Time in Reverse: A Moral-Humanistic Reading of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 

✍️ Introductory Note to the Reader      I first encountered The Curious Case of Benjamin Button not through F. Scott Fitzgerald’s text, but rather when I found my wife watching David Fincher’s film adaptation. The story, at that point, was completely unfamiliar to me. Later, while browsing through my Kindle tablet, I stumbled upon Fitzgerald’s original version and decided to read it. Only after finishing the story did I begin to wonder, in literary terms, whether there was an underlying morality or ethical dimension behind its strange premise.      Interestingly, the film and the novella are quite different in narrative scope and characterization. Yet, at their core, both seem to aim at the same effect: to make the reader or viewer reflect on the meaning of life, the passage of time, and the values that guide human existence. This paper, then, is the result of personal curiosity transformed into a moral-humanistic exploration of Fitzgerald’s text, with attention also given to Fincher’s interpretation.

Time in Reverse: A Moral-Humanistic Reading of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

	Abstract This paper offers a moral-humanistic literary analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1922), examining the ethical questions raised by its protagonist’s reverse aging. Through the lens of human dignity, moral agency, and the tragedy of disconnection, the study highlights how Fitzgerald critiques societal rigidity and the denial of authenticity to those who do not conform to conventional norms of age and identity. The analysis draws on scholars such as Wayne Booth, Martha Nussbaum, Viktor Frankl, and Paul Ricoeur to explore themes of meaning, temporality, and narrative closure. The paper also compares Fitzgerald’s satirical short story with David Fincher’s 2008 film adaptation, noting how the latter humanizes Benjamin’s character by granting him agency, love, and moral choice. The contrast reveals how literature and film offer distinct moral visions of human life, mortality, and dignity. Keywords: Benjamin Button, moral-humanistic criticism, Fitzgerald, David Fincher, ethics, temporality, human dignity
	Resumen Este trabajo presenta un análisis literario humanista y moral de The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1922) de F. Scott Fitzgerald, explorando los dilemas éticos que surgen a partir del envejecimiento inverso de su protagonista. A través de los ejes de la dignidad humana, la agencia moral y la desconexión afectiva, se muestra cómo Fitzgerald critica la rigidez social y la negación de autenticidad hacia quienes no se ajustan a las normas convencionales de edad e identidad. El estudio se apoya en autores como Wayne Booth, Martha Nussbaum, Viktor Frankl y Paul Ricoeur para abordar los temas del sentido, la temporalidad y el cierre narrativo. Asimismo, se compara el relato satírico de Fitzgerald con la adaptación cinematográfica dirigida por David Fincher en 2008, subrayando cómo esta última humaniza al personaje al otorgarle agencia, amor y capacidad de decisión moral. El contraste revela cómo la literatura y el cine ofrecen visiones morales distintas sobre la vida, la mortalidad y la dignidad.
	Resumo Este artigo propõe uma leitura literária humanista e moral de The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1922), de F. Scott Fitzgerald, analisando os dilemas éticos gerados pelo envelhecimento reverso do protagonista. A partir das noções de dignidade humana, agência moral e desconexão afetiva, argumenta-se que Fitzgerald critica a rigidez social e a negação da autenticidade diante daqueles que não se enquadram nas normas convencionais de idade e identidade. O estudo dialoga com autores como Wayne Booth, Martha Nussbaum, Viktor Frankl e Paul Ricoeur para discutir sentido existencial, temporalidade e fechamento narrativo. Além disso, compara-se o conto satírico de Fitzgerald com a adaptação cinematográfica dirigida por David Fincher em 2008, que humaniza o protagonista ao lhe conferir agência, amor e escolha moral. O contraste evidencia como literatura e cinema constroem visões éticas diferentes sobre a vida, a mortalidade e a dignidade.

