The Comparison and Contrast of the Narrative Function

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THE COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF THE NARRATIVE FUNCTION BETWEEN FITZGERALD’S THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON AND ITS 2008 FILM ADAPTATION TOWARDS ITS INFLUENCE ON THE STORY’S INTRINSIC ELEMENTS

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra In English Letters

By Ayundita Muncar Batari Student Number: 124214131

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2019 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

THE COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF THE NARRATIVE FUNCTION BETWEEN FITZGERALD’S THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON AND ITS 2008 FILM ADAPTATION TOWARDS ITS INFLUENCE ON THE STORY’S INTRINSIC ELEMENTS

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra In English Letters

By Ayundita Muncar Batari Student Number: 124214131

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2019

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A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis

THE COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF THE NARRATIVE FUNCTION BETWEEN FITZGERALD’S THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON AND ITS 2008 FILM ADAPTATION TOWARDS ITS INFLUENCE ON THE STORY’S INTRINSIC ELEMENTS

By Ayundita Muncar Batari 124214131

Approved by

Dr. Tatang Iskarna ______Advisor

Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, SS., M.Hum. ______Co-Advisor

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A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis

THE COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF THE NARRATIVE FUNCTION BETWEEN FITZGERALD’S THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON AND ITS 2008 FILM ADAPTATION TOWARDS ITS INFLUENCE ON THE STORY’S INTRINSIC ELEMENTS

By Ayundita Muncar Batari Student Number: 124214131

Defended before the Board of Examiners on March 8, 2019 and Declared Acceptable

BOARD OF EXAMINERS

NAME SIGNATURE Chairperson : Dr. Tatang Iskarna ______Secretary : Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, SS., M.Hum ______Member 1 : Maria Ananta Tri Suryandari, S.S., M.Ed. ______Member 2 : Dr. Tatang Iskarna ______Member 3 : Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, SS., M.Hum ______

Yogyakarta, April 10, 2019 Faculty of Letters Universitas Sanata Dharma Dean

______Dr. Tatang Iskarna

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STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY

I hereby certify that this undergraduate thesis does not contain any materials which were previously submitted for the awards of any other degree at any university. This undergraduate thesis, to the best of my knowledge, also does not contain materials previously written by any other individual except where due references are noted in the text.

February 10, 2019,

______Ayundita Muncar Batari

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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswi Universitas Sanata Dharma

Nama : Ayundita Muncar Batari Nomor Mahasiswa : 124214131

Demi pengembanan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmuah saya yang berjudul

THE COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF THE NARRATIVE FUNCTION IN FITZGERALD’S THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON AND ITS 2008 FILM ADAPTATION TOWARDS ITS INFLUENCE ON THE STORY’S INTRINSIC ELEMENTS beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikanya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal Februari 10, 2019

Yang menyatakan,

______Ayundita Muncar Batari

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ALL YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IS WHAT TO DO WITH THE TIME THAT IS GIVEN TO YOU

Gandalf the Grey J.R.R. Tolkien

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The Road goes ever on and on,

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

Bilbo Baggins

J.R.R. Tolkien

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

With this page, I would like to express my gratitude to my thesis advisor, Dr.

Tatang Iskarna, who with patience and generosity has guided me through the process of this thesis writing; to my academic advisors, Sri Mulyani, Ph. D., and Ni Luh Putu

Rosiandani, S.S., M.Hum, who have helped and guided me through some of my difficult times through my academic journey; to my lecturers, who have taught me many valuable knowledge; and to all the staff of Sanata Dharma that I had the chance to meet, for the administrative help they have all given to me.

I also would like to thank my parents for giving me the chance to study in a university and for financially and spiritually supporting me through this degree.

Last but not least, my sister, my friends, and my loyal companion, you are all the giver of joys and laughter through my journey here. Thank you so much for the times we had together, for the occasional cook-outs, for the hallways conversations, for the game, karaoke, and movie-nights, for the hang-outs, for the homework helps, for the dance practices, for the support and understanding and shoulder cry-ons, for the many wonderful things we did I cannot fit in this paper, for making this journey more bearable. Thank you so much all of you. I’ve finally caught up with many of you! To those who are still on the way, keep working hard! You can do it! Best of luck!

Ayundita Muncar Batari

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ...... ii APPROVAL PAGE ...... iii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ...... iv STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ...... v PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH ...... vi MOTTO PAGE ...... vii DEDICATION PAGE ...... viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...... xi ABSTRACT ...... xii ABSTRAK ...... xiii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...... 1 A. Background of the Study ...... 1 B. Problem Formulation ...... 3 C. Objectives of the Study ...... 3 D. Definition of Terms ...... 4 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES ...... 6 A. Review of Related Studies ...... 6 B. Review of Related Theories ...... 10 1. The Comparative Literature Theory ...... 10 2. The Narrative Function Theory ...... 11 3. The Film Adaptation Theory ...... 13 4. The Intrinsic Element Theory ...... 18 C. Theoretical Framework ...... 21 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...... 21 A. Object of the Study ...... 21 B. Approach of the Study ...... 22 C. Method of the Study ...... 23 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS...... 27 A. The Narrative Function of the Short Story and Film Adaptation ...... 28 B. The Differences and Similarity of the Narrative Function ...... 32 1. The Differences and Similarities of the Integrational Function ...... 32 a. The Differences and Similaritie of the Indices Proper ...... 32 i. The Differences of the Indices Proper ...... 32 ii. The Similarities of the Indices Proper ...... 33 iii. Summary ...... 34 b. The Differences and Similarities of the Informant ...... 34 i. The Differences and Similarities of the Characters ...... 35 1). The Differences of Characters of the Short Story ...... 35 2). The Differences of Characters: The Characters of Film

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Adaptation ...... 39 3). The Similarities between the Characters of the Short Story and Film Adaptation ...... 52 4). Summary ...... 56 ii. The Differences and Similarities of the Setting ...... 56 1). The Differences of the Setting: The Setting of the Short Story ...... 56 2). The Differences of the Setting: The Setting of the Film Adaptation ...... 57 3). The Similarities between the Setting of the Short Story and Film Adaptation ...... 59 4). Summary ...... 60 2. The Differences and Similarities of the Distributional Function ...... 60 a. The Differences of the Distributional Function between the Short Story and Film Adaptation ...... 60 b. The Similarities of the Distributional Function between the Short Story and Film Adaptation ...... 61 c. Summary ...... 70 C. The Differences and Similarities of the Story’s Effect upon Intrinsic Elements ...... 71 1. The Plot ...... 71 2. The Characters ...... 73 3. The Setting ...... 74 4. The Point of View ...... 74 5. The Style ...... 75 6. The Tone or Atmosphere or Mood...... 77 7. The Symbolism ...... 78 8. The Theme ...... 80 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ...... 83 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 89 APPENDICES ...... 91 Appendix 1: The Short Story’s Narrative Function Transcription ...... 91 Appendix 2: The Film Adaptation’s Narrativen Function Transcription...... 102

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CAR.F : Cardinal Function

CAR.F.CAT : Catalyzer

FAT : Film Adaptation Transcription

Para : Paragraph

SST : Short Story Transcription

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ABSTRACT

BATARI, AYUNDITA MUNCAR. (2018). The Comparison and Contrast of the Narrative Function in Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button” and its 2008 Film Adaptation Towards its Influence on the Story’s Intrinsic Elements. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

This thesis studies the narrative function of the short story version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and its film adaptation’s in order to comprehend the unique development of the story and their individual intrinsic elements. The studying of film adaptation to its source text has existed since the birth of film adaptation itself many decades ago. However, it has been plagued with fidelity discourse, paranoia of parasitism, and biased judgments. The purpose of this thesis is to argue such methods and objectively study an adaptation to its original text and its intermedial as well as intertextual relationship with one another.

This thesis aims to do so by transcribing the narrative function of each story version, comparing and contrasting them with one another, and discuss the effect of these differences and similarities to their respective intrinsic elements. These steps are procured in order to lay bare the smallest amount of detail necessary.

This thesis is done through the meticulous documentation of primary, secondary, and tertiary data. The primary data being the short story, the film adaptation, and the film script, while the second and third being the scholarly articles, magazines, and books used to support this study.

This cross-analysis results in the discovery that the film adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has taken a near-total departure from one another and has gained their individual identities. However, it is also found that a few intertextual similarities are also found between the two versions. This departure does not affect only the course of the story but the development of its intrinsic elements as well. Thus, it can be concluded that the narrative has taken a commentative transformation for a vehicle that carries it to the present day audiences.

Keywords: narrative function, intrinsic elements, intermediality, intertextuality

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ABSTRAK

BATARI, AYUNDITA MUNCAR. (2018). The Comparison and Contrast of the Narrative Function in Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button” and its 2008 Film Adaptation Towards its Influence on the Story’s Intrinsic Elements. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Karya ilmiah ini membandingkan narrative function dari cerita pendek The Curious Case of Benjamin Button dan adaptasi filmnya untuk menelaah perkembangan cerita dan unsur intrinsik kedua media. Perbandingan karya tulis dan adaptasi film telah ada sejak munculnya adaptasi film itu sendiri puluhan tahun yang lalu. Namun demikian, ada hal-hal yang mengganggu bidang penelitian tersebut, seperti fidelity discourse, ketakutan akan parasitisme, dan pendapat-pendapat yang bersifat subjektif. Karya ilmiah ini bertujuan untuk membantah berbagai pemikiran negatif tersebut dengan melakukan penelitian objektif terhadap karya tulis dan adaptasi filmnya, serta hubungan intermedialitas dan intertekstual antara keduanya.

Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan mentrasnkripsikan narrative function dari kedua media, membandingkannya, lalu menjelaskan pengaruh dari kesamaan dan perbedaan masing-masing terhadap unsur intrinsik keduanya. Langkah-langkah ini dilakukan untuk mendapatkan sebanyak mungkin detil dari kedua media.

Dalam penelitian ini, data primer, sekunder, dan tersier didokumentasikan secara cermat. Data premier melingkupi cerita pendek dan adaptasi filmnya beserta naskah dari film tersebut. Data sekunder dan tersier mencakup berbagai artikel ilmiah, majalah, dan buku yang digunakan untuk mendukung penelitian ini.

Dar i penelitian ini ditemukan bahwa adaptasi film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button berbeda jauh dari karya tulisnya dan memiliki identitas tersendiri. Akan tetapi juga terdapat beberapa kesamaan yang bersifat intertekstual dari keduanya. Perbedaan ini tidak hanya mempengaruhi jalan ceritanya, tetapi juga perkembangan unsur intrinsiknya. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa narasi adaptasi film tersebut telah disesuaikan untuk penonton masa kini.

Kata Kunci: narrative function¸ unsur intrinsik, intermedialitas, intertekstualitas

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Study

Narrative function is the basic unit of a narrative. They organize the events and details that are used to tell it. When a story is adapted from text to film, not all of the narrative functions of the original can be included (Macfarlane, 1996: 13-15).

Some of the events and details may be omitted or replaced. Any changes made to it will form a different understanding of the story, and depending on the degree of the changes, its intrinsic elements and even the theme may be influenced as well

(Macfarlane, 1996: 23-26).

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short story written by Sir Francis

Scott Fitzgerald as a response to Mark Twain’s remark, “it was a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end” (Fitzgerald, 1922: 3).

It tells about the life struggle of a man who was born old and ages backwards. The story is set in Baltimore, Maryland, through the year 1860 until the early 1900s

(Fitzgerald, 1922: 113, 128). Fitzgerald’s response through the story is of youth –of being able to live life to the fullest– and of ageing. The author experimented whether youthfulness would change for anyone if s/he ages backwards.

Decades later, this short story was adapted into a film script by Eric Roth, directed into a film with the same title by Director David Fincher, and then published in 2008 (Russnow, 2009: para.1) The film tells the same story concept as the original;

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however, it is fitted into a different setting with different events and characters to carry it out. Roth made the story to begin at the end of World War 1 in New Orleans and ends in 2005 also in New Orleans (Roth, 2006: 1, 19). These changes influence the development of the film’s story and intrinsic elements in great ways that the film has become almost entirely dissimilar to the original.

This study is a comparative study that primarily aims to compare and contrast the narrative function of each version to discover how the film adaptation has independently develop from the short story. In doing so, both the short story and the film adaptation will be transcribed into narrative function to see their difference in the development of the events and details. These data will be used to analyze how the differences and similarities affect the development of the two story version’s intrinsic elements; such as, their plot, characterizations, setting, point of view, tone, symbolism, mood, atmosphere, style, and eventually the theme.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is taken as a subject of analysis, not only because it is not very broadly studied but it is also an example of a film adaptation where its narrative function takes an extreme departure from the original.

The second purpose of this research is to study the film adaptation and its source text side by side but in a manner that is objective and respectful to the independence of each version as a work of art. The traditional approach to studying film adaptation has always been very dependent on literature as its senior as well as a measurer of its success and quality (Stam, 2005: 3-4; Alqadi, 2005: 42). Though prejudiced and ignorant, many audiences, critics, and scholars alike tend to focus on the losses that a

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source literature suffered in its adaptation and the fidelity of the adaptation without taking the complexity of the adaptation and filming process itself into consideration

(Stam, 2005: 3-7).

While this study is also a comparative study, it is different from the “fidelity discourse” as it does not wish to compare the two versions of The Curious Case of

Benjamin Button for superiority and worth over the other. This study will place both versions of the story on equal grounds with one another and focused on the objective analysis of each version’s creative development.

B. Problem Formulation

1. How is the narrative function in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and its 2008

Film Adaptation described?

2. What are the differences and similarities between them?

3. What are the significance of these differences and similarities in the development of the intrinsic elements of each version?

C. Objective of Study

The objective of this study is to discover how the narrative function in The

Curious Case of Benjamin Button and its 2008 film adaptation are described in each version, identify how they are different and similar from one another, and analyze how they are significant to the development of the respective version’s intrinsic elements, such as the plot, characterization, setting, point of view, style, tone,

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atmosphere, symbolism, and theme. The process is done to take apart both the film adaptation and its short story version into their most basic elements and observe them to see how the film adaptation has uniquely developed from its original.

D. Definition of Terms

Film Adaptation is both the product and reproductive medium of a source text’s transformation into a motion picture to deliver a narrative to a new generation of audience (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007: 448).

Intermediality is a phenomenon where new forms of artistic and critical innovations are created and distributed as a link among cultures and applied as a vehicle for innovative educational practice (Zepetnek: 2017, para 2).

Intertextuality is the relationship between two different works. It is the comparison of the work that is already known by the reader with the work newly experienced (Hutcheon, 2003: 40).

Narrativity is the general ability of a narrative to be transformed into any other media, including film, and that in doing so will gain new devices to help in its telling.

For example in the case of adapting literature to film, the story gained a visual presentation, music, and spatial timeline among the few to help in its retelling

(Hutcheon, 2003: 45).

Narrative function is the basic unit of any narrative. It is the function that organizes the events and the details of a story. The function that categorizes the events, the distributional function, divides into the cardinal function which

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categorizes the main events and the catalyzer which categorizes the supporting events. The function that categorizes the details, the integrational function, divides into the indices proper which are the conceptual details and the informants which are the specific details (Macfarlane, 1996: 13-15).

Transcendence is the out of body experience felt by reading a piece of literature or by watching a film (Stam, 2005; 6-7).

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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies

Two examples of studies done within the field of film adaptation studies are

“Jane Austen Adapted – Recreated Stories: Changes in the Latest Two Adaptations of

Sense and Sensibility” by Julianna Borbély, and “An Analyctical Study of 2013

Cinematic Adaptation of The Great Gatsby” by Alireza Anyshiravani and Ehsan

Alinezhadi. This undergraduate study also uses film adaptation as its basic approach; therefore, it is only proper to use the studies above as studies to relate to. This section will explain the two studies and how they relate to this undergraduate study.

The first related study is “Jane Austen Adapted – Recreated Stories: Changes in the Latest Two Adaptations of Sense and Sensibility” by Julianna Borbély. In her paper, Borbély analyzed how the 1995 and 2008 film adaptation of Sense and

Sensibility approached the narrative development differently from the novel version.

