Literary Devices in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
When Roger Button goes to the store to buy clothes for his son, he is distressed to find that there are no suitable outfits for a 70-year-old man. The problem, of course, is that he’s looking...
Setting
Fitzgerald’s setting is an interesting one for a story of change and incredible transformation. Though it gets barely a mention in "Benjamin Button," the U.S. Civil War is right smack at the...
Narrator Point of View
It’s easy to forget that you’ve got a first-person narrator in the driver’s seat here. Aside from the "I" in the first paragraph, we don’t really hear anything from this nar...
Genre
If your previous knowledge of Fitzgerald extended only so far as The Great Gatsby, then you’re probably surprised to hear his name associated with words like "whimsy" and "fantasy." But the c...
Tone
That’s quite a combo. The satire comes enters into Fitzgerald’s not-so-veiled critique of society. He exaggerates Mr. Button’s obsession with keeping up appearances and hyperboliz...
Writing Style
Fitzgerald’s writing style fits the set up of his narrator revealing an old story to his readers that we get in the first paragraph. There is almost an old-fashioned feel about the prose: Mr....
What’s Up With the Title?
Fitzgerald’s use of the word "curious" might seem anachronistic (i.e., old-fashioned) by now; you’re used to "curious" describing a person who is intrigued about learning something. But...
What’s Up With the Ending?
Fitzgerald is faced with a difficult task at the end of "Benjamin Button." He has to describe the death of a man who is getting younger and younger every day. He’s created a fantasy, which me...
Plot Analysis
The narrator preps you for a fantastic tale, and Roger Button is having a baby.Of course, there are elements of conflict from the start, since we know there is something strange going on when the n...
Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" does not fit any of the Booker plots. Booker’s plot breakdowns are based on a stage of anticipation or excitement followed by a sort of nightmare or terr...
Three Act Plot Analysis
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" does not fit the classic three-act plot analysis, in which a hero commits to and then completes a difficult quest. It is instead the story of an entire lifetim...
Trivia
In the 2008 film, the name of Benjamin’s love interest is not Hildegarde, but rather Daisy – perhaps an homage to the leading and unattainable lady of The Great Gatsby.F. Scott Fitzgera...
Steaminess Rating
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is pure family-friendly fun. The closest we get to sex is the absolutely adorable description of heart-pounding first love about halfway through the story: "Be...
Allusions
Methuselah (1.2.31) – The oldest person mentioned in the Bible, and the name has come to refer to anyone who is very old. John Wilkes Booth (1.6.1)