Introduction

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1922) presents a bizarre premise: a man born old who grows younger with time. While this reversal of aging is scientifically implausible, its literary value lies in the rich moral and humanistic questions it raises about identity, love, family, dignity, and what it means to live a “normal” human life. Through a moral-humanistic lens, an approach that explores literature for its ethical values and its portrayal of human potential, this story becomes a vehicle for reflection on societal expectations and the dignity of human experience, regardless of chronological order. As Abrams (1971) notes, humanistic criticism seeks to evaluate literature based on “the relevance of its vision to our moral and spiritual life” (p. 24), a standard that Fitzgerald’s tale both fulfills and complicates.

Human Dignity and the Right to Difference

From the moment Benjamin is born, society reacts with discomfort and rejection. His father, Roger Button, initially cannot accept his son’s appearance: “You’re my son!” he cried. “You’re my son!” and he looked with eyes that were frightened rather than loving (Fitzgerald, 1922). This moment in the plot of the story reveals a deep moral issue: the denial of dignity to those who are different and who do not fit social standards. As Nussbaum (2001) asserts, a core element of humanistic ethics is “the capacity to recognize each human being as an end” (p. 74). However, Roger Button fails this test, prioritizing social conformity over his son’s humanity.

In this novella, Benjamin’s ostracization reflects a broader cultural rigidity and social conventions. Scholars like Bryer (1996) emphasize that Fitzgerald’s neglected stories often critique “the tyranny of convention and social expectation” (p. 19) in the early 20th Century society in the United States. Benjamin, as the central character in this story, embodies this social tension: his unique condition (growing “younger” after being born old) exposes society’s discomfort with nonconformity.

A Life Without Moral Agency?

The humanistic tradition values the development of moral agency, our ability to choose and act responsibly. But does Benjamin truly develop such an agency? His life seems passive, as he is continually acted upon by others. He enlists in the war not out of patriotic fervor but because his appearance matches the role of a soldier: “The officers were so delighted with Benjamin's appearance that they made him a lieutenant within three days” (Fitzgerald, 1922). And then he marries Hildegarde not out of deep connection, but because their apparent ages align and her delight in much older men.

Benjamin thus appears morally neutered, unable to act authentically due to external perceptions, which he is not able to fully understand because of his “young” age. Yet, as Booth (1988) reminds us, moral growth often emerges through conflict between the inner self and the outer world. Benjamin’s increasing frustration and vexation with roles imposed on him suggests a slow moral awakening. Here, Erikson’s (1959) model of psychosocial development is useful: each life stage is meant to cultivate identity and responsibility. Benjamin’s reverse life distorts this “natural” sequence, creating a poignant commentary on how social categories (child, adult, elder) dictate moral expectations even when they no longer fit.

The Tragedy of Disconnection

Benjamin’s reverse trajectory denies him the opportunity to build lasting relationships, one of the most profound moral concerns in the story. His disconnection from wife and son signals an erosion of his place in the moral fabric of family and tapestry of society: “His son Roscoe, now eighteen, began to be ashamed of him” (Fitzgerald, 1922) because Benjamin looked much younger than him. For Fitzgerald biographer Bruccoli (2002), this detachment reflects the author’s recurring concern with “the impermanence of bonds in a world ruled by appearances” (p. 311). Benjamin in trapped in a “world of appearances” eroding his few bonds with people whom we normally feel attached to wife, children, parents, etc.

Humanistic criticism emphasizes the value of intergenerational understanding and continuity, which Benjamin’s life disrupts. Butler’s (1963) classic study of “life review” underscores that aging normally involves reflecting on one’s past to achieve a sense of integrity. Benjamin’s regression into infancy tragically denies him this moral closure. As he gets younger and younger, Benjamin starts losing dexterity achieved by age and world understanding acquired through social interactions. His persistent forgetfulness of the kind of person he used to be does not allow him to reflect on his past that as he is getting much younger becomes effaced from his memories.

