would occur out of order would also be somewhat difficult in Benjamin’s case. Beginning life as an old man who enjoys smoking cigars with his grandfather, yet having to wait 50 years to attend college seems like it would leave one out of sorts.
I personally admire Benjamin’s attitude about his condition, as he desires to make the most out of his time at every age. He wants to make his father happy, so he acts like a baby at times to please him, but at the same time enjoys his time with his grandfather. He embraces the opportunity to attend college when his time comes, and serves in the army. Benjamin truly makes the most out of his life despite his fascinating condition.
Fitzgerald employs irony to enhance the plot of the story. When Roger buys clothes for his son, he goes to a baby store only to find that there are no clothes fitting for a 70 year old man like Benjamin. If Roger had only gone to a store where they sell clothes for older men, there would have been no issue and he would not have had to divulge his son’s secret to the clerk. We also see a sense of Roger trying to mask Benjamin’s age by dying his hair at the beginning to make Benjamin look younger, or wanting to give him fake whiskers at the end to make him look older. All these are instances of Roger trying to hide Benjamin’s condition, but he only strengthens the sense of difference and makes a bigger deal out of his secret than needs to be made.
An underlying message to the story have something to do with just that. Trying to hide things one is ashamed of can possibly just make it worse, and cause whatever that may be to stand out even more. In life, people should embrace what is put in front of them, and not be ashamed of unique qualities or situations.