She focused her paper to highlight the narrative differences that occur in the two adaptations as compared to the novel. She did not explain in great details the effect that it has on the development of the narrative, however suggests that the greatest effect achieved by the difference made in the 1995 adaptation is that it becomes more emotionally felt and direct than the novel version, while the 2008 film version gained a slightly sexual air and quiet dominance over it. (Borbely, 2009: 8-16)

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She began her paper by introducing the theory and characteristics of film adaptation; arguing against fidelity approach, stating that film adaptations are a medium of narrative recreations, and describes the unique characteristics belonging only to film adaptations. Then, she describes how the novel and the novel’s narrative was developed; what techniques were employed to write the story, the goal of the author for writing her novel that way, the characters who are present, their characterizations, and the significant events that occur. Afterwards, she analyzes the differences that occur to these concepts in the 1995 film version by Emma

Thompson; how the writing style which has been employed with various techniques to keep it as far away from being sentimental was given more emotion on the screen, how some of the characters were adapted to have more sentimentality, how some events were omitted, replaced, or added to fit the requirement of the adaptation. For these changes that occur, Borbély wrote that Emma Thompson received several criticism and disapproving comments from film critics for the infidelity of details, the choice of actors whom the critics consider as having too imperfect a personal life to deliver certain characters, and the transformation of the character Elinor from “a quiet feminist” to become a weaker “girl-woman”, thus regarding her character as botched and “anti-feminist”. Nonetheless, the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility was highly successful and won many awards. (Borbély, 2009: 8-16)

Borbély wrote little to address the 2008 film adaptation apart from that the

2008 film was casted by entirely different actors from the 1995 version, strove to be more fidel to the novel, yet still adds the film-makers’ original tweaks of ideas. Two

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of these tweaks are; one, the character Willoughby was made to be more seductive, and two, Colonel Brandon was made to be an animal tamer. (Borbély, 2009: 8-16)

The second related study is, “An Analyctical Study of 2013 Cinematic

Adaptation of The Great Gatsby” by Alireza Anyshiravani and Ehsan Alinezhadi.

Unlike Julianna Borbély, who focuses solely on the narrative differences that occur within the film adaptation and the novel version of Jane Austen’s Sense and

Sensibility, Alireza Anyshiravani and Ehsan Alinezhadi sought to analyze not only the narrative differences that exist between the film adaptation and novel version of

Sir Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby but the difference of formats. In their paper, Anyshiravani and Alinezhadi studies how Baz Luhrmann’s and his crew of filmmakers recreated Sir Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby into its 2013 cinematic production. They analyzed what details, events, characters, and theme have remained or was changed, what musical scores were composed and used for the production, what filming techniques were used when filming the adaptation, for what purpose they were used for, and what effects do the adapter’s creative contribution have on the narrative development. (Anyshiravani and Alinezhadi, 2016: 73-85)

The paper began with Anyshiravani and Alinezhadi describing Linda

Hutcheon’s theory of adaptation; her concepts of what, who and why, how, and when and where. Specifically, what was adapted, who adapted it and why s/he adapted it, how it was adapted and was received by the audience, and when and where the adaptation was set to take place. Then, they discussed the adaptation beginning with

“what” were adapted; the music accompaniment, the camera movement, the reduction

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and replacement of certain details from the novel, the plot pace and organization, the compressing and expanding of time and space in the novel, and how these factors contribute to the development of the narrative and its theme. Afterwards, the authors discussed “who,” “why,” “when,” and “where,” introducing the adapters and their motivation in adapting The Great Gatsby, why the issues that are projected from the novel is still relevant in the 21st century, how they strove to approach it in the 21st century fashion, as well as “how” the audience received the adaptation. (Anyshiravani and Alinezhadi, 2016: 73-85)

Though the subject of both academic journals are similar to one another,

Julianna Borbély’s study focuses on the distinction of narrative function between the novel and adapted version of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Anyshiravani and

Alinezhadi’s study analyzes the narrativity development in the film adaptation of Sir

Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and how it affect the development of the film’s narrative and theme. The study that is carried out in this undergraduate thesis is quite similar to that. Using Sir Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s The Curious Case of

Benjamin Button and its film adaptation as the object of study, this study attempts to discover the differences and similarities that exist in the narrative function of the short story and film adaptation version and how the differences of departure affect the development of each version’s theme.

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B. Review of Related Theories

To aid in the analysis of this undergraduate study, four theories will be used.

These theories are the Comparative Literature theory, the Narrative Function theory, the Film Adaptation theory, and the Intrinsic Element theory.

1. The Comparative Literature Theory

Comparative literature is the study of literature across cultures, nations, and genres, and explores its relationship with other forms of cultural expressions. It is a method of studying literature that requires the knowledge of more than one national language and literature, the knowledge and application of other disciplines in and for the study of literature, the inclusion of the marginalized Others, and it facilitates the cross-cultural, pluralistic, and interdisciplinary study of literature (Zepetnek, 1998:

13).

In the seventh chapter of his book Comparative Literature: Theory, Method,

Application and in the fifth chapter of an article he published in 2017 titled About the

Situation of the Discipline of Comparative Literature and Neighboring Fields in the

Humanities Today Zepetnek proposes that technology and literature has a strong intermedial relationship to one another since both are the product of culture and a medium of communication and information sharing (Zepetnek, 1998: 252). Culture, he expresses, exists as the result of negotiating “stories, images, and meanings through constructed and contextual agreements, power relations, and their authorizations and legitimation of social position and loci” (Zepetnek, 2017: para 25).

Literature is a cultural product born centuries before the birth of digitized

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technology. It has, for many centuries, serves as a physical medium to work with information; that is, to document, express ideas, distribute, and to teach it to the mass.

This function is later shared by technology following its invention. Technology since has worked alongside literature to carry out its purpose. When information meets technology, what results is the birth of many other methods or bodies in which these purpose can manifest. Among many of its method to do that is through the creation of film adaptations, theater, visual arts, the internet, and radio (Zepetnek. 1998: 252).

However, the rigidity of literature studies refuses to acknowledge the involvement of technology in its work. Zepetnek compares the possibility of a relationship between technology and literature as akin to the harmonious collaboration the department of science has with technology (Zepetnek, 1998: 249-

250). While science uses technology as an ally to do perform its duties, as mean of documentation, and as databases, literature can collaborate with technology as an extension of its physical body to carry out its purpose. That is, to document, spread information, teach, and communicate to the people of the world (Zepetnek, 1998:

252).

2. The Narrative Function Theory

The second theory, Narrative Function, is described by Roland Barthes as “the seed that it sows in the narrative, planting an element that will come to fruition later-- either on the same [narrative] level or elsewhere, on another level” and “A narrative is never made up of anything other than functions: in differing degrees, everything in it signifies” (McFarlane, 1996: 13). Narrative Function is the four basic components

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that make up a narrative and its structure. It consists of two larger structures which individually divide into two smaller particular structures. These two larger structures are the Distributional Function and the Integrational Function. The distributional function, also known as the function proper, is distinguished as the events that occur in a narrative. It divides into cardinal function, the major events, and catalyzers, minor events that support the formation of the cardinal function. The integrational function, also known as indices proper, is the function that makes up the details in a narrative. It also divides into two smaller structures, the indices, the larger concept of ideas, and informants, the small and specific details (McFarlane, 1996: 13-14).

Narrative function is the function that makes up the body of a narrative, not a plot (McFarlane, 1996: 19, 23). Therefore, it is important to distinguish a narrative from a plot. Narratives are the “raw material,” the story, or as Linda Hutcheon put it, the DNA of any story-telling medium (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007: 444-448).

Narrative can be regarded as the parallel of the Russian formalist fabula, which is the story that begins, in orderly fashion, from the beginning and ends at the end. Plot, on the other hand, can be thought of as the suzet which is how the narrative is packaged in its presentation form. Plot may move sections of events that occur in a narrative anywhere it can (McFarlane, 1996: 19, 23). For example, it may put the conflict at the beginning of the presentation and reveals the build-up through a series of flashback, or begin the presentation at the end of the narrative and reveals the introduction, rising action, and climax, in a flashback like a memoir.

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3. The Film Adaptation Theory

The third theory is film adaptation. The theory of film adaptation offers a perspective in which film adaptations need to be treated. Film adaptation, in comparison to literature, is a new invention. Although having the same purpose with one another, to tell a story, film adaptations generally receive bad responses from audiences, critics, and scholars alike. Much is focused on grieving its infidelity, and what an original text lost in the adaptation process rather than celebrating what it gained in its film form. The theory states that it is different in format from the source text; therefore, its product, experience, and making will, no doubt, differ as well. It explains the similarities that film adaptation has to literature as a media with a common purpose. They share the usage of literary technicalities such as the usage of narrative structure and a choice language, and the ability to offer the experience of transcendence. The theory also explains how the success of an adaptation should be measured. After all, it has always been measured by its fidelity to the source text. In conclusion, the film adaptation theory provides the background information and offers the perspective to enjoy and respect film adaptations, free from the attachment of prejudice.

Film adaptation is both the product and the reproductive medium of a source text’s transformation into a motion picture form to deliver a narrative to a new generation of audience and their different social, political, and cultural environment

(Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007: 448). It is an independent artwork and a complex story-telling medium (Alqadi, 2015: 42; Stam, 2005: 3-8). Film adaptation is the

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product of cultural evolution which was at first inspired by literature, but with the growth of its popularity, in turn inspires the growth of a new style of literature

(Alqadi, 2015: 42-47). According to Geoffrey Wagner, there are three different types of film adaptations: transposition, commentary, and analogy (Alqadi, 2015: 43).

Transposition is a literal adaptation, where little of the narrative and details are changed in order to make the film adaptation as similar to the imagery provided by the source text as much as possible. Commentary is an adaptation where changes are done to it. It can be intentional, where the changes are deliberately made by the filmmakers to insert their own original ideas, or unintentional, where the changes are caused by accidents or errors during the filming process. Analogy is total departure from the source text in order to recreate it into a new work of art.

Much of the study of film adaptation has been barraged by prejudices from audience and critics alike. The prejudices stems from fidelity discourse or the misconception that film adaptation’s success is dependent on source texts and its accuracy to it (Alqadi, 2015:42). Robert Stam further exposed nine different prejudices faced by film adaptation: superiority complex, logophilia, the belief that written art are more intelligent than visual ones; anti-corporeality, the belief that films cannot give transcendence; class prejudice, the belief that films are cheap mass entertainment; iconophobia, the cultural and religious discrimination against the visual; survival of the fittest, the belief that film are on a race to eradicate literature; parasitism, the belief that film adaptations steals from literature; fidelity discourse, the comparison of a film adaptation to its source text for accuracy to judge its worth

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and success; and ignorance, the total disregard to the complexity of film adaptation’s creative process (Stam, 2005: 3-8).

However, Linda Hutcheon expresses that film adaptations are akin to a language translator and its product. She stated that “just as there is no such thing as a literal translation, there can be no literal adaptation” due to their difference in format, presentation, reception, and experience (Hutcheon, 2003: 40). Source texts are presented in written words and received by sight, but experienced indirectly because the images seen by readers are mentally formed and the emotions felt are only perceived. Film adaptations are the opposite. It is visual and auditory. As a result it is received directly by sight and hearing, and experienced and interpreted by the brain as reality, making the experience direct.

Film adaptations are complex to create. To create a film, film-makers need the collaborative work of hundreds of different crew members; high-technology to aid with the recording, sound effect, visual effect, lighting, editing, and costume, set, and prop making among the few things; actors that has been carefully selected to fit the role; a location to build the set and film; materials to create the set, costume, and properties; and a very large amount of budget. It starts with the filmmakers and scriptwriter discussing a source text that they wish to adapt or a scriptwriter adapting a source text into a film script. This script is then discussed with the director and crew. The set and properties are then built, actors and actresses contracted, costumes sewn, and scenes acted and shot. These shots are then pieced together, edited, and

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embellished with special visual and sound effects and soundtracks. It is then reviewed before being published. (Stam, 2005: 16-17).

In addition to the technical process, creating a film adaptation requires a mental transfer process, the process of transferring a piece of writing into a filmable idea. There are two layers of transfer process. The first layer is the individual process, where each person forms their own mental image of the descriptions written in the script and source text. These mental images will differ from person to person as they are affected by the unique life experiences and background that each person has. This layer debunks fidelity discourse’s insistence of accuracy as it is non-existent because each person sees a different picture of accuracy in their mind (McFarlane, 1996: 7).

The second layer is the collaborative designing process, where everyone involved in the film adaptation project create a visual representation of the descriptions written in the source text together. This process spans from the scriptwriting process all the way to the production (Stam, 2005: 17).

Despite of their obvious differences, both film adaptation and its source texts are story telling mediums. They share the same purpose, which is to tell a story; thus, they have some similarities with one another. Together with its purpose, there are three other similarities that film adaptations have to its source text: structure, usage of language, and ability to offer transcendence.

The first similarity is the purpose. The purpose of film adaptations and its source text is to tell a story (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007:447-448). Linda

Hutcheon and Gary Bortolotti treats source texts as a creature and use biological

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evolution as a parallel theory to explain this (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007:444). All creatures are essentially vehicles to carry a DNA forward, which in the film adaptation’s context is the story itself. Film adaptation is a story telling medium born as the product of a cultural evolution and growing technology (Bortolotti and

Hutcheon, 2007:444). It becomes one of the vehicles that help to carry the DNA of a source text to a new audience and a new environment so that the DNA may never die, but also evolve through the passing of time (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007:447).

Therefore, if any relationship exists between a source text’s content and its film adaptation’s, it is not parasitism, plagiarism, or fidelity, but intertextuality (Hutcheon,

2003: 41).

The second similarity is that both employ the usage of narrative structure. The third similarity is that both use a language to deliver their story. However, the language used by literature and films are different. While literature uses written language, film adaptations use Cinematic Codes or film language to deliver their story. There are four different codes in a film language: language codes, visual codes, non-linguistic sound codes, and cultural codes (McFarlane, 1996: 28-29). The careful attention paid to these four codes aids in the full understanding of a film. Language codes deliver the linguistic details of a film, such as subtitles, voice overs, on screen texts, the dialogue, and the manner of how a dialogue needs to be carried. Visual codes deliver the visual details of a film, such as the mise-en-scene, camera angles, visual editing, visual effects, etc. Non-linguistic sound codes deliver sound effects and soundtracks. Cultural codes deliver the physical property of film-making that

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provides information about the culture and social conditions of the setting such as costume and set design. Lastly, both films and source texts are able to provide the experience of transcendence. In literature, it takes the form of the indirect experience provided whilst reading a piece of literature (Stam, 2005: 6). In film, it takes the form of the direct experience while watching a film (Stam, 2005: 6).

With all that said, how should the success of film adaptations be measured then? The success of film adaptation should be measured by how able it is to reach its own goal. Filmmakers create an adaptation with goals of their own; to make a statement, to visualize a source text, to recreate a story, to make a box-office success, etc. (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007:450-453).

4. The Intrinsic Element Theory

The fourth theory is the intrinsic element theory. The intrinsic elements of literature are the structural details found within the literary piece itself. There are five basic elements in prose: the plot, characters, setting, point of view, and theme.

However, these five basic elements can be extended by the inclusion of the tone, mood or atmosphere, voice, and symbolism as a part of the intrinsic elements. a. Characters

A character is a living being that is presented in a literary work to perform the story. They can be human or non-human, depending on what the story is about. A character is built with particular desire and moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities which affect their motivation in carrying out their action and dialogue throughout the narrative (Abrams, 1999: 32-33). A character can be a protagonist or an antagonist.