Mortality and the Search for Meaning

In moral-humanistic terms, the awareness of death often defines the intensity and integrity of human life. However, Benjamin’s trajectory subverts the usual arc of gaining wisdom with age. As he becomes an defenseless infant, he loses his ability to use language, his long-term memory, and ultimately his consciousness: “Then it was all dark, and his white crib and the dim faces that moved above him, and the warm sweet aroma of the milk, faded out altogether from his mind” (Fitzgerald, 1922). And this was the end of Benjamin’s existence, when the light went off.

This quiet fade is tragic because it denies the usual moral culmination of life, a moment of reflection, of legacy to others. According to Frankl (1959), meaning is forged in how we confront limitations. Benjamin’s life denies him this final humanizing act. As Ricoeur (1984) argues in Time and Narrative, our lives gain coherence through temporal emplotment, telling a story of beginnings, middles, and ends. Benjamin’s inverted temporality erases narrative closure, leaving only fragmentation, isolated events that can make up a life if placed chronologically.

Comparison with David Fincher’s Film Adaptation

David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) expands and reinterprets Fitzgerald’s story with greater emotional depth and humanistic richness. While the short story is satirical and ironic, the film is romantic and existential. Brad Pitt’s Benjamin is a gentle soul who reflects deeply on love, loss, and the fragility of time. The addition of Daisy provides a moral center, enabling Benjamin to experience authentic connections with other individuals.

Film theorists have noted how cinema uniquely portrays time. Mulvey (2006) argues that film’s treatment of mortality often captures the “tension between stillness and becoming” (p. 39), a principle Fincher exploits by showing Benjamin aging backward through digitally manipulated imagery. Elsaesser (2009) highlights that temporality in film often conveys existential themes; in Benjamin Button, time’s reversal becomes a metaphor for the impossibility of permanence in love.

In contrast to Fitzgerald’s Benjamin, Fincher’s protagonist actively seeks meaning. His moral agency is highlighted by decisions like leaving Daisy when he realizes he cannot father a child responsibly. As Kearney (2003) notes, the ethics of imagination allow us to envision alternative futures and take responsibility even in non-normative lives. Fincher’s adaptation embraces this moral potential.

Conclusion

Viewed through a moral-humanistic lens, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button challenges the reader to consider what makes a life worth living. Fitzgerald’s story critiques society’s treatment of the “other,” questions our reliance on chronological identity, and warns against the moral dangers of conformity. While the short story’s Benjamin is denied full moral development, Fincher’s adaptation restores human depth, portraying a life lived with dignity despite its unconventional course. Ultimately, both versions remind us that the essence of morality lies not in our age, but in our ability to love, choose, and remain true to our humanity.

📚 References

Abrams, M. H. (1971). The mirror and the lamp: Romantic theory and the critical tradition. Oxford University Press.

Booth, W. C. (1988). The company we keep: An ethics of fiction. University of California Press.

Bruccoli, M. J. (2002). Some sort of epic grandeur: The life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. University of South Carolina Press.

Bryer, J. R. (1996). New essays on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s neglected stories. University of Missouri Press.

Butler, R. N. (1963). The life review: An interpretation of reminiscence in the aged. Psychiatry, 26(1), 65–76.

Elsaesser, T. (2009). Film theory: An introduction through the senses. Routledge.

Fincher, D. (Director). (2008). The curious case of Benjamin Button [Film]. Paramount Pictures.

Fitzgerald, F. S. (1922). The curious case of Benjamin Button. In Tales of the Jazz Age. Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Frankl, V. E. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. Beacon Press.

Kearney, R. (2003). Strangers, gods and monsters: Interpreting otherness. Routledge.

Mulvey, L. (2006). Death 24x a second: Stillness and the moving image. Reaktion Books.

Nussbaum, M. C. (2001). Upheavals of thought: The intelligence of emotions. Cambridge University Press.

Ricoeur, P. (1984). Time and narrative (Vol. 1). University of Chicago Press.

Character Chart: Moral-Humanistic Dimensions in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Moral-Humanistic Dimensions in the Curious Case of Benjamin Button by Jonathan Acuña

Moral-Humanistic Dimensions in Fincher’s Benjamin Button