The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Provide a character analysis for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

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To analyze a character from “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” for a discussion post, consider some of their defining traits, how they impact the story, and how they contribute to the story’s deeper meaning. For example, Benjamin’s father is a stubborn man who refuses to accept his son’s condition. Benjamin thus grows up with a lot of pressure to fit into social norms. Through his experience, Fitzgerald critiques the superficial values of rich parents.

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To do a character analysis, you should focus on one of the characters from the story and reflect on who they are and what their role is in the story. For example, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” you might consider analyzing the character of Benjamin’s father. He is a stubborn man who does not accept that Benjamin is not the little boy he wanted. He is not empathetic regarding his son’s unique condition and insists that everything is normal. As a result, Benjamin does not grow up with an attentive, loving father figure. Instead, he has to adhere to his father’s requests that make him seem like other boys, such as leaving his cane at home and dying his hair black.

When analyzing Benjamin’s father, it might be interesting to consider what his parenting style represents. While children do not really age backward like Benjamin, many children do have parents who pressure them to fit in with social norms. The value Benjamin's father places on his son’s physical appearance and social standing suggests a great deal about the superficial values of the rich.

To format your answer in the form of a discussion-board post, you should organize it into clear paragraphs and make sure to proofread them for grammar or spelling errors. While the paragraphs should be related to one another, discussion posts usually do not have to be as formal as an essay.

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