The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short narrative written by F. Scott Fitzgeraldon May 1922. It was subsequently adapted into a film in 2008. The narrative is one of its sorts as it is about a individual named Benjamin Button who is born with a organic structure of a deceasing adult male in his 80s. As the narrative advancement. Benjamin finds out that his physical provinces are going better as he grow. The narrative chiefly focuses on Benjamin’s life peculiarly on his relationships where he has to travel through a batch of struggles of life. In the declaration. it ends with Benjamin who is besides a babe. take a breathing on his last breath. There are a batch of symbols depicted in the narrative peculiarly in the 3 hr film version which contains symbolisms such as the hummingbird. the clock in New Orlean’s Train Station. the 7 lightning work stoppages. and Lake Portchartrain.
The first symbol is the hummingbird. The bird symbolizes two things which are Benjamin’s life and construct of infinity. Looking at the nature of the bird. it is highly little in size and in fact. it is the smallest bird in the universe. They are really bantam and delicate that a individual squeezing by a human can immediately kills it. The bird is seldom found because they do non wing in groups. Plus. this is the lone sort of bird that has the ability to wing backwards. To associate on the narrative. the hummingbird appears itself two times ; at the sea where Captain Mike Clark dies during the war and outside the Hospital window during the Hurricane Katrina when Daisy is on her deathbed. What makes it dry is the fact that hummingbirds would non perchance last in those sorts of events because they are physically weak. The bird can non wing for excessively long nor handle unsmooth air currents. But they are different in the narrative. This is why the hummingbird symbolizes Benjamin’s life. Although he is born with a organic structure of a deceasing adult male. brickle castanetss. wrinkled tegument and even the physician Queenie called for says that he will decease really shortly. it ne’er happens. Benjamin keeps on turning strong and moves frontward. Furthermore. the hummingbird’s ability to wing backwards describes the manner Benjamin’s life moves. backwards. Furthermore. Captain Mike Clark has a hummingbird tattoo on his thorax. When he was a child. he dreams of going an creative person but his male parent ne’er supports him. stating that he must go on the father’s bequest of being a canvas adult male. It is mentioned in the narrative where he tells Benjamin about the significance of hummingbird. The wings of a hummingbird expression really much like the symbol of infinity. ? . Eternity is the thought of life that ne’er ends. Benjamin knows that he is the lone one of his sorts and Oklahoman or subsequently. his narrative will decease along his decease. Therefore. in order to retain his narrative. he writes a diary and passes it to Daisy so that his girl will hold it. By making that. his life may stop but his journeys will stay for infinity.
Following is the clock in New Orleans built by Monsieur Gateau. He made the clock to click anti-clockwise because he wants it to be a reminder for all to ne’er bury about the fallen heroes of World War 1. Gateau’s merely wish is to turn back clip so that he can hold his boy back who died during the War. The motion of the clock has 2 symbolisms. One is the same symbol as the hummingbird’s ability to wing backwards. The clock is a symbol of Benjamin’s physical province in his life where his organic structure starts from old to immature. Another symbol for the clock is that it symbolizes fate’s laterality over life. For Gateau. he is afraid that life is traveling by him. He could non accept the world that his boy is no more to be found. It reasonably much putting to deaths him on the interior that consequences him to expatriate from the state. This goes the same towards Benjamin life. no 1 would wish themselves to be unnatural like him but the thing is. there is no control over it. Peoples can merely accept how things go and move on. Another illustration is Daisy’s auto accident. she is capable. talented and has a bright hereafter calling in concert dance but one accident changes all of it. It is really clear that every action people do. every difficult work they put in. every words of supplication they say will finally depends on one’s ain absolute destiny. This indicates that people do non hold the power to command the hereafter. they can merely be after and form it and go forth the remainder to destine. Plus. it besides inquiries people whether they are utilizing their clip sagely or non because clock ne’er stops clicking. To associate back on Gateau. his action of doing the clock from turning how it is supposed to turn ( clockwise ) can be considered as an act of denial towards destiny.
The 3rd symbolism found in this narrative is the lightning that strikes Mr Daws seven times. Mr Daws keeps on stating the same thing to Benjamin as he recalls how he got struck by lightning seven times. The symbolism that can be related to this is the figure of lightning work stoppages Mr Daws get ; seven. This is a symbol of wickedness a. greed. sloth. pride. lecherousness. enviousness. and gluttony. A individual can merely be in the phase of unity or desperation if he is populating in a retirement house. waiting for his decease as referred to Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development because old people tend to reexamine their life and reflect on what they have done. Mr Daws could most likely be in desperation ; repenting actions that he had done in the yesteryear. He one time mentioned to Benjamin that he is blinded because of one of the lightning that struck him. But the truth is his eyes were ne’er blinded. This shows that Mr Daws is non stating that lightning literally strikes him 7 seven times. but he is merely reminiscing about his declinations in life. It shows how much hurting and sorrow he is in that he would non mind it if lightning would of all time strike him. Another symbol that has the same significance as the lightning work stoppages is the lake Benjamin’s male parent normally goes to when he was a child ; Lake Portchartrain. Benjamin knows about the being of this house when his male parent told him about it. Despite experiencing injury of being abandoned when he was a kid by his ain male parent. he brings his male parent to the lake. This is his manner of demoing that he forgives his father’s errors toward him. There at the lake. they do non make any speaking. there is merely silence as they watch the dawn. There is a large difference between the stoping of Mr Daws and Thomas Button. For Mr Daws. he leaves the universe feeling sorrow while Thomas would certainly experience his life as positively incorporate because he eventually gets to be with his lone boy. Benjamin whom he thought would ne’er forgive him.
In my sentiment. the narrative is really heartwarming. It can open anyone’s bosom merely by reading or watching it because that was the feeling I felt when I finished watching the film version. Not merely it carries a batch of moral values. the issues depicted in it are really important for person to recognize the importance of clip direction. The best moral value that I managed to acquire from this narrative is that we must be grateful for the life we have and the things we have today because all of these may ne’er be the same tomorrow. As a decision. people must cognize their intent of life so that they would non blow it like how it is depicted in this narrative.
