NUR AMNI MUSFIRAH BINTI MUZAFFAR

MATRIX NUMBER: 2022625292

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
Topic Outline
AUTHOR'S BACKGROUND
1
INTRODUCTION OF THE SHORT STORY
2
ELEMENTS OF THE SHORT STORY
3
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
4
FUNCTIONS & EFFECTS OF THE ELEMENTS
5
MY THOUGHTS & OPINIONS
6
AUTHOR'S BACKGROUND
• Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald or known by his pen name,
F. Scott Fitzgerald
• an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer
• lived from September 24, 1896, until December 21, 1940.
• His works that portray the extravagance and flamboyance of the
Jazz Age—a phrase he popularized—are what made him most
well-known.
• Produced 164 short stories, four story collections, and four
novels during his lifetime.
• Fitzgerald acquired critical acclaim only after his death and is
now regarded as one of the finest American authors of the 20th
century, despite only experiencing fleeting popularity in the
1920s.
INTRODUCTION
• Benjamin Button was born with a unique condition where he has a
rare reverse ageing condition
• At the age of 18, Benjamin tried to apply to Yale University but got
turned down by officials, who thought he was 50 years old.
• By the age of 20 he found the love of his life, got married and had a
son named Roscoe.
• He slowly becomes younger from young adult who performs well
in university to a moody teenager.
• He begins to be a toddler and act more childlike and slowly forgets
the memories of his life.
• He finally died in his sleep looking like an infant in a white crib.
ELEMENTS
OF THE
SHORT
STORY
 THEME
ACCEPTANCE AND EXPECTATIONS
Ever since Benjamin was a kid, his father wanted him to act like
an obedient firstborn son. He struggled to live up to his father's
expectations.
It's hard for Benjamin to act like a person he is not. Mr Button
doesn't accept his rare reverse-ageing condition thus making him
behave like a typical young boy. Dress him up and dye his hair to
look like an actual normal boy. Making him play with the other
kids.
 THEME
ACCEPTANCE AND EXPECTATIONS

Fortunately, Benjamin got to marry a beautiful woman,

Hildegarde but despite founding a woman that loves him, she
eventually lost interest in him because she married Benjamin
because of his maturity. Once again Benjamin failed to fulfill
someone's expectations.
Narrative Technique
 SUSPENSE
• At the story's beginning, there is an element of suspense while
Roger Button is waiting for his baby.
• Expressing on how a father feels about welcoming his firstborn
child.
• Mr Button said to Doctor Keene, “What happened?”, “What was
it?”, “How is she?”, “A boy?”, and “Who is it?”
• The suspense builds up more when Doctor Keene reacts with
uneasiness when Mr Button asked him about the baby
• The nurse behind the counter jumped from her chair the
moment Mr Button introduce himself.
• The second nurse was holding a basin, and as soon as he
introduce himself the basin suddenly slipped from the nurse’s
hand and it fall downstairs.
 FLASHFORWARD
• at the beginning of the story, the author described Benjamin’s life from he
was born until he was 5 years old.
• Then the author flashforward to when Benjamin was 12 years old. This is
where he realised he was ageing backwards.
• The story moved on to when Benjamin was 18 years old. He was trying to
apply to Yale University but failed.
• The next flashforward is when Benjamin found the love of his life which is
when he is 20 years old.
• Another flashforward is 6 months after they met. They got married and got a son
named Roscoe.
• In the year 1898, he got into military and was given a medal for his service
• The last flashforward is when Benjamin was in his final 10 years before he died
FUNCTIONS & EFFECTS
 THEME
• teaches us the importance of accepting
• accepting that we can't reach people's expectations towards us
• accepting that we can't expect people to be anything that we want them to be

SUSPENSE
• makes the reader on edge
• gets curious about what will happen

FLASHFORWARD
• focus on the important event that happened
MY THOUGHTS &
OPINIONS
I THINK THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
tells a unique story. Even though Benjamin was born with a
rare condition, he still experiences the same things that other
people experience: living up to people's expectations, falling
in love, raising a child and going through the old age.
the readers still be able to relate some part of the story.
THE END

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