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Protagonists are the hero and heroine of the story. They are characters that are designed to be the central of the audience’s focus and sympathy while antagonists are characters that oppose the protagonists (Abrams, 1999: 224). These characters can be flat or round (Abrams, 1999: 33). Flat characters, also known as two-dimensional characters, are characters that are built to be stereotypical and simple. They do not go through any personal development in the story. Round characters are characters that are built to be complex and human-like. They go through a personal change at some points in the story as a result of the events that occur. b. Setting

The setting refers, largely, to the time and location of when and where a story takes place. The setting of a story provides the background information for its historical, social, and cultural circumstances (Abrams, 1999: 284-285). c. Point of View

The point of view is a method that authors use to present his/her story. This method uses the help of a narrator which may come from a first person, second person, or third person perspective (Abrams, 1999: 231). A first person point of view is the telling of a story through the perspective of the main protagonist. This perspective is the most limited to scope the entirety of the story as it pertains only to the main protagonist’s knowledge as a result of his/her own thoughts and interaction with others (Abrams, 1999: 233-234). This point of view is distinguishable by the narrator’s usage of the pronoun “I” to tell the story. A second person point of view is the telling of a story by a narrator who is not the main protagonists but addresses the

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main protagonist with the pronoun “you” to tell his/her story (Abrams, 1999: 234).

The third person point of view is the telling of a story by a narrator who refers to all characters as “he”, “she”, or “they”. A third person point of view can be omniscient or limited (Abrams, 1999: 232-233). An omniscient point of view is where the narrator is all-knowing; s/he knows all the events that happen and the thoughts that each characters have in their hearts and mind. This kind of narration may be intrusive, where the narrator does not only report but also comment and evaluate the actions and thoughts of the other characters, or unintrusive, where the narrator only reports but does not judge the characters. A limited point of view is a story-telling where the narrator is all knowing but only towards a few certain characters. d. Tone

The tone is a technique that the author uses to express his/her attitude about the subject of his/her work towards the readers (Abrams, 1999: 218). It can also reveal the degree of interpersonal relationship and closeness the author is placing him/herself with the reader when telling the subject (Abrams, 1999: 218). The tone is revealed through the author’s choice of words and syntax. It can range from playful to serious, loving to angry, courageous to afraid, etc. The tone can also directly affect the mood and atmosphere of the story. e. Atmosphere or Mood

The atmosphere is the emotion, feeling, or mood that the author conveys to the readers through the usage of descriptive language and dialogue. It may pertain in one portion of the literary work or the whole. (Abrams, 1999: 14)

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f. Symbolism

Symbolism is the use of an object or an event to signify something that is beyond itself. Symbols can be conventional or personal. Conventional symbols are also called public symbols. They are widely known and signify something from a particular culture. Personal symbols are also called private symbols. They are drawn from the wide association between particular objects, actions, events, and concepts.

(Abrams, 1999: 311) g. Theme

The theme is the central and main idea of a literary work and its nature is general (Abrams, 1999: 170). It is the foundation in which a literary work is built upon. There are two types of themes: explicit theme and implicit theme (Abrams,

1999: 170). Explicit themes are themes that are at some point stated in the narrative.

Implicit themes are themes that take the form of an abstract idea that are identified and understood only through the inferring to and interpretation of the literary work itself, its intrinsic elements, and literary devices. A theme can take the form of a general subject or idea, a moral, or a message. Multiple themes can also exist in one literary work. (Battaglia, 2018: para 2)

C. Theoretical Framework

This study is ultimately a comparative study between two different products and media. Zepetnek’s theory of New Comparative Literature aids to give an understanding of what intermediality is and how products of different media relate

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and should best be compared to one another. In this study, what are compared to one another are the events and the details, or the basic components, of each stories. These components are called the functions of narratives or narrative function. The theory of narrative function gives the understanding of these functions and provides the instruction to best transcribe them prior to comparing and contrasting them.

Film adaptation may be treated as the cousin of any literary work because, just like them, it is a story-telling medium. However, film adaptations are visual while literature is written. Film adaptation theory provides the guidelines required to objectively analyze and correctly interpret a film adaptation as well as providing information regarding the elements and characteristics that are required to be paid attention to when analyzing film adaptations. The intrinsic elements, mainly the characters, setting, point of view, tone, atmosphere, symbolism, and theme, are the subjects within the literary work, in this case The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, that will be analyzed.

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CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of this study is Sir Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s short story The

Curious Case of Benjamin Button and its 2008 film adaptation, which was given the same title. The adaptation was written by Eric Roth and directed by David Fincher.

Both the film and its script will be used.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short story written by Sir Francis

Scott Fitzgerald as a response to Mark Twain’s remark that “the best of life is always at the beginning while the worst is at the end”. It was first published in Collier’s

Magazine in the early 1920s. It tells the life story of a baby born in Baltimore,

Maryland in the 1860s. The short story, written with monotonous plot structure, narrates the general events that occur in this baby’s life from the day that he was born until the day that he dies. The baby, which at first has no name, was born as an old man. He was rejected by every single one of his family members, most especially his father, who refuses to acknowledge the unique condition that the baby suffers from.

The baby, later named Benjamin Button, was raised accordingly to his biological age even though his psychological maturity responds to the age that his appearance shows. As a result, he faced many struggles with his peers because he was not able to connect to any of them personally. The story highlights on his birth, his career, his

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involvement in the Spanish-American War, his marriage, his social struggles over the course of his life, his family’s rejection of him, his reversal into a child, and his death.

The film adapted version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button takes the same narrative concept but fitted it with the scriptwriter’s and the director’s original ideas. While still telling the same story about a backward aging man and still fitted into the same monotonous plot structure, the story is no longer set in Baltimore.

Instead, it takes place in New Orleans and begins at the end of World War One when the baby was born. In the adaptation, the baby was born as an old baby who grew to become a very old child. He eventually became a handsome adult and dies as an infant. Several key differences that separate the adaptation’s narrative from the short story version is that the baby, which was later named Benjamin, gained more love, acceptance, and support by his family and peers than the Benjamin from the short story. The adaptation also introduces new events, new characters, new adventures, use of symbolisms, and temporal structure to deliver the story. This version takes a fresh turn to approach the answer to Mark Twain‘s remark differently.

B. Approach of the Study

New Criticism is a type of formalism that practices the critical explication or close reading of a literary work (Abrams.M.H., 1999: 181). It proposes that literature is independent, self-reliant, self-sufficient, and does not need the involvement of external sources in order to interpret it. It also rejects the approach of intentional fallacies, the belief that literature is a medium of expression for the author and that

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the theme is the author’s message, affective dimension, and that literature is used as an object to teach morality and other beliefs; and affective fallacies, the usage of the reader’s psychological and emotional response to interpret it, for they are regarded as not being objective (Abrams.M.H., 1999: 4, 126, 181). New Criticism is very closely related to formalism due to its “critical focus on the literary work in isolation from its attendant circumstances and effects” (Abrams.M.H., 1999: 4, 181). However, they are not alike as new criticism has a focus on the contents and details of a literary work while formalism focuses on its form and structure.

C. Method of the Study

This study is carried out through an extensive library research and the documentation of primary data. It is done in several different stages. The first stage is the collecting of primary data, secondary data, and tertiary data. The primary data are the object of study, which is the original short story, the film script, and the film adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The secondary and tertiary data are scholarly journals, articles, thesis, lectures, and books of the theories that are used to support this study; as well as magazine and newspaper articles that provide additional information regarding the object of study. All of these data are acquired through online and offline library research.

The second stage is the data documentation. To collect the data of the primary data, the film adaptation and the original short story of The Curious Case of Benjamin

Button is, repetitively, watched and read. Then, they are carefully and independently

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transcribed into their own narrative function. To collect the data of the secondary and tertiary data, the articles and books gathered are meticulously read and documented for details that can be used to support the subject of this undergraduate thesis.

The third step is the analysis process. In this process, the knowledge acquired from the secondary and tertiary data is used to compare and contrast the narrative function of the two versions of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The result of the comparison and contrasting are then used to analyze the intrinsic elements of the stories to determine how the film adaptation and original short story have uniquely develop from one another

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CHAPTER 4

ANALYSIS

Creating a Film Adaptation requires its source text to be transcribed in order to identify and organize its content into its Narrative Functions. Narrative Function helps to divide the content of a source text into its proper categories. From these categories, adapters may select as little as a few or as much as all of these content and combine or replace them with new details in order to recreate them into a new narrative that will be realized into film. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by Eric

Roth is an example of a film adaptation where the content of its source text is changed drastically to become an entirely different story.

The aim of this analysis is to explain the narrative adaptation process of the short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button through a comparative analysis carried out between its Narrative Function and its adaptations. To do so, both versions of the story must undergo the process of transcription. The product of this transcription would then be compared for differences and similarities in order to identify the contents of the source text that were transferred during the adaptation process and the form that it manifests in film adaptation. These two processes will answer the first two questions of this thesis’s problem formulation respectively: how are the narrative function of the short story and the film adaptation of The Curious

Case of Benjamin Button described, and how they are different and similar from one another. As a finish to this process, the last problem proposed in this thesis, how the

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differences and similarities between each version’s narrative function are significant in the development of their respective intrinsic elements, serves as a discussion to how the film adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button have taken departure from its source text in terms of its narrative content and intrinsic elements.

A. The Narrative Function of the Short Story and Film Adaptation of The

Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The process of transcribing a story’s narrative function is the vivisection and the organization of its events and details. Its purpose is to lay bare the contents of a source text so that adapters can select details to work with and transform into a different narrative. Film adapters transform these details into a content that can be interpreted into film. The narrative function of the short story The Curious Case of

Benjamin Button is different from its film adaptation. This short story, though rich in event, has fewer main events occurring than the film adaptation. In turn, it has less supporting events. It has much fewer characters and the details provided for its events, characters, and environments are too general for specific imagery to develop.

The film adaptation takes this content, enhances its details, and transforms it into a visual product.

Narrative Function, as was previously explained in Chapter 2, is comprised of two larger functions; the Distributional Function and the Integrational Function. The

Distributional Function categorizes the events that occur in a story. It alone organizes the Cardinal Function, the main events, and the Catalyzers, the smaller supporting

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events which help to unravel the Cardinal Function. The Integrational Function categorizes the details of a story. It divides Indices Proper of the story from the

Informant. Indices Proper are the large, abstract, and conceptual details of a story; things such as the type of character involved in certain events, the type of setting an event occurs in, and what the atmosphere of said event should be. Informants are small and specific details about the characters and setting, precisely among others, the character’s name, occupation, appearance, personality traits, behaviors, and attire (if necessary), as well as the setting’s particular time and location, appearance, culture, etc.

Each of these functions cannot stand independently. Each requires the support of the other three functions in order to form a whole. A Cardinal Function will only remain as information about a main event on its own. Nothing will be known about how, where, and when it will occur, who will make it occur, and how it is supposed to make its audience feel. The same can be said to all the other functions.

To read the transcription of a Narrative Function and to deduce how a narrative is created, all of the functions have to be brought together part by part. By piecing together the details of the Cardinal Function with the Indices Proper, writers form rough ideas of what they desire to occur in a story, what characters will perform the act, its setting, and its atmosphere. By establishing the Informant, these characters are given appearance, personality, names, identity, and relationships with other characters. Furthermore, the settings are specified into a particular time, place, and

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cultural and social context. Finally, by adding the Catalyzer, the writer can strategize how the characters will play their roles in order to reveal the Cardinal Function.

For example, the first Cardinal Function of the short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which can be found in appendix 1, describes that a baby is rejected by his own father. This is the first main event that Sir Francis Scott

Fitzgerald design to occur. By looking at the Cardinal Function alone, readers do not know the characters that will be involved in the event, its setting, the motivation behind the act, and how it will occur. The Indices Proper closes this gap by providing some rough ideas about those information. It gives the information that the characters involved in the event are the main protagonist, a few antagonists, some minor characters, and a narrator; the location of the event is a place where elites may give birth; the event takes place in the past; and that the atmosphere is shocking and tense.

The Informant completes this information by revealing that main protagonist is the baby; the antagonists are Mr. Rogers Button and Dr. Keene; and the minor characters are the nurses. The baby does not have a name yet; however, he is born not in the form of an infant but an old man. Mr. Rogers Button is the baby’s father. He is the head of the Button family and he is a very proud, wealthy, and affluent man who cares very deeply about propriety and his reputation. Dr. Keene is a physician who has been working for the Buttons’ family for generations. He too, is a very proud man who strongly upholds propriety and his reputation. Little is known about the nurses working under Dr. Keene apart from that they are very fearful due to the

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consequences of the baby’s birth. Little is known about the narrator except for the way s/he refer themselves with “I” at the beginning of the story.

The Informant also discloses the event’s specific setting. The event takes place in the year 1860 at Maryland Private Hospital for Ladies and Gentlemen, located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America. From this information, it is identified that the event takes place in a time when social hierarchy, social status, social relations, reputation, and propriety are very strongly upheld; and in a location where the American Confederacy is an important figure of influence. The event is also acted out by affluent and wealthy characters that have strong ties and relation to the Confederacy, which means that they belong to the higher class society.

These details provide Mr. Rogers Button motivation to reject his baby. His baby was not born normally; therefore, as a reputable person, he feels ashamed of being responsible for the birth of a freak.

With the details of the characters and setting already decided, the writer can strategize the Catalyzer to unfold the Cardinal Function. Before Mr. Rogers Button rejects his baby, he dresses himself up, walks to the hospital, meets the doctor and his nurses, inquires about his baby, receives the doctor’s and his nurses’ answer, and is taken to the “Crying Room” by the nurses to see his son. Thus, when combined, these separate information forms the narrative of Sir Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s The Curious

Case of Benjamin Button’s first chapter.

Both the short story and the film adaptation are already transcribed to their

Narrative Functions. However, it is impossible to explain them fully in paragraph

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form as it would result in written data that is far too long and repetitive. Therefore, they are attached to this thesis as a part of the appendix. The narrative function of the short story is located in appendix 1 and the narrative function of the film adaptation is located in appendix 2. The details provided in this subchapter serves as a guidance to read and understand them.

B. The Differences and Similarity between the Narrative Function of the Short

Story Version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and its Film

Adaptation’s

The comparative analysis between the narrative function of the short story and the film adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has a goal to observe how the details that make each versions of the story work in parallel with one another while at the same time maintain their own uniqueness. The differences and similarities will be discussed side by side beginning with the Integrational Function which consists of the Indices Proper and Informant (characters first followed by the setting), and followed by the Distributional Function which consists of the Cardinal

Function and Catalyzer.

1. The Differences and Similarities of the Integrational Function (Details) a. The Differences and Similarities of the Indices Proper (Large Concept) i. The Differences of the Indices Proper (Large Concept)

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The Indices Proper of the short story is made up of a main protagonist, minor characters, and antagonists that belong only to the majority racial group and the upper economic hierarchy. It occurs mostly in one city inhabited by the wealthy and in a time setting where judgmentalism and discrimination are prevalent. Therefore, the characters and setting that runs the plot of the short story are dominated by the rich and major racial population from a time and place where social status, economic hierarchy, class, and reputation are important daily elements. The sum of these concepts creates a cold, heartless, and discriminating atmosphere that is shared throughout the story.

On the other hand, the conceptual details of the film adaptation are filled with characters that belong to various ethnicities, birth conditions, disabilities, and economic backgrounds. The main antagonist, minor character, and narrator are these characters. Though the story occurs mostly in one city, the film adaptation also takes place in other locations around the world. It takes place in a setting where, though discrimination still exists, friendly and sympathetic interaction between people with different racial and economic backgrounds happen. Though antagonism exists in the film, it does not take the shape of a person; but rather, the condition that the characters live in. These details combined create an atmosphere that opens the possibility for warmth, acceptance, tolerance, and hope to breed. ii. The Similarities of the Indices Proper (Large Concept)

The similarity that exists in the Indices Proper of the two versions of The

Curious Case of Benjamin Button lies in all levels of information that is categorized

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by the function; that is, the rough concept of the characterizations, the main protagonist, the setting, and the atmosphere. The characters that exist in both versions of the story are the main protagonists, minor characters, and narrator. While antagonists also exist in both versions, they take a different form from one another. In the short story, the antagonists are other characters while in the film adaptation the antagonists are the living conditions that each character faces in their life. In both story, the main protagonist is born with a peculiar condition that he suffers for the rest of his life and in turn, affect his living condition and the development of his life. Due to this condition, both main protagonists face rejection of varying degree. The setting of both stories takes place in the past and, although not heavily emphasized in the film adaptation, in a location where racial discrimination is prevalent. Both stories also carry a heavily bittersweet atmosphere. iii. The Summary to the Differences and Similarities of the Indices Proper

(Large Concept)

The Indices proper of the short story creates a story concept that is bittersweet, cold, and discriminating, while the film adaptation creates a story concept that is bittersweet, warm, friendly, and tolerant.

b. The Differences and Similarities of the Informant (Small Details)

Two major things are recorded in the Informant function; characters and setting, but it may include other specific details that are necessary to be looked at if they bear significance to the literary analysis of a story. Information about the

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characters are not limited to only their names, but their personality traits, role in the story, relation to other characters, and if important, even the very details of their appearance. Information about the setting is also not limited to only the location and time that the story occur in, but if required, it includes information about their details, weather condition, social environment, and cultural environment as well. All of these information builds the Indices Proper from an abstract concept into a concrete and visualized idea. i. The Differences and Similarities of the Characters

1) The Differences of Characters: The Characters of the Short Story

The characters that are present in the short story are Benjamin Button, Mr.

Rogers Button, Dr. Keene, Dr. Keene’s Nurses, the Clerk, Mother, Kindergarten

Teacher 1, Grandfather, the Tailor, Mr. Hart, Yale College Undergraduate Students,

Hildegarde Moncrief, General Moncrief, Military Personnel, Roscoe Button, Harvard

Staff and Students, Nana, Kindergarten Teacher 2, Kindergarten Students, Baltimore

Society, and the Narrator.

Benjamin Button is the short story’s main protagonist. He is born as an old man and develops backwards both physically and psychologically, from an old man into a young infant. His psychological development corresponds to the age that his appearance shows. When he bears the appearance of an old man, he has a natural love for calm, settled, and peaceful life, albeit having a curious obedience, innocence, and his ageing abnormalities due to his biologically young age and inexperience. When he has the appearance of a young man, he becomes proud like his father, ambitious,

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vivacious, youthful, and relishes in hedonistic lifestyle. As he develops into a child, his memory along with his attentiveness, strength, and motor skills diminishes together with his degeneration. Benjamin is never abandoned by his family, but he faces rejection from most members of his family and society. Although he is surrounded by material and social extravagances, he lived a loveless life.

Mr. Rogers Button is Benjamin’s father. He is the head of the Button family.

He is a proud and wealthy businessman whose family relations to important figures in the Confederacy makes him an affluent figure in society. Benjamin’s birth and existence have given him shame beyond measure due to his abnormality. For that he despises his own son. However, as Benjamin grows older and develops traits and behaviors that complement his biological age, he becomes more tolerant and supportive towards him.

Dr. Keene is a family physician who serves the Buttons for generations. He is a proud and close-minded man who strongly believes that abnormal medical experiences can ruin his career.

The nurses who work for Dr. Keene are not described in great details apart from the implication that they are terrified of Benjamin’s birth condition.

The clerk is a shopkeeper who is present when Mr. Rogers Button purchased

Benjamin’s first clothes at the store.

Mother is Benjamin’s mother. She is also Mr. Rogers Button’s wife. Her name is not disclosed and she is mentioned only once in the story.

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There are two kindergarten teachers present in the story. The first kindergarten teacher to appear in the story is a curious young lady who is teaching when the elderly looking, yet, biologically young Benjamin is first enrolled in a kindergarten. The second kindergarten teacher to appear in this story is a young lady who teaches Benjamin when he attends kindergarten for the second time. At this time,

Benjamin is biologically old but has the appearance and psychological condition of a young boy.

Together with these teachers, naturally, are two different groups of kindergarten students. The first group is children who enrolled together with the biologically young Benjamin and the second group is children who enrolled together with the biologically old Benjamin.

Grandfather is Benjamin’s grandfather and his first friend. When Benjamin is biologically young, Grandfather is often compared to him by members of the society who visits. At first this enrages him and leads him to not get along well with

Benjamin. However, he slowly becomes friendly towards Benjamin due to their common interest and condition.

The tailor is a haberdasher who Mr. Rogers Button often hires to create clothes for Benjamin.

Mr. Hart is the office registrar who works for Yale College when Benjamin first registers to a college. He is an ignorant and rude man. He starts the barrage of insults that chased Benjamin away from Yale College forever.

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The Undergraduates of Yale College are students who are present at the time

Benjamin applies for college at Yale. They join Mr. Hart in mocking Benjamin.

Hildegarde Moncrief is the smart, mellow, and beautiful daughter of General

Moncrief. She is Benjamin’s love interest and eventually becomes his wife. She desires to marry older men due to her preference for a comfortable, sheltered, and settled life. Though she is well-intentioned and considerate of others, she is ignorant and close-minded when dealing with Benjamin’s abnormal ageing process. She thinks of it as an insensitive joke to society.

General Moncrief is the father of Hildegarde Moncrief and Benjamin’s father- in-law. He is a wary man who upholds his daughter’s well-being the very most.

However, he discriminates those who he feels are inferior to him. At first he is against

Hildegarde’s choice to marry Benjamin due to his appearance, the shady condition of his ageing, and his family business which to him is not successful enough to support his daughter’s life. However, after Benjamin is able to improve it and help him to publish his books, he relents and blesses their marriage.

Different military personnel appear throughout the story. Their ranks are unspecified. The first military personnel to appear are General Moncrief’s company.

They are there whenever General Moncrief attend a party. The second military personnel to make appearance are Benjamin’s comrades during the Spanish American

War. The third military personnel to appear are when Benjamin attempts to respond to the military summons for WW1.

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Roscoe Button is Benjamin’s son with Hildegarde Moncrief. Little is written about him when he was a child, but he develops into a proud man who is arrogant, scornful, and discriminating towards his father. He wishes to do nothing with his father and tried to hide their relationship from society. Like Mr. Rogers Button, he considers his existence a shame for the family.

The staff and students at Harvard College are the people present at the time

Benjamin enrolled in Harvard. They cherish Benjamin as a prodigy.

Nana is the babysitter that Roscoe Button hires to take care of Benjamin until the day he dies.

The Society of Baltimore that is present throughout the story is the upper middle class and upper class population. Throughout Benjamin’s life span, they have always been shallow, judgmental, ignorant, and quick to gossip.

The narrator is an unnamed character. Little else is known about him/her apart from the “I” that identifies him at the beginning of the story.

2) The Differences of Characters: The Characters of the Film Adaptation

The characters that are present in the film adaptation are Benjamin Button,

Mr. Gateau, Mrs. Gateau, Mr. Gateau’s Son, a worker at the Gateau’s workshop, Mr.

Thomas Button, Mrs. Button, a priest, a nun, a family doctor, a nurse, servants of the

Button family, Queenie, Tizzy Weathers, Dr. Rose, the residents of Nolan Park,

General Winslow, Mrs. Sybil Wagner, Queenie’s Daughter, a Protestant Preacher,

Protestant Nuns, Choir Members, Church Goers, Ngunda Oti, Filamena Gilea,

Grandma Fuller, Daisy Fuller, the Piano Woman, Mr. Daws, Captain Mike, the

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prostitutes, Prentiss Mayes, Rick Brody, Vic Brody, John Grimm, Pleasant Curtis,

Russian Interpreter, Russian men at the bar, Chief Gunner Dennis Smith, a sailor from “Liberty” ship, Elizabeth Abbott, Walter Abbott, Dance Judges in New York, various dancers, Caroline, Robert, Public Service Officer, waiters and waitresses at the Steak House Mr. Thomas Button frequents, Bartenders at the pub Captain Mike frequents, Bartender at the “Winter Palace” bar, the taxi driver in France, the taxi driver that drives Daisy to meet Benjamin at Nolan Park after he was found in 1990, and people of various ethnicities in the background.

Benjamin Button is the film adaptation’s main protagonist. He is born as a prematurely old baby. As he grows, the size of his body and psychological development grow normally as any baby that grows into a child and then an adult.

However, in his old age, his body size reverts into the size of a child together with the backward growth of his appearance. In his old age, his psychology undergoes a double development; in one hand, he develops dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a psychological ailments commonly suffered by the elderlies; while in another, it degenerates into a child’s. From a very young age, Benjamin has always been a quiet, reserved, respectful, calm, kind, peace-loving, and forgiving individual. His living circumstances and the environment that he grows up in shapes him that way. As he grows older, his experiences further affirms these traits while at the same time shapes him into an adventurous, curious, youthful, and selfless man who has a keen love for supporting others in their life, living his life to the fullest, and ensuring that others can live their life to the fullest; and he is able to move on from his problems quickly.

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Mr. Gateau is a minor character that Daisy Fuller mentions on her deathbed before she asks Caroline to read Benjamin’s diary. His involvement in the film adaptation’s narrative is a precursor to the events that follows; a foreshadowing. He is a blind White man famed as the finest clockmaker in all South America. In the story, he receives a commission to create a grand clock for a new train station that is being built in New Orleans prior to the outbreak of WW1. He is married to a Creole woman from Evangeline Parish and together, they have a son. His son enlists as a soldier in

WW1 and perishes in one of the battle fields. He falls into deep grief, changes the trajectory of the grand clock that was commissioned from him, and labor to finish it.

On the day of the train station’s grand opening, workers mount the clock and the clock reveals itself ticking backwards. He explains that the clock is his hope that time will reverse and returns everyone who dies in the war home so that they may live long full lives, including his own son. Afterwards, he closes his shop and is never seen again.

Mrs. Gateau is Mr. Gateau’s wife. She is a Creole woman from the

Evangeline Parish that Mr. Gateau marries and has a son with. She helps her husband with his clock-making business.

Mr. Gateau’s Son is Mr. and Mrs. Gateau’s beloved son. He is a young White man with a mixed-race blood. He enlists in the army sometime during America’s involvement in WW1 and dies. His death becomes the inspiration to Mr. Gateau’s backward moving clock.

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There is an anonymous worker who works at Mr. Gateau’s shop. He is a strong Black man who appears to work behind Mr. Gateau.

Mr. Thomas Button is Benjamin Button’s biological father. He falls in love with a young woman who works as a kitchen helper in his grandfather’s kitchen and marries her. Together, they have a son but his wife dies shortly after childbirth.

Consumed by his grief over the loss of his wife and the condition that his son is born in, he regards his son as a monster and abandons him in the back porch of Nolan

Park. He regrets his action for the rest of his life and seeks to become close to

Benjamin as a friend. On his last days, he tells the truth to Benjamin and asks for his forgiveness. He passes away peacefully, with Benjamin’s help, as he is finally able to forgive himself.

Mrs. Button is Benjamin Button’s biological mother and Mr. Thomas

Button’s beloved wife. She met Mr. Button when she worked as his grandfather’s kitchen maid. They fell in love, marry, and have a son. She dies shortly after childbirth.

A priest is present at the time Mrs. Button pass away to pray for her body.

Accompanying the priest is a nun who helps to perform the rites of prayer for

Mrs. Button’s body.

A family doctor is present to aid with Benjamin’s birth. He has a deep sympathy for Mr. Button for the death of his wife and the birth condition of his son.

Together with the doctor is a nurse. She helps the doctor in Benjamin’s birth.

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The Button’s family servants are various Black men and women who serve the Buttons and are present inside the Button’s family home when Mrs. Button was giving birth.

Queenie is Benjamin’s adopted mother and the major mother figure of the story. She is a merry, loving, and compassionate Black woman who has a passion in caring for those in needs. However, she is also impatient and has a fiery temper. She runs an elderly residential facility called the Nolan Park with her romantic partner,

Tizzy Weathers, and she is widely respected for her service. She finds Benjamin on the back steps of Nolan Park the same night his father abandon him, and decides to adopt him as her own child. She is very protective of him. Though she has difficulties in conceiving a baby, she eventually conceives from Tizzy and gives birth to a daughter. Queenie is a religious woman; however, it is unclear whether or not she is married to Tizzy Weathers. Regardless, they remain as romantic and sexual partners until the end of their lives. She is buried next to Tizzy Weather’s grave following her death in her old age.

Tizzy Weathers is Benjamin’s adopted father, Queenie’s romantic and sexual partner, and the father to her daughter. He is a strong Black man who works, majorly, as the cook of Nolan Park; otherwise, he helps to run it together with Queenie. Tizzy has a calm and reserved personality. He has some knowledge of literature and dearly loves Queenie. He is very supportive of Queenie’s decisions even when he disagrees with it. For example, he does not approve Queenie’s adoption of Benjamin at first.

However, due to his love for her, he takes care of Benjamin as his own son alongside

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her and shares the responsibility of parenting. Eventually, Tizzy learns to accept

Benjamin wholeheartedly. Tizzy Weathers dies in his sleep one night in 1944.

Dr. Rose is a middle aged man who practices at Nolan Park. He is a sympathetic and well-humored man. When Queenie takes Benjamin in, he does a thorough medical examination on him. He discovers that Benjamin is born with the physical attributes of a dying elderly and will not survive long. It is from this revelation that Queenie’s heart stirs and decides to adopt Benjamin so that he may have a little love in his life before he dies.

The residents of Nolan Park are elderly man and women of New Orleans. At the beginning of the story, they are mostly White people; but with the progression of the story, the racial population of the establishment becomes more multicultural. At the end of the story, most of the inhabitants of Nolan Park are Black elderlies. \

General Winslow is a White elderly man who resides at Nolan Park. He is a retired general who claims to hate birthdays and cakes, and has a habit of putting up the American flag very early in the morning.

Mrs. Sybil Wagner is a White elderly lady who resides at Nolan Park for a brief period of time. She is a retired opera singer.

Queenie’s daughter is the biological daughter of Queenie and Tizzy Weathers.

She helps Queenie to run Nolan Park after Queenie grows old and took over the residential facility after she dies. When Benjamin returns to Nolan Park in his old age, she adopts him into the facility and takes care of him when Daisy is not present.

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She is shown to inherit Tizzy’s calm and reserved composure together with Queenie’s impatience and quick temper.

In one of the Mass that Queenie attends, there is a Protestant Preacher who helps Benjamin to learn how to walk. He is a charismatic Black man with loud booming voice and a large heart. He is a supportive man who takes pleasure in spreading positivity. He dies of heart attack at the end of the Mass.

In the Mass, there are Protestant Nuns present as well. They are Black women who devote their life to God and help the preacher to carry out the Mass.

Together with the Nuns are the Choir members. They are Black man and women who sing during the Mass.

The Church-goers are Black men and women who attend the church service.

They are devout to their belief and supportive of their fellow church goers.

Ngunda Oti is an adventurous, entertaining, and talkative Black man from a pygmy tribe. Though fully grown, he, like the rest of the people from his tribe, has only the height of children. In the past, he was captured and sold to White men to be displayed at a zoo as a cannibal. At the zoo, he was put in the same cage as other monkeys and spent his days playing with them. He had his teeth filed to look fang- like in order to make him look more like a “cannibal”. He was married five times before his capture, but each ended in the unfortunate and accidental deaths of his wife; for example, captured and eaten by cannibals, drowning in a river, and eaten by an alligator. In the story, he takes Benjamin out onto his first outing and teaches him about self-confidence albeit living amidst people who think of him as a freak.

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Although charming, he is quite irresponsible. Since his capture, Oti lives as a wanderer; but, above anything, he longs to return to his tribe and sit by the river that runs near his house. His character was based off of a man named Ota Benga who was captured from his home near the Congo River to be enslaved and displayed at a zoo.

Filamena Gilea is a tall, friendly, and respectful Black woman who has a romantic relationship with Ngunda Oti for a brief period of time.

Grandma Fuller is a White elderly lady who resides at Nolan Park. She is

Daisy Fuller’s proud and strict grandmother.

Daisy Fuller is the main heroine of the film adaptation. She is Benjamin’s best friend and later, his love interest. Daisy is passionate about dancing, is sharp, and is knowledgeable about many things. She grows into a beautiful woman and successful dancer who is very youthful, ambitious, energetic, and talkative, but pleasure-seeking.

She holds a disdain towards Benjamin for a very long time after knowing that he refuses to sleep with her. However, after her career was ruined by a car accident, her liveliness settled down and she eventually returns to New Orleans to live with

Benjamin. Together, they work hard to move on from the past, which she has great difficulty doing, opens a small dancing studio, and has a daughter that they name

Caroline. She marries a man named Robert after Benjamin abandons her and her child. However, she never stops loving Benjamin and continues to take care of him after he was found and returned to Nolan Park until he dies. She never spoke of

Benjamin to her daughter until the last day of her life. She passes away in her 80s after telling Benjamin’s story to Caroline.

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The Piano Woman is a White resident of Nolan Park. She is a sweet and kind lady who never has any visitors, but she befriends Benjamin and becomes one of the most influential people in his life. Her only company is her ageing dog. She teaches

Benjamin how to play the piano. She teaches him a piano piece that he never forgets until dementia takes over him. The name of the piece is “Bethena” by Scott Joplin.

She also teaches Benjamin how to view death differently; that “we are meant to lose the people we love…to know how important they are to us.” She eventually dies one day and her death teaches Benjamin what it means to miss somebody.

Mr. Daws is a White resident of Nolan Park. He was struck by lightning 7 times in his life and survives each of them. The accidents leaves him partially blind and deaf, gives him phantom shaking and twitches, and makes him lose his line of thought often. However, he always regards his accidents with positivity as it reminds him to be thankful to be alive every single day. His character was based off Roy

Cleveland Sullivan, who was actually struck by lightning seven times in his life.

Captain Mike is the captain of the tugboat “Chelsea”. He is a cheerful White

Irish man who has a deep resentment towards his father and his career. He also drowns his spare time in alcohol consumption, women, and giving speeches about youthfulness. Captain Mike never wants to be a tugboat Captain; he wants to be an artist. However, due to the strong opposition and verbal abuse from his father, he takes after his father as a tugboat captain. He never forgets about his dream and becomes his own personal tattoo artist. He is passionate about it and hopes to send his tattooed arm to his father after he dies. He teaches Benjamin to be an independent

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thinker and to make his own decisions. At the end of his life, he also teaches

Benjamin a very important piece of wisdom: “You can be as mad as a mad dog with how things go. You can curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.” Together with the rest of his crew members, he and his tugboat “Chelsea” is drafted into WW2 as salvage and rescue boat. He dies in a submarine attack and terribly regrets that the bullets destroy his most prized possession, the paintings on his body.

The Prostitutes are women of various ethnicities who work at the brothel that

Captain Mike frequents.

Prentiss Mayes is a White man who works as the cook of the tugboat

“Chelsea” and one of Captain Mike’s crew members. He leaves the crew before they are drafted in WW2 in order to meet his ill wife.

Rick Brody is a young burly White man who works as one of the crew members of the tugboat “Chelsea”. He is Vic Brody’s twin brother. Their relation is great when they are at sea but when they are on land, they always fight. Nevertheless, they love each other deeply. He survives the submarine attack and grieves the death of his brother.

Vic Brody is a young burly White man who works as one of the crew members of the tugboat “Chelsea”. He is Rick Brody’s twin brother. Like Rick, he has a great relationship with his brother when they are sea; but the moment they are on land, they always fight. Like Rick, he also loves his brother. Vic perished in the submarine attack.

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John Grimm is a White man who works as one of the members of the tugboat

“Chelsea”. He is notorious for being the most pessimistic crew member. He died in the submarine attack.

Pleasant Curtis is a White man who is also a member of the “Chelsea” crew.

He is known as the crew member who never spoke to anyone but himself. He distrusts all crew members except Benjamin. Before the submarine attack, he asked

Benjamin to send his earnings to his family if he dies in the war. He died during the submarine attack.

When the “Chelsea” crew stayed in Murmansk, Russia, they spent some of their time drinking with local Russians at the Winter Palace’s bar. In one of those times, there was a Russian Interpreter that helped to interpret Captain Mike’s speech about the hummingbird tattoo on his chest to the other Russians inside the bar.

Nothing else is known about him apart that he is a Russian.

Together with the interpreter were other Russians in the bar. Some of them are soldiers of various ranks and some are ordinary citizens.

Chief Gunner Dennis Smith is a patriotic and nationalistic soldier from the navy who was commissioned to accompany the “Chelsea” crew through their service during WW2. He died during the submarine attack. He is a full-blooded Cherokee.

After “Chelsea” sinks to the sea, a large ship called the “Liberty” came to rescue the surviving crew members and retrieve the bodies of those who died. At one point, Benjamin is leaning over the railing of the ship, lost in his thought about how the death of his crew members feels very unnatural to him. At this time, a young

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sailor approaches him to hand the “Chelsea’s” life-ring to him so that he can throw it away to the ocean, back to the sunken tugboat.

Elizabeth Abbott is a lonely and desperate but compassionate White gentlewoman that Benjamin met at the “Winter Palace” in Murmansk, Russia. They eventually had an affair with one another. She is the wife of Sir Walter Abbott, the

Chief Minister of the British Trade Mission and has been disappointed with their marriage. Elizabeth has a lot of regrets in her life because she believes that she has never done anything important with it and continues to let opportunities goes by,

After meeting Benjamin, she confessed that he made her feel younger and more determined. In her old age, she finally realized her goal to swim across the English

Channel. She was awarded as being the oldest woman to have done the feat.

Sir Walter Abbott is the husband of Elizabeth Abbott and the Chief Minister of the British Trade Mission in Murmansk. He is a White British man.

The dance judges are men and women who judge the entrance audition for the

New York American Ballet Company at the time Daisy Fuller auditioned for a position there.

Daisy works as a dancer for the rest of her life. When she was still an actively performing dancer, there were other dancers of various ages and ethnicities that performed, auditioned, and worked together with her. After her accident, she no longer works with them but taught young girls of various ethnicities ballet.

The taxi driver that hits Daisy is a middle aged French man. He was momentarily distracted and did not see Daisy crossing the road. The accident crushed

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Daisy’s leg and subsequently ruined her dancing career as she was no longer able to dance.

Mrs. Van Dam is a physical therapist that helps Daisy to recover from her injury. She is Benjamin’s and Daisy’s next door neighbor at their suburban home.

Caroline is Benjamin’s and Daisy Fuller’s biological daughter. She was born healthy and ages normally. She grew up never knowing who Benjamin was and was upset when she learnt the truth. However, the experience of reading his diary to her dying mother teaches her a lot of wisdom about living and soothes the insecurities and disappointments that she has about herself for not being outstanding and for not having any special talent.

Robert is a widower that Daisy married after Benjamin abandoned her and

Caroline. He is described as being a terrific and adventurous father.

There was one Public Service Officer that appeared in the movie. He is a young man who found the elderly Benjamin living in a derelict house. He returned

Benjamin to Nolan Park after reading that he originated from Nolan Park.

Throughout the story, there were other characters that appear at various times throughout the story. They are the waiters and waitresses who works at the Steak

House that Mr. Thomas Button frequents, bartenders at the pub that Captain Mike frequents, the bartender at the Winter Palace Bar, the French woman who ordered a taxi and went shopping, the French truck driver that blocked the road, the French store clerk who broke up with her boyfriend, the French nurses, patients at the hospital that Daisy was treated at, the Taxi driver that drove Daisy to meet with

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Benjamin at Nolan Park after he was found by the Public Service Officer, and various people in the background. They are all anonymous people of various ethnic backgrounds.

3) The Similarities between the Characters of the Short Story and Film

Adaptation

Of the many characters that are present in both stories, the ones that exist in both the film adapted version and the short story versions are Benjamin Button,

Benjamin’s father, the family physician and his nurses, grandfather, mother,

Benjamin’s romantic interest, the guardian of Benjamin’s romantic interest,

Benjamin’s and his romantic interest’s offspring, members of society, and the narrator. However, their appearance and roles in each version are different from one another.

Benjamin Button in both stories is the main character who is born with the physical traits of an elderly, grows backwards from old to young, develops into a handsome and youthful man who loves to live life, and dies as an infant. In both stories, he has parents, met his father for the first time whilst still inside a crib, fell in love with a woman and had a child together, inherits his parent’s business, and has a somewhat lonely existence.

Benjamin’s father in the short story is Mr. Rogers Button while in the film adaptation; his name is changed to Mr. Thomas Button. In both stories, he rejects his son upon their very first encounter and despises him for a period of time. However, he eventually learns to accept his son and develops a friendly relationship with him.

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There is only one family physician mentioned in the short story version while in the film adaptation there are two. The family physician in the short story is Dr.

Keene while in the film adaptation they are an anonymous doctor who works for the

Buttons and Dr. Rose who practices at Nolan Park. In the short story, Dr. Keene is ashamed of helping the Buttons with Benjamin’s birth, while in the film adaptation, the anonymous doctor who helps with Benjamin’s birth is sympathetic to the Buttons and Benjamin’s condition. One uniting factor that makes them similar to one another is that they are both involved to help with Benjamin’s birth. Dr. Rose does not help with Benjamin’s birth, however, as a physician who practices at Nolan Park for

Queenie and the elderly, his presence can serve as a family physician to the large family of Nolan Park. Dr. Rose checked on Benjamin the night he was found and declared his health condition. Like the family physician working for the Buttons, he is also sympathetic to his condition and to Queenie.

Like the family physician, the nurses in both story helps the Button family with Benjamin’s birth. Also, similarly to the family physicians that they work under, in the short story they are fearful of the Buttons and Benjamin while in the film adaptation they sympathize with the Buttons and Benjamin

In both versions of the story, “grandfather” exists albeit in different forms. In the short story, grandfather is Benjamin’s biological grandfather and the first person

Benjamin was able to befriend and relate with. In the film adaptation, “grandfather” is the concept that Benjamin first became friendly with an elderly character. In the film

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adaptation, it takes the form of the elderlies living at Nolan Park. They are the first people that surround Benjamin’s life and the first people that he was able to befriend.

Like “grandfather”, “mother” also exists in both stories but their existence and roles are approached differently from one another. In the short story, mother is

Benjamin’s biological mother. She is mentioned once in the story and her involvement in his life is unknown. In the film adaptation, two mothers exist:

Benjamin’s biological mother and adopted mother, Queenie. Benjamin’s biological mother passed away shortly after his birth; therefore, she was not able to have any involvement in his life apart from giving birth to him. His adopted mother on the other hand, is very much involved in Benjamin’s life as she raised him since he was a baby. One common factor that is shared between the mother in the short story and the film adaptation is that in both stories, both biological mothers have little involvement with their child’s life.

In both stories, Benjamin has a love interest and had an offspring with her. In the short story, her name is Hildegarde Moncrief. She is an affluent lady who desires a peaceful and settled life. For that reason, she marries Benjamin whose appearance at the time of their meeting has the resemblance of a man in his 50s. Together with him, she bears a son. However, as Benjamin grew younger by the years, she grows resentful of him, and left him in her old age. In the film adaptation, there are two ladies who becomes Benjamin’s love interest: Elizabeth Abbott and Daisy Fuller.

Elizabeth Abbott is a desperate woman in her 40s whom Benjamin met while he was in Murmansk. They had a short affair with one another and did not have a child with

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one another. Daisy Fuller is Benjamin’s childhood friend. She is an ambitious, vivacious, and youthful dancer. She, however, is forced to quit professional dancing due to a car accident that crushes her leg. Daisy Fuller is the romantic interest that

Benjamin has a daughter with. Daisy continues to love Benjamin and cares for him until the day he dies. Between Hildegarde, Elizabeth, and Daisy, only Hildegarde and

Daisy bears similarity with one another. They are both very beautiful and headstrong women, and they both bear a child for Benjamin.

In both versions of the story, Benjamin’s romantic interests have a guardian.

In the short story he is General Moncrief while in the film adaptation she is Grandma

Fuller. Both are proud and strict guardians.

Benjamin’s and his romantic interests’ offspring is different between the two versions of the story. In the short story, their offspring is a boy named Roscoe Button who loathes Benjamin with passion. In the film adaptation, their offspring is a girl named Caroline who grows up never knowing her biological father. Apart from the fact that they both exist, one common factor that is shared between the two offspring is that they are both not very close to their biological father but are close to their mother.

Both members of society in the two versions of the story are made up of judgmental people. In the short story, their judgementalism is explicitly shown through the rumors and gossiping that they do to Benjamin and his family. In the film adaptation, they are implicitly shown through Ngunda Oti’s story of his capture and

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enslavement by White people, and how the children on the bus looks at Oti and

Benjamin when they were on their way to the park.

Both stories are told by a narrator. In the short story, the narrator is only identified by “I” on the first page of the story. In the film adaptation, the narrator is

Benjamin himself through his diary and Daisy Fuller through her memory. All three narrators tell the story by their memory.

4) The Summary to the Differences and Similarities of the Informant:

Characters

The short story is performed by characters from one racial and economic background, and whose characters are predominantly proud, ignorant, and intolerant towards those who are different or considered inferior. They create a cold and heartless social environment. The film adaptation is performed by characters who vary in racial and economic backgrounds, and whose characters are tolerant, kind, and supportive. They create a warm, friendly, and supportive social environment.

ii. The Differences and Similarities of the Setting

1) The Differences of the Setting: The Setting of the Short Story

The short story takes place in several different locations. Most of it occurs in

Baltimore City, Maryland, United States of America; while a few others outside of it.

Events that occur in Baltimore City are events that take place at the Maryland Private

Hospital for Ladies and Gentlemen, The Buttons’ Family Estate, Roger Button & Co.,

Wholesale Hardware, and the kindergartens. Events that occur outside of it are

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Benjamin’s College registration at Yale, Benjamin’s studies at Harvard, Benjamin’s involvement in war at San Juan Hill, and Benjamin’s answer to the drafting of WW1 at Camp Mosby. Yale College is located in New Haven, Connecticut; Harvard

University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Juan Hill is located in Puerto

Rico, and Camp Mosby is located in South Carolina. There are also several locations that were mentioned as the venue of social events, for example the Shevlin’s Country

House; however, the story does not disclose any details regarding its exact position on the world map. Therefore, its exact location is still unknown.

The short story begins in the year 1860, the year when Benjamin is born; and ends after 1928 when he dies.

The short story also takes place in the social environment of the wealthy, affluent, and prudish Upper-Middle Class to the Upper Class Society of Baltimore

City.

2) The Differences of the Setting: The Setting of the Film Adaptation

The Film Adaptation occurs in many different locations in the northern hemisphere. It occurs in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Murmansk, Russia; Paris,

France; New York City, USA; and the Sea. In New Orleans, the specific places that the story occurs in are the grand train station mentioned by Daisy Fuller, the old train station, Mr. Gateau’s Clock Workshop, the Button’s family home, Nolan Park, the makeshift church tent, the harbor beside Mississippi River, the pub that Captain Mike frequents, the brothel that Captain Mike frequents, the Peristyle at the park, the

French Quarter, Delmonico’s Steak House, the Buttons’ Button Button Factory, the

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graveyard, the restaurant that Benjamin and Daisy went to, Lake Pontchartrain, the

Button’s house at Lake Pontchartrain, Benjamin and Daisy’s duplex home at the suburb, a public swimming pool, a sandbox in a playground, Daisy’s dance studio, and Pontchartrain Hotel. In Murmansk, Russia, the specific places where the story occurs in is the harbor of Murmansk, the streets of Murmansk, and the Winter Palace

Hotel; its main lobby, one of its bedroom, its elevator, its main staircase, its small guest kitchen, and its bar. In Paris, France, the specific places where the story occurs in is the theater that Daisy rehearsed in and its changing room, the streets, the shop that the lady who went shopping went to, the back alley where the girl cried, the shopping lady’s apartment, the tardy man’s apartment, the coffee shop that the taxi went to, the hospital lobby, and the hospital room that Daisy is resting in. In New

York City, the specific locations where the story occurs in is in a dance studio where

Daisy auditioned to be a part of the New York City Ballet Company, Majestic

Theater, the Backstage of Majestic Theater, and the loft where Daisy’s performance after-party takes place. On the Sea, the specific location where the story takes place in is the Atlantic Ocean, aboard the tugboat “Chelsea”, and aboard the “Liberty” ship.

The film adaptation of the Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a fictional story that takes place in a location and time that is real. However, it is not an accurate representation of the historical reality. The movie offers a very limited scope on the socio-political situation that occurs in the setting in real life. However, the designed setting still provides a meaningful backdrop to help build the atmosphere of the

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movie; that in a place where all sorts of discrimination exist, there are still people who are not affected by it.

3) The Similarities between the Setting of the Short Story and Film Adaptation

Both the short story and film adapted version of The Curious Case of

Benjamin Button takes place mostly in the United States of America. The short story

befalls mostly in Baltimore City while the film adaptation is in New Orleans. Other

locations outside of America are used as well. In the short story, San Juan Hill is the

only location outside of the States where the story takes place. It is the location of

Benjamin’s involvement in the Spanish American War. In the film adaptation, the

other location where the story occurs is Murmansk, Russia, where Benjamin has an

affair with Elizabeth Abbott; Paris, France, where Benjamin visits Daisy who is

injured from a car accident; and the Sea, where Benjamin works as a tugboat crew

member.

Both stories occur in the past and in a time when racial discrimination still exists. The short story takes place in 1860 until after 1928. The film adaptation takes place in 1918 until the year 2005.

The social environment of both stories includes characters from an upper- middle class economic hierarchy. The short story’s characters are made up predominantly of characters from the upper-middle class to upper class society. The film adaptation’s characters are made up of characters that vary from a low class to upper-middle class economic hierarchy.

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4) The Summary to the Differences and Similarities of the Informant: Setting

The setting of the short story is mostly accessible and enjoyed only to those who are wealthy, “normal”, and from the majority racial background. It creates a challenging and unhealthy environment for the main character, who suffers a unique condition, to live and develop in. The film adaptation’s setting is the opposite to that; thus, creating an environment that is healthy, supportive, and welcoming to the main protagonist who also suffers from a unique birth condition.

2. The Differences and Similarities of the Distributional Function (the Events) a. The Differences of the Distributional Function (the Events) between the

Short Story and the Film Adaptation

With concepts, characters, and setting that differ greatly from one another, the distributional function between the two versions of The Curious Case of Benjamin

Button is different as well. The short story version has less character to carry the plot while the film adaptation has almost thrice as more. Furthermore, these characters have identities and roles that are different from the short story. The same is also true in regards to the locations where the story takes place. As a result, the events occurring in the short story and the film adaptation are automatically different from one another; both the cardinal functions (main events) and the catalyzers (supporting events). These differences can be observed in the transcription of the Narrative

Functions which are located in appendix 1 for the short story and 2 for the film adaptation.

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b. The Similarities between the Distributional Function (the Events) of the

Short Story and Film Adaptation

In order to make this feat simpler, a few codes are devised to refer to the specific events on the Narrative Function Transcription on appendix 1 and 2. The short story transcription will be coded as (SST.) while the film adaptation’s transcription will be coded as (FAT.) Events categorized under the Cardinal Function

(main events) will be coded as (Car.F,) while events categorized under the Catalyzer

(supporting events) will be coded as (Car.F.Cat.) The Catalyzers are categorized under the Cardinal Function because finding it through the Cardinal Function that it corresponds to is far easier to do that to look for it individually. The specific events will be referred using numbers which will correspond directly to the number the event is ordered in the transcription. For example, when referring to the short story’s

Cardinal Function number 4, the code will be (SST.Car.F.4), while when referring to the film adaptation’s Catalyzer which corresponds to Cardinal Function number 9, the code will be (FAT.Car.F.Cat.9).

There are 18 similarities between the Distributional Function of the short story and film adaptation. These are the events that are similar to one another:

(SST.Car.F.11) and (FAT.Car.F.4), (SST.Car.F.2) and (FAT.Car.F.20), (SST.Car.F.4) and (FAT.Car.F.24), (SST.Car.F.5) and (FAT.Car.F.28) and (FAT.Car.F.37),

(SST.Car.F.7), (SST.Car.F.8), (SST.Car.F.9) and (FAT.Car.F.49), (SST.Car.F.10) and (FAT.Car.F.54), (SST.Car.F.11) and (FAT.Car.F.56), (SST.Car.F.Cat.1) and

(FAT.Car.F.Cat.57), (SST.Car.F.Cat.1) and (FAT.Car.F.Cat.4), (SST.Car.F.Cat.1)

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and (FAT.Car.F.Cat.4), (SST.Car.F.Cat.2), (SST.Car.F.Cat.4) and

(FAT.Car.F.Cat.21) and (FAT.Car.F.Cat.22), (SST.Car.F.Cat.8) and (FAT.Car.F.39),

(SST.Car.F.Cat.8) and (FAT.Car.F.31) and (FAT.Car.F.33-34), (SST.Car.F.Cat.9), and (SST,Car.F.Cat.11) and (FAT.Car.F.52-54,56).

(SST.Car.F.1) describes that “a baby is rejected by his father.” (FAT.Car.F.4) describes that “after the war ends, a baby boy was born but his appearance was very old and wrinkled. The baby’s father was horrified and abandoned him on the back porch of a house.” Both events tell that a father rejects his own baby. The method of carrying out this action is different between each version, but one idea that still remains is that both are rejected by their father. In the short story version, Benjamin, the newborn elderly, was rejected by his father, Mr. Rogers Button, and the rest of his family emotionally due to his peculiarity. They considered his condition shameful.

However, he was still accepted as a part of the Button family until he dies although their relationship with one another is far from good. No one in his family ever regretted how terribly they have always treated him. In the film adapted version,

Benjamin, the newborn baby with an old appearance, was actually abandoned by his father, Mr. Thomas Button. He considered Benjamin a monster. The rest of his biological family was not present in the movie, except for his biological mother who died very shortly after his birth. Therefore, it is unknown what their reaction towards

Benjamin would be. However, Benjamin’s biological father regretted his action for the rest of his life and tried to make amends with Benjamin by befriending him.

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(SST.Car.F.2) tells the event “the old son discovers that he grows, although backwards.” (SAT.Car.F.20) tells the event “the boy, now hitting puberty and is now a teenage boy, discovered that he is growing backwards, from being old to being young.” In both versions, Benjamin discovered that he is growing, although backwards. In the short story, Benjamin discovered that with the passing of the days, he was able to stand straighter, have darker hair, and firmer skin. It is untold at what occasion he discovered this specifically. In the film adaptation, Benjamin discovered that he grows backwards after finding out that he is growing hair in different areas of the body and that he grows stronger every day. All this he realized while he was bathing.

(SST.Car.F.4) tells the event “the old son made friends with his antagonizing father.” (FAT.Car.F.24) tells the event “the teenage boy tasted his first alcoholic drink.” In this sequence, the main idea that is shared between the two events is that

Benjamin’s father finally becomes friendly towards Benjamin. In the short story version, this event occurs after Benjamin was hired by his own father to work at his company. Due to the nature of their working relationship, they were able to become closer to one another and grew to enjoy each other’s company. In the film adaptation, this event occurs after Benjamin has his first experience in a brothel. He was invited by Mr. Thomas Button to have a drink together. Benjamin did not know at this time that Mr. Thomas Button was his biological father, nor did Mr. Thomas Button mention it to him yet. However, from this moment on they began to see each other more often and became friends.

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(SST.Car.F.5) tells the event “the son found romance.” (FAT.Car.F.28) tells the event “the young man fell in love for the first time.” (FAT.Car.F.37) tells the event “the young man fell in love with his childhood friend.” In this sequence, the idea that is shared between the two versions is that Benjamin found someone to love.

In the short story, it happened once throughout the entire story. He went into a dance party with his father and met with a beautiful lady. Her name is Hildegarde Moncrief, the daughter of General Moncrief. In the film adaptation, it happened twice. The first one, (FAT.Car.F.28), occurred when Benjamin was staying in Murmansk. There, he met with Elizabeth Abbott, a lonely lady with plain beauty who is married to Sir.

Walter Abbott, the Chief Minister of the British Trade Mission in Murmansk. The second one, (FAT.Car.F.37), occurred after he return home from his involvement in

WW2. After returning home, he met with his childhood friend, Daisy Fuller who has grown into a beautiful young woman. He was attracted to her and fell in love with her.

(SST.Car.F.7) tells the event “the son is finally accepted by society.” In this sequence, the idea that is shared between the two versions of the story is that he was accepted by society. However, its manifestation within each version is different from one another. In the short story, this idea occurred only after Benjamin has proven himself more than capable to develop his father’s business into a much larger success than it has ever been. Since then, the society was more accepting of him. In the film adaptation, this idea has always been present since the beginning of the story. All background characters, since the beginning of the film –the family doctor, family

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maids, the elderlies residing at Nolan Park, his crew members, and the various people that he met– has never discriminated against him in any way for the unique way that he ages. They have always been supportive, respectful, and kind towards him.

(SST.Car.F.8) tells the event “the son discovered that he continues to grow younger.” In this sequence, both Benjamin in each story version discovers that he continues to grow younger and younger. In the short story, this idea occurs after

Benjamin returns from his involvement in the Spanish-American War at San Juan

Hill. He returned home and went to his bedroom. There, he saw his reflection and noticed that he had grown younger than the last time he saw himself. In the film adaptation, Benjamin was always fully conscious that he will continue to keep growing younger ever since he discovered his ageing process.

(SST.Car.F.9) tells the event that “the son abandoned his wife.”

(FAT.Car.F.49) tells the event “the middle aged man abandoned his family.” In both versions, Benjamin abandoned his family. In the short story, Benjamin abandoned his wife due to the direction of his psychological growth and his boredom towards his ageing wife. Benjamin in the short story ages backwards psychologically as well. He grows from having the psychology of an old man into a younger one. As a result, he grew more interested in youthful frivolities as time passes. His ageing wife, who has settled in life no longer interest him. In the film adaptation, Benjamin abandoned

Daisy and his daughter, Caroline, due to his fear of burdening them with his backwards growth. He is afraid that he will not be a good father, causes his child to become bullied, and give more burdens to Daisy. He sold his Pontchartrain House

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and the Button’s Button Company in order to leave behind money for them to live on.

He left with only the clothes on his back and his motorcycle.

(SST.Car.F.10) tells the event “the son is entering his old age and experiences the troubles of his own old age; losing his memories and abilities.” (FAT.Car.F.54) tells the event “the old man degenerated.” In both versions, both Benjamin degenerated more or less in the same way. They lost their ability to remember things, their motor skills, their speech, and the things that they used to find interest in the past. The differentiating factor between the two Benjamin’s degeneration is that in the short story, he developed the psychological, motor, and cognitive ability of a child as he becomes a toddler himself; while in the film adaptation, he did so because he developed dementia as he regressed into an infant.

(SST.Car.F.11) tells the event “the son dies.” (FAT.Car.F.56) tells the event

“the old man died peacefully.” In both stories, Benjamin died after he developed into a baby. In the short story, Benjamin died while being taken care of by Nana, a babysitter that Roscoe Button hired to care for him. He was not surrounded by his family members as they view him as a nuisance and a shameful existence. He died alone and without the love of his family. In the film adaptation, Benjamin died in the arms of his life-long lover, Daisy Fuller. He died with love after the backwards moving clock at the train station was replaced by a forward moving digital clock.

(SST.Car.F.Cat.1) tells the event “a narrator introduces the setting and the story.” (FAT.Car.F.Cat.57) tells the event “the childhood friend has grown very old, is dying, and … asked her daughter to take a diary from her old suitcase and asked

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her to read it. In between her daughter’s reading, the childhood friend also shared her memory.” This sequence shows that both stories are introduced by a narrator. The short story is introduced by an unnamed and unknown narrator that identified only by

“I” at the beginning. The film adaptation is introduced by Daisy Fuller through her memory and a little later, Benjamin himself through his diary.

(SST.Car.F.Cat.1) tells the event “the father met a doctor and his nurses to ask about his baby.” (FAT.Car.F.Cat.4) tells the event “the man walked to his wife’s side.

Inside her bedroom, a doctor and his nurses, the man’s servants, a few nuns, and the priest were present.” In both versions, Benjamin’s father hurried to meet the doctor and nurses to inquire about his baby. In the short story, Mr. Rogers Button met the doctor and his nurses in the hospital where Benjamin was born. The mother was not mentioned. In the film adaptation, Mr. Thomas Button met the doctor and the nurses in his own residence, outside of his bedroom. Inside, his wife lay dying and a priest together with a few nuns was present to pray for her.

(SST.Car.F.Cat.1) tells the event “the father saw his son inside a crib.” (FAT.

Car.F.Cat.4) tells the event “the man then walked towards a crib and took a look at his baby.” In both versions, what occur in this situation is that Benjamin’s father met

Benjamin for the first time. In the short story, what Mr. Rogers Button met was an old man sitting inside a crib with his legs and arms hanging from the crib’s railing. In the film adaptation, what Mr. Thomas Button met was a baby bundled up inside a crib, but the baby has the shriveled skin and eyes of an elderly.

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(SST.Car.F.Cat.2) tells the event “the son eventually made friends with his grandfather due to their common interest and love of comfort.” One shared idea between the short story and the film adaptation in this sequence is that Benjamin was able to socialize and make friends first with the elderlies. In the short story, friendship first occurred with his grandfather due to their common interest in peaceful living. In the film adaptation, it occurred with the elderly residents of Nolan Park because they are the first people whom he is surrounded with and whom he is able to relate with in terms of physical appearance.

(SST.Car.F.Cat.4) tells the event “when he was of age to work, the son was given a position to work alongside his father in his family’s business.”

(FAT.Car.F.Cat.21) tells the event “a man walked out from one of the tugboats. He offered a job on the boat to anyone who is willing to work for one day and he is willing to pay a small sum of money for it. The boy volunteered.”

(FAT.Car.F.Cat.22) tells the event “on the boat, the Captain, asked for someone to clean the deck from bird droppings. The teenage boy willingly volunteered and scrubbed the deck clean.” The shared idea that exists in both versions for this sequence is that Benjamin receives his first working experience. In the short story, his first working experience is with his father. He was hired by his own father to work in his company. In the film adaptation, his first working experience is with Captain

Mike on his tugboat as a crew member.

(SST.Car.F.Cat.8) tells the event “the father gave the son the leadership position and rights of his company.” (FAT.Car.F.39) tells the event “the young man

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learnt the truth about his biological father and family.” His biological father apologized for having abandoned him and for not being honest with him. The shared idea that exists in both versions for this sequence is that Benjamin inherited the rights and ownership of his father’s business. In the short story, his father handed the ownership and right of his company to Benjamin when he was ready to retire. In the film adaptation, it happened much more emotionally. Mr. Thomas Button was dying and decided that it was the right time to tell the truth about Benjamin’s identity.

Along the way, he told Benjamin that he wills or his estates, company, and factory to be taken over by Benjamin after he died.

(SST.Car.F.Cat.8) tells the event “the son enlisted in a war.” (FAT.Car.F.31) tells the event that the young man went to war with his tugboat team. (FAT.Car.F.33-

34) tells the event that during the tugboat crew’s involvement in the war, the tugboat was attacked by a submarine and everyone, except the young man and another crew member, died. The shared idea that exists in both versions is that Benjamin went to war and returned. In the short story, Benjamin enlisted in the Spanish American War and was commissioned to serve at San Juan Hill. He enlisted as a captain and later went up the rank to lieutenant colonel after receiving a light injury during a battle. In the film adaptation, Benjamin and the Chelsea crew was drafted into WW2 as a rescue and salvage crew. All was well until a submarine attacked their tugboat. The attack killed all the crew and Captain, except for Rick Brody and him. Afterwards, he went back home to New Orleans.

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(SST.Car.F.Cat.9) tells the event “the son further indulges in youthful frivolity.” The shared idea that exists in both versions is that in his old age, when he has the appearance of a young man. Benjamin lived the life of a young man, a youthful life. In the short story, he relishes on extravagant parties, frivolous outings, and vigorous sports. In the film adaptation, he travelled around the world working as a laborer while learning about life and living in many different cultures and environments.

(SST.Car.F.Cat.11) tells the event “the son was taken home to be cared for by his nurse, Nana, until he grows into an infant and dies.” (FAT.Car.F.52-54, and 56) tells the event that the old man was taken care of by his childhood friend until the day he dies. The shared idea that exists in both versions for this sequence is that Benjamin died while being taken care of by someone. In the short story, he was taken care of by

Nana the babysitter but died alone and unloved by his family. In the film adaptation, he was taken care of by Daisy Fuller and died being surrounded by love. c) The Summary to the Differences and Similarities of the Distributional

Function (the Events)

The events of the short story are much fewer and less detailed than the film adaptation’s. Most of the events in the film adaptation cannot be found in the short story version; however, the two versions still share some events albeit presented differently in each version. Thus, the short story and film adaptation develop very differently from one another but maintain a strong intertextual tie.

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C. The Differences and Similarities between the Two Versions of The Curious

Case of Benjamin Button’s Effect Upon the Development of Their Respective

Intrinsic Elements

With the narrative functions of the two versions of The Curious Case of

Benjamin Button transcribed to their smallest elements in events and details, and then compared and contrasted with one another, the whole story is laid bare. This makes analyzing the stories and seeing how differently they develop much easier. The relationship between the elements of narrative function (cardinal function, catalyzer, indices proper, and informant) to intrinsic elements is akin to a jigsaw puzzle piece and the picture that is held after the completion of the puzzle. The narrative function is the jigsaw piece, the story is the completed jigsaw puzzle, and the picture is the intrinsic elements. Without completing the jigsaw puzzle, one cannot see the whole picture and cannot analyze the picture. So, to fully analyze and understand the picture of a jigsaw puzzle, one needs to know and understand which puzzle piece holds a certain part of the picture

1. The Plot

Due to the large differences that exist between the two stories, their plot develops differently. There are events that do not exist in one another, and the ones that do are not arranged in the same positions. As a result, the conflicts of the two stories differ as well.

The short story has three different conflicts: man versus nature, man versus man, and man versus society. Man versus nature is faced by the main protagonist

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against the abnormal nature of his growth. Many problems have risen due to this; however, the main protagonist has no power to change it. Man versus man is the struggle that the main character has against other characters in the tory; most notably, his father, Rogers Button, who holds a disdain towards him since his birth; his father in law, General Moncrief, who disagrees with his marriage with his daughter; his wife, Hildegarde Moncrief, who despises him for his “selfish” inability to grow normally; his son, Roscoe Button, who sees Benjamin as a source of humiliation to his reputation; and Mr. Hart who charades him with insult in ignorance. Man versus society is the main protagonist’s struggle against the judgmental society of Baltimore

City. The most prime examples of this is Benjamin’s rejection by the Yale College students and staff and the society’s gossips and opposition to his marriage with

Hildegarde.

The film adaptation has three different kinds of conflicts: man versus nature, man versus self, and man versus man. Man versus nature is the main protagonist’s inability and lack of power to control the nature of his growth. Man versus self is the personal struggle that both the main protagonist and the minor characters face with themselves. For the main protagonist, it was the sadness that he feels towards his birth condition and how it affects his life. One example of this phenomenon was after the birth of his daughter, Caroline. Burdened by his anxiety and fear for failing as a father due to his condition, he abandoned her and Daisy. For the rest of his life, he was filled with sadness and regret. The minor characters also faced this conflict. It was faced by Mr. Thomas Button who had to face his guilt and regret for abandoning

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Benjamin in the past. It was faced by Elizabeth Abbott who feels regretful for always letting opportunities slide. It was faced by Daisy Fuller who was depressed after losing her career. It was also faced by Caroline who feel anxious and worthless for not having any special talent to be proud of. Man versus man is the struggle faced by the minor characters against other people in their lives; for example, Captain Mike against his father, the war, and Ngunda Oti against his captors.

If any similarity is to be found between the plots of the two stories, it is in their structure. Both stories follow the same monotonous plot structure that consists only of an introduction and a steady fall into the falling action.

2. Characters

The characters of the short story and the film adaptation have developed very differently from one another. To satisfy the design of their plot, the film adaptation is developed to have more characters while the short story has fewer. Characters that are present in the short story are designed differently as well.

From the comparing and contrasting of the informants in the previous section, the stark effect that the design of the characters have upon the stories are the character’s motivation and traits. The characters of the short story are motivated by pride, social reputation, pleasure, and wealth. They are more rigid, proud, judgmental, discriminating, and shallow. On the other hand, the characters of the film adaptation are motivated by compassion and respect towards one another. They are kinder, more loving, more accepting, more tolerant, and more multicultural.

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The summary of the traits and motivation of the short story’s characters creates a cold, heartless, vain, and discriminating social environment; while the film adaptation’s creates a warmer, more tolerant, friendly, and hopeful social environment.

3. Setting

The short story takes place from 1860 to after 1928. It is a time when racial discrimination and class prejudice is high, and in a location inhabited by the wealthy and the upper social hierarchy. This environment is a challenging environment to live in for the main protagonist as someone who is different. In this environment, the main protagonist continuously faces rejection and judgments from his peers, society, and even family members from the day he was born until the day he dies.

The film adaptation takes place between pre-World War I era until the year

2005. The location mostly takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana. The film focuses to create a setting where multicultural and cross-economic interaction is possible on friendly terms even early on in the film, where realistically racial segregation should be what occurs. This creates a friendly, tolerant, welcoming, warm, and compassionate environment for the main protagonist to live in. In this environment, he is more accepted and celebrated by the people around him.

4. Point of View

The short story is written in a third person limited omniscient point of view by an unidentified narrator who seems to have a lot of insights into the life of the main protagonist. It is unknown what the relationship of the narrator is to the main

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protagonist and it is unknown how the story came to be in the knowledge of the narrator. The effect that this has towards the story is that it gives a sense of wonder to the readers regarding his/her identity, what connection s/he has with the story, how s/he came to know the story, and whether or not the story is credible and authentic.

The narrator did write on the first paragraph of the story that s/he places the reader’s trust to judge whether or not they believe in the story. This gives an impression of

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button being somewhat of a sensational story to ponder about.

The film adaptation is told from the point of view of the characters themselves. It is told mostly in the first person point of view, the main protagonist’s through what he wrote in his diary. It is also told in the second person point of view,

Daisy Fuller’s through her memories of the main protagonist. The two narrators are very much involved in each other’s lives and they both have a large role in the story.

Their testimonies serve as the primary and secondary source of information to the main protagonist’s life. In addition to that, the involvement of Caroline in reading the diary, Benjamin’s and Daisy’s biological daughter, serves as a living proof to the credibility of Benjamin’s life story. This choice of narrators makes the film adaptation not only more credible, but also more heartfelt and relatable.

5. Style

The short story and the film adaptation are presented in two very different styles. One is written and the other is visual. The short story is written into an eleven chapter short satirical memoir. It applies the usage of passive and indirect voice,

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exaggerated adjectives, and grand choice of vocabularies. The story itself is written with very few details covering its characters, events, and setting; thus, making the imageries formed of it to be quite general. However, the choice of vocabularies and language style used helps to further solidify the imagery that is formed by the few details. The language style and vocabulary choices help to illustrate the wealthy, glamorous, and gentile setting and characters of the story, as well as its atmosphere and tone.

The film adaptation is told as a tragic and romantic memoir. It is presented in a series of moving pictures that is audible. As a result, the experience of watching the film is more real. To discuss the style of the film adaptation, the discussion will be divided among the four cinematic codes; visual, linguistic, sound, and cultural.

Visually, the film sets and visuals are dominated by warm colors and soft texture which evoke the feeling of comfort and nostalgia. Linguistically, it applies the usage of active and direct voice, and vocabulary choices that are informal and casual but mostly polite. The sound codes are dominated by sound effects that are soft and pleasant to hear, and soundtracks that are somber, joyful, pleasant, and occasionally sentimental. The most prominent of these records is “Bethena” by Scott Joplin, which was written after the death of his wife. The choice of the record’s usage was reviewed by Marc Silver to have perfectly illustrated the recurring “love lost” events that happened in the film (Silver, 2008: para 2). Many of the characters in the film have lost something precious to them or have problems that they find difficulty moving on from. The record functions like a tribute to them. Culturally, the film tried its best to

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illustrate the setting by its usage of age appropriate costumes and properties. It also plays popular musical records appropriate to the time setting of the scene it is displayed in; for example, the Beatles was playing in a scene that occurs in the 60s, and Jazz was playing in many of the scenes prior to 1950s. It also tries to give a glimpse on the reality of racism prior to the civil rights movement by showing a scene where racial segregation takes place inside a bus. However, the film tries to emphasize more on peacefulness and the joy of multicultural interaction that racism never made its prominence in the film.

6. Tone and Atmosphere or Mood

As a satire written to tell the life story of an abnormal man living between

1860 and 1928, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was written, as was previously told in Style, with the usage of passive and indirect voice, exaggerated adjectives, and grand vocabularies. The choice of language style used provides an illustration and a reflection of the kind of society and setting that the story is set up in. The societal setting is that of the wealthy and upper class hierarchy, who are known to be polite, rigid, places a high importance on reputations, and judgmental. The narrator also uses a sardonic sense of humor to tell the story. Combined, these aspects set the story up to have a bittersweet and sensational tone; and a cold, pitiful, and bittersweet atmosphere.

The film adaptation takes The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as a tragedy than it is a satire. The application of warm and soft visuals; and somber, pleasant, joyful, and occasionally sentimental soundtracks radiates the filmmaker’s desire to

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deliver the feeling of comfort, warmth, and nostalgia to their audience. The story’s high emphasis on kindness, compassion, and positive support against the bitterness that each of the characters are facing also adds a sentimental touch to the feelings of the film, as felt by the audience and intended by the filmmakers. Combined, this film has a sympathetic and bittersweet tone, and atmosphere that is bittersweet, emotional, nostalgic, and warm.

7. Symbolism

There is no symbolism in the short story, but there are three very important symbolisms presented in the film. The first and second is the backwards moving clock that Mr. Gateau created and the third is the hummingbird.

The backwards moving clock is used to symbolize two things. The first is

Benjamin’s life and purpose. The clock was created backwards as a result of its creator grief and hope for the young men who were killed in World War I, most especially his son, to return and live long full lives. Afterwards, he disappeared from public’s view. Benjamin was born shortly after the grand clock was mounted.

Throughout his life, he met people who have gone through bad experiences. He learnt from them and in turns helps them to let go and move on from their problems so that they can live life fully, just as the creator of the clock wished for his son and the young men. For example, he helped Elizabeth Abbott realize that “as long as you can do the work, age does not matter” and awakens her to fulfill her dream; he helped Mr.

Thomas Button forgive his past regrets and guilt for abandoning Benjamin; he helped

Daisy Fuller to accept her condition and move on from her grief after losing her

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dance career; and even in death, he helped his daughter Caroline to become confident with herself through his diary. After the clock was replaced, Benjamin dies.

Afterwards, the clock was left discarded in the back room where it was drowned by an oncoming hurricane flood.

The second thing that the clock symbolizes is life problems that need to be discarded. The clock was designed to be grand but moves backwards. In practicality, although it is beautiful, the clock is not at all helpful for any purpose. Furthermore, it is born out of its creator’s grief. This is identical to all the problems that were faced by the characters in the movie. Their internal problems are so grand that they serve absolutely no purpose apart from holding the characters back. However like the clock that was discarded after its dismounting, once those problems are passed it no longer become a hindrance and its bearers move on, never to look at it again.

The hummingbird is used to symbolize youthfulness. Youthfulness is the trait of being young; to have determination, vitality, goal, and passion. The hummingbird first appeared as a tattoo on Captain Mike’s chest. Then, it appears from the floating life-ring of the sunken tugboat “Chelsea”, and beside the window of Daisy Fuller’s death bed in the hospital after she said her final words “Goodnight Benjamin”. The hummingbird is a bird that is full of life for it has a rapidly beating heart. If the heart stops beating, the bird would die in 10 seconds. The hummingbird wings also flies in a horizontal figure 8 pattern, which is the symbol for infinity. It is important to note that the hummingbird was associated with Captain Mike, Daisy Fuller, and Benjamin.

These three characters are characters who are very full of life and is determined to

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always live it to the fullest as well as they are able. All of these aspects combine to point the hummingbird as the symbol of youthfulness.

8. Theme

The combination of all these discussions becomes the theme of the story.

Even though it is slightly different, the movie adaptation and the short story share a similar theme which stems from the basic idea of living life. The short story approaches this in a more negative manner, while the film adaptation more positive.

Fitzgerald wrote The Curious Case of Benjamin as a response to Mark Twain’s remark “it is a pity that the best part of life is always at the beginning while the worst is at the end.” Through this story, Fitzgerald experimented on the character Benjamin to reflect whether or not Twain’s remark is true and agreeable, and whether or not it would differ if Benjamin were to age backwards. Based on this idea alone, Benjamin, who ages backwards, would have had the worst part of his life at the beginning of his life. However, in the story, Fitzgerald wrote that Benjamin experienced terrible things all throughout his life. He faces rejection from his birth until his death. The worst part of his life came at the beginning and end, while the best, which by no means is anywhere near perfect, came in the middle. From that alone, Twain’s remark is debunked.

Furthermore, the theme of the short story is more specific than the broad term of living life. The short story is created with a main character that lives in a toxic environment where people are divided by their social status and has a strong obsession to having good reputation. People who are wealthily distinguished desire

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their image to be perfect. Due to his condition, the main character of the short story is ostracized by his family members with the fear of causing scandals and is negatively judged by his peers and society. He tried to live, triumph, and enjoy his life as best as he can; however, he is still burdened with sadness and loneliness from the rejection and lack of empathy he faces. This gives the short story a cold, pitiful, and bitter outlook about life. These factors reveal that the main theme of the short story is social injustice towards the abnormal and that the abnormal will never fit in.

This theme perfectly debunks Mark Twain’s remark. Furthermore, Benjamin is not the only existence that faces problems. All through their life, the minor characters also faces troubles of their own. This exemplifies, in extreme measure, that all through life problems always exist.

The film adaptation negates this theme. Benjamin from the film adaptation accepts his condition as a part of who he is, and accepts that he will have to live and experience life differently. By doing so, he is able to solve his, otherwise, untreatable problem. Although he was rejected by his own father at the beginning of the film, he finds acceptance and long term company in a multicultural setting. Benjamin grew up in a healthy and supportive environment. As he grew, his hard work and good nature earned him the trust and friendship of others. From the time he spent with them, he learnt to have the confidence and determination to live his life to the fullest. He, rather than lamenting about his problem, chose to find a solution and move on, and committed himself to helping people who are born ‘normal’ to overcome their own problems so that they can live a full life. This fact concludes that the movie

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adaptation has a more positive outlook on life. This also reveals the theme of the film adaptation: everyone is equal and unique, and can live their life to the fullest with the right attitude. This theme negates the short story’s theme which believes that people who cannot fit into their own niche will never be able to fully experience and enjoy life. However, the film adaptation shows the stark contrast between Benjamin who lives freely and does not let his condition to hinder his life, against other characters that are born normal but has problems which hold back their life.

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CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

A story is a design of events carried through by its characters, and a film adaptation is both the vehicle and product of a source text’s reproduction towards a new audience (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007: 448). The relationship that exists between the adaptation and its source text is intermedial and intertextual. Film adaptation arises as a product to cultural evolution and the progression of film technology (Zepetnek, 1998: 252). With the development of video cameras, filmmakers look for ideas to film. One of these ideas is to portray an existing literary work in a motion picture form. Overtime, film, which rises from being inspired by literature, began to inspire the creation of new literary works. However, watching film adaptations does not necessarily make its audience want to read its source text, nor does reading a book make a reader wants to watch its adaptation. (Alqadi, 2015:

42-47). It all depends on that audience or reader’s personal taste and interest.

However, it does introduce them to the story that it portrays (Bortolotti and

Hutcheon, 2007:447-448).

There are many reasons to why film adaptations are created in the first place.

