The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chapters 8-the end

Usually you would think families support each other. Be there for each other when they are needed. But in this story, the message about family was different. When Benjamin was born, Roger took a while to accept that his son was an old man. When Roger first saw his son, he couldn't believe it. "Am I mad?" thundered Mr. Button, his terror resolving into rage. "Is this some ghastly hospital joke?" Of course anyone would've been shocked to see an old man that turned out to be your kid. Roger went out to buy Benjamin some clothes, and when he came back, Benjamin wasn't too happy with the clothes he bought him. "They look sort of funny to me," he complained, "I don't want to be made a monkey of--" "You've made a monkey of me!" retorted Mr. Button fiercely. "Never you mind how funny you look. Put them on--or I'll--or I'll spank you." I'd say that what Roger said was a bit mean. This also shows that he was having hard time accepting who he was. The message that it's sending is that not every family is perfect. Not all members in a family accept who they really are. They all have their own personal issues.

Normally, when a baby is born, he/she is born young. But in this case, Benjamin was born old. Mainly, age had to do with Roger not accepting Benjamin. A lot of people say younger is better. For example, A lot of celebrities get plastic surgeries because they want to look younger. They think that younger is better. They would probably get hired at jobs if they look younger. "What are you going to call me, dad?" Benjamin said. Mr. Button grunted. "I don't know," he answered harshly. "I think we'll call you Methuselah." Methuselah is the oldest person in the bible. This also shows that he doesn't accept him because of his age. The message is that maybe, people would like you better if you were younger. They would probably hang out with you more often, than old people.


A lot of people think that you have beauty when you're younger than when you're older. Apparently, beauty has to do with age most of the time. When Benjamin got married, A lot of people were asking themselves why Hildegarde had married an old man. But as the years passed, Benjamin got younger, and people were surprised that she was old and he was young. "Good Lord!" he said aloud. The process was continuing. There was no doubt of it--he looked now like a man of thirty." He was out dancing with good-looking girls, while his wife was a bit annoyed and jealous. "He was there, dancing with the prettiest of the young married women, chatting with the most popular of the debutantes, and finding their company charming, while his wife, a dowager of evil omen, sat among the chaperons, now in haughty disapproval, and now following him with solemn, puzzled, and reproachful eyes." I think that the woman were attracted to him since he was young.