THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Theme THEME

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Theme

THEME Themes are the messages or ideas the reader takes from the text. They are closely linked to writer’s purpose, so are very important. The theme might be: • An idea • A problem • An experience • A social issue

THEMES Themes may be obviously stated or implied. Some messages may be very obvious and some are less clear. Some will have different messages for different audiences. Trust your own ideas. There are no right or wrong answers to how you understand a text. If you have an idea, find evidence from the text to support (prove) it – then use it.

ACTIVITY 1 THEME EVEDINCE

ACTIVITY 2 1. Does "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" have a moral, or attempt to teach its readers a lesson of sorts? 2. What does "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" teach us about the nature of age?

THEMES – 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 new-born, then, he enjoys the company of old men. As he gets younger physically, his personality changes accordingly: he becomes more vivacious and social. "Benjamin Button" reminds us that age is not, after all, just a number. Questions About Identity What aspects of identity does age define in this story? How does Benjamin deal with his odd aging process? When Benjamin is born, what aspects of him are "old, " and which are "young"?

THEMES - FAMILY We tend to think of family as the people who support us at all possible times. This is not the case in "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. Questions About Family What role do Benjamin’s parents play in this story? What about that of his wife and child, in the latter half of the tale? Do Benjamin’s parents love their child? 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?

OTHER THEMES • Life, consciousness, and existence • Transformation • Society and class