From the point of view of filmmakers, a few of the reasons are to express a filmmaker’s appreciation towards a literary work, the desire to present an existing story visually, to express a filmmaker’s original spin on a pre-existing literary work, and to create a statement befitting the situation of the environment that an adaptation

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is published into. From the point of view of the audience, one of the reasons is that audiences are filled with curiosity. Often after reading a book, a reader becomes curious about how the story would look like on film. Some readers are interested to see how the directors would create it, and some readers are seeking to confirm their imagination of the story. Other reasons include using film adaptation as a medium of introduction to a story that was not known before and the curiosity to how a particular actor or actress portrays a character of a story. (Alqadi, 2015: 42-43; Stam, 2005: 18-

24)

Adapting a source text to film takes many different steps, the contribution of hundreds of people, no small amount of budget, and the use of a very high technology. It cannot be done alone as adapting a source text into a film is a very complicated technical task. The complications include building a fictional world onto the set and screen as directed by the guidelines of the film-script, ensuring the health and harmony of everyone involved in the filmmaking, and ensuring that all technologies needed function properly. The adaptation process begins first and foremost with the filmmaker who wishes to adapt the story. It can be the scriptwriter, the director, any crew member, or all of them, to discuss what kind of adaptation they will make out of a source text. Then, the scriptwriter must break down the source text into the events and details) they wish to work with, and transform them into a film script using their imagination and ideas. After the script is done, the crew, artists, set, costumes, actors, musicians, editors, and other necessities are prepared accordingly.

Afterwards, the filming process is carried out by the filming crew. The recorded shots

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are then pieced together, edited, embellished with soundtracks and sound and special effects, and reviewed before being published. (Stam, 2005: 16-17)

Despite of the effort required to make a film adaptation and its popularity as a storytelling medium, audience, critics, and scholars alike measure a film adaptation success by its accuracy to its source text. However, such method is improper. Linda

Hutcheon proposed that a film adaptation’s success should be measured by how able it is to reach its own goal. Filmmakers create film adaptations with goals of their own. These goals may be replicating a source text in motion picture form, adding their own original elements into an existing story, creating a different story altogether, earning a box office success, to make a statement, etc. Whatever these goals may be, the success of film adaptation should be measured by the goal that the filmmakers set when creating the adaptation. (Bortolotti and Hutcheon, 2007:450-

453)

Albeit metamorphosing a story into a different form, the purpose of film adaptation remains at large similar, that is, to tell an information or a story. The

Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a narrative which has undergone a visual realization and transformation that makes it more relatable to audiences in the 21st century. By the classifications of adaptation stated by Geoffrey Wagner, the film adaptation develops into a commentative adaptation.

Through this comparative analysis, it is observed how such feat was done.

The original, which by itself does not contain enough details for any specific imagery

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to be produced on film, underwent massive changes that enable it to do so. A thorough transcription of the two different story’s narrative function can be found in appendix 1 and 2. These narrative function transcriptions reveals that each story versions starkly contrast the other, while at the same time exposes some intertextual similarities. Chapter 4 discusses these contrast and comparisons in greater detail.

The short story version of The Curious case of Benjamin Button has fewer events and characters than its film adaptation. The events, or the cardinal function and catalyzers, are designed to tell the story of relentless social injustice that occurs to an individual who ages backwards. The details, or the indices proper and informants, reveals that the story takes place in Baltimore City and occurs between the 19th and

20th century. The characters of this version are designed to accommodate the design of the events: they are designed especially to be unsympathetic to the main character’s plight. The main protagonist, Benjamin Button, desires to live a normal life but was unable to due to constant mockery and rejection from his family and society for his differences. All throughout his life, no one has accepted him for what he is and he has to constantly deal with disappointment, sadness, and loneliness. As a result, the short story developed toxic setting and characters, and a cold and bittersweet plot, atmosphere, tone, and theme.

The film adaptation on the other hand has gained far more events and characters from its source text. The events, the cardinal function and catalyzers, tell the story of various characters in overcoming their internal problems and the

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involvement of the main protagonist, Benjamin Button, in their lives. The details, or the indices proper and informants, reveals that the story takes place in various cities around the world between the 20th and 21st century. The characters of the film adapted version are designed to be sympathetic, accepting of, and able to live mutually with the main protagonist. Here, the main protagonist also desires to live a normal life. However, his own self rejection disabled him from committing to many important life events. As a result, he is engulfed by sadness, regret, and loneliness in the later part of his life. Despite of this, the other characters are very welcoming of

Benjamin and readily help him whenever he needs them. There is not one single character that rejects him and his difference. As a result, the film adaptation developed a healthy setting and loving characters. It also develops a warm albeit bittersweet plot, atmosphere, tone, and theme.

Despite of these differences, basic similarities exist at an intertextual level.

Many events and characters of the film adaptation are built from the concept available in the short story. Although not many, it aids significantly in the unique development of each story’s respective intrinsic elements.

This undergraduate thesis is no doubt imperfect in many levels as it is quite general. It can be further studied in much greater specificity and details; for example, through the approach of culture, stylistics, psychoanalysis, and even objectively to the stories itself. Further studies in film studies can also be done to study the film’s

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signifying cinematic codes and its effects upon the development of the film’s narrative.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abrams, Meyer Howard (1971). “Orientation of Critical Theories” in Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Pp. 25-28.

Abrams, Meyer Howard (1999). A Glossary of Literary Terms (7th ed). Massachusetts. Heinle&Heinle.

Alqadi, Khalid, Dr (2005). “Literature and Cinema”. International Journal of Language and Literature. Vol. 3 No. 1: Pp. 42-48.

Anushiravani, Alireza and Alinezhadi, Ehsan (2016). “An Analyctical Study of 2013 Cinematic Adaptation of The Great Gatsby”. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences. Vol.68. SciPress Ltd. Switzerland. 2016. Pp.73-85. Battaglia, Soheila. Explanation on Theme in Literature for Students. Retrieved from https://education.seattlepi.com/explanation-theme-literature-students- 1555.html (on 31 August 2018).

Borbély, Julianna. (2009) “Jane Austen Adapted – Recreated Stories: Changes in the Latest Two Adaptations of Sense and Sensibility” in Language, Literature, and Culture in a Changing Transatlantic World. Eds. M. Ferenčík & J. Horváth. Pp. 8-16. Bortolotti, Gary R. and Hutcheon, Linda. (2007). “On the Origin of Adaptations: Rethinking Fidelity Discourse and “Success” – Biologically”. New Literary History. Pp. 443-458.

Dir. David Fincher. (2008). The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Perf. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Taraji P. Henson, and Tilda Swinton. Warner Bros.. DVD. Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. (1922). “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” in Tales of the Jazz Age. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/

Hutcheon, Linda. (2003). “From Page To Stage To Screen: The Age of Adaptation”. Toronto. University of Toronto.

Roth, Eric. (2006). The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Film Script

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Russnow, Michael. (2009, September 1). The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Unusual, Sometimes Preposterous and That’s What Makes it so Effective. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael- russnow/curious-case-of-benjamin_b_149811.html

McFarlane, Brian. (1996). Novel to Film: An Introduction to the Theory of Adaptation. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Silver, Marc. (2008). Joplin’s ‘Bethena’ Sounds New As It Is Old. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98327739

Stam, Robert. (2000). Beyond Fidelity: “The Dialogics of Adaptation” in Film Adaptation. Ed. James Naremore. Pp. 54-76.

Stam, Robert. (2005). “Introduction: The Theory and Practice of Adaptation” in Literature and Film: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Film Adaptation. Eds. Robert Stam and Alessandra Raengo. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing. Pp. 1-50.

Zepetnek, Steven Tötösy de. (2017, December 18). About the Situation of the Discipline of Comparative Literature and Neighboring Fields in the Humanities Today. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25723618.2017.1387398

Zepetnek, Steven Tötösy de. (1998). Comparative Literary Theory, Method, Application. Amsterdam: Editions Rodopi B.V. Pp. 249-259.

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APPENDICES

Appendix 1: The Short Story’s Narrative Function Transcription of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Cardinal Function Catalyzer Indices Proper Informant

1. A baby is rejected by The narrator introduces the Characters: Characters: his father setting and the story. Main protagonist Main Protagonist: An unnamed baby who is A father dressed himself and Antagonists born as an old man. He is later named walked to the hospital. A narrator Methuselah, and then Benjamin Button.

The father met a doctor and his Setting: Antagonists: nurses to ask about his baby. 1. The father, Mr. Roger Button, who is the - Time: A time in the proud head of an affluent family in the The doctor and his nurses past Confederacy due to their family relations. He responded with anger and fear. - Location: Elite tries very hard to keep propriety. location to give The father is led to the baby birth 2. A doctor, Dr. Keene, who is the Button’s room by a nurse. - Social family doctor. He is a very proud doctor and Environment: refuses to partake in any abnormal medicinal The father saw his son inside a Affluent family experience to keep his reputation. crib. with strong upper middle class Minor Characters: relations 1. The doctor’s unnamed terrified nurses.

Atmosphere: A narrator: “I”

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Shocking and tense Setting:

Location: Baltimore, Maryland; Maryland Private Hospital for Ladies and Gentlemen; “Crying Room,”

Time: 1860

Social: Upper Class due to family relations.

2. The “old” son The father tries to conceal his discovers that he son’s aged appearance by Characters: Character: grows, although dressing him up as a child, and backwards, and that forcing him to indulge in Main protagonist Main Protagonist: he is more able to activities befitting only to babies Antagonists Benjamin Button, son of Mr. Roger Button. He connect to people and toddlers A narrator is an obedient child who, with great amount of whose age matches effort, tries to satisfy his father’s demands the age his appearance The son discovers that he enjoys Setting: regarding how he should be behaving. That is, shows, suggesting that Encyclopedia Britannica more in accordance to his biological age despite of his psychological state than his own toys - Time: A time in the his appearance. Even from this early age, he is also old. past has struggled to find confidence and acceptance The son was unable to enjoy - Social to be natural to himself. kindergarten, and was removed Environment: from school Affluent family Antagonists: with strong upper Mr. Roger Button, father to Benjamin Button. The son eventually made friends middle class He is kind to Benjamin only if he is obedient to with his grandfather due to their relations his demands. common interest and love for - Location: Home, comfort Educational Mother, whose name and involvement in Institution Benjamin’s life is not revealed. The son discovers that with the passing of the days, he was more Atmosphere: Minor Characters: able to stand upright, his hair The store clerk, a shopkeeper who was present

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color darkened, and his skin Bewildering when Mr. Button bought Benjamin’s first became firmer clothes.

The tailor, a confused man that Mr. Button hired to custom make clothes for Benjamin.

Kindergarten teacher, a polite individual who is, in honesty, curious about why Benjamin was placed in a kindergarten.

Children attending kindergarten.

Grandfather. The first person to bond with Benjamin and the first person Benjamin can relate to.

Baltimore Society. In this scene, they try to be courteous despite of their honest feelings regarding Mr. Roger Button’s offspring, which is curiosity and astonishment.

Setting:

Location: Baltimore, Maryland The Buttons’ family home A Kindergarten in Baltimore

Time: 1860-1872

Social: Upper Class due to family relations.

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3. The son is rejected The son applied for college from College and entrance, took the exam, passed Characters: Characters: experienced his first the exam, and was given a direct social prejudice. notification from the college Main protagonist Main protagonist: registrar to arrange his schedule. Antagonists Benjamin Button. He turns out to be quite As soon as the registrar saw his A narrator vengeful. appearance though, he was sent away and ridiculed as a lunatic. Setting: A narrator: “I” Soon after, the entire school joined in the mockery. - Time: A time in the Antagonist: past 1. Mr. Hart, the school registrar. A rude - Location: individual. Educational Institution 2. The undergraduates of Yale College. - Social Students who joins in the mockery of Benjamin Environment: despite of knowing nothing about him apart Affluent family from his appearance. with strong upper middle class relations Setting:

Location: Yale College Registrar Office, Yale Atmosphere: College, the Baltimore Train

Spiteful Time: 1878

4. The “old” son made friends with his When he was of age to work, the Characters: Characters: antagonizing father. son was given a position to work alongside his father in his Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button family’s business. Minor Characters A narrator Minor Characters: His father insisted for the son to Mr. Roger Button, father of Benjamin Button. attend social events. Setting: With his son now growing into adulthood and

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bearing similar resemblance to Mr. Roger’s age - Time: A time in the in appearance, he grew to be more tolerant of past Benjamin and their relationship becomes better. - Social Though deep in his heart, he still hopes that his Environment: son would behave more like his biological age. Affluent family His motive to his tolerance towards his son is with strong upper still driven mostly by the satisfaction of his middle class expectations for him. relations - Location: Home, A narrator: “I” Business Institution

Setting: Atmosphere: Location: Roger Button & Co., Wholesale Accepting Hardware Time: 1880

5. The son found The son was taken to a dance by romance. his father. Characters: Characters:

The son met a beautiful young Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button woman and fell in love at first Minor Characters sight. A narrator Antagonist: Society. They are a shallow observer who cares Setting: only about what is shown on the outside. They are judgmental, ignorant, and quick to gossip. - Time: A time in the past Minor Characters: - Social 1. Hildegarde Moncrief, daughter of General Environment: Moncrief. Affluent family

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with strong upper 2. General Moncrief, father of Hildegarde. middle class relations 3. Mr. Roger Button, father of Benjamin Button - Location: Dance party 4. The military personnel

A narrator: “I” Atmosphere:

Romantic Setting:

Location: Shevlin’s Country House Time: 1880

6. The son marries. The son asked his father to introduce him to the young Characters: Characters: woman. Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button The son and the young woman Antagonist danced. Minor Characters Antagonist: Society. A narrator The young woman expressed her Minor Characters: interest at his age (as she Setting: 1. Hildegarde Moncrief, daughter of General perceives it). Moncrief. She is a beautiful young lady who - Time: A time in the seeks a comfortable life with a “matured” man. The son and the young woman past She also seeks a life of ease and pleasure. were engaged 6 months later. - Location: A city - Social 2. General Moncrief, father of Hildegarde Environment: Affluent family 3. Mr. Roger Button, father of Benjamin with strong upper Button. He is very supportive of Benjamin’s middle class sudden interest in love. He perceives it as a relations normal part of growth. -

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A narrator: “I”

Atmosphere: Setting: Romantic Location: Baltimore, Maryland Time: 1880

7. The son is finally The son succeeded to make his accepted by society. father’s business prosper and Characters: Characters: doubled the family fortune. Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button The father-in-law accepts the son Minor Characters after he had helped the father in A narrator Antagonist: Society. law to publish his book series. Setting: Minor Characters: 1. General Moncrief, father of Hildegarde and - Time: A time in the father in law of Benjamin Button. He is a wary past father who cares most for his daughter’s - Social happiness and well-being. He has a tendency to Environment: be judgmental towards those who are less Affluent family successful. He disagreed with Hildegarde’s with strong upper choice to marry Benjamin due to his middle class appearance’s age and his business which he relations sees as not very successful in the beginning. - Location: Business Institution, Home 2. Mr. Roger Button, father of Benjamin Button

Atmosphere: A narrator: “I”

Accepting Setting:

Location:

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Baltimore, Maryland Roger Button & Co., Wholesale Hardware Buttons’ Family Home

Time: 1880

8. The son discovered The father gave the son the that he continues to leadership position and rights of Characters: Characters: keep growing his company. younger, both Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button. As he physically and The son began to feel attracted to Antagonist grows younger, his vitality grows stronger and psychologically. the gayety of life and felt bored Minor Characters he finds himself enjoying things that the age with his wife who feels have A narrator shown by his appearance would enjoy. behaved and looked too old for him. Setting: Minor Characters: 1. Roger Button: Benjamin’s Father The son enlisted in a war as a - Time: A time in the captain due to his business past 2. Roscoe, Benjamin’s son (offspring) relation, and advanced into a - Social lieutenant colonel. Environment: 3. Military personnel Affluent family The son resigned his commission with strong upper 4. Hildegarde Moncrief Button, Benjamin’s to tend to his business at home. middle class wife relations He was greeted by his wife. - Location: Home A narrator: “I”

He went to his room, and looked Atmosphere: into the mirror. Setting: Bittersweet and deprived Location: Baltimore, