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What Does The Button Baby Mean In The Great Gatsby

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Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on September 24, 1896. He is famous for many short stories, many taking place during the Jazz Age and one specifically is “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Bruccoli 1). It is a work on which a baby is born an old man and ages backwards. Fitzgerald wrote that he was inspired to write it by a remark made by Mark Twain: “It is a pity that the best part of life comes at the beginning, and the worst part at the end” (Lanham 1). In this short story no one attempts to discover the reason for Benjamin’s condition or find a cure. Throughout his life he battles society and the social norms of the world. The Button baby is born in 1860, at a time when most children were born at home. Fitzgerald starts off the short story by saying, “I shall tell …show more content…

Button goes out to buy clothing for Benjamin who he still has not named and calls him “Methuselah” which is the longest-lived man in the bible (Lean 1). It says “But a frantic inspection of the boys’ department revealed no suits to fit the new-born Button. He blamed the store, of course – in such cases it is the thing to blame the store” (Fitzgerald 7). He acted as if the store clerk that helped him find the boys section knew his “shameful secret”. Not acting as Mr. Button pleases at home, he will not except any warm milk and will not play with his toy rattle. Benjamin is obviously not your typical baby, not that long after he is born he starts to sneak his father’s Havana cigars and reads the encyclopedia. His father tries setting him up on play dates, which he does not like. Benjamin best friend for the beginning part of his life is his grand father because no one else would talk to him. His parents try sending him to kindergarten and he is kicked out for he keeps falling asleep. Ultimately no matter how hard Mr. Button believes his son is normal which he is not and has fatuous “silent agreement with himself to believe in his son’s normality” (Fitzgerald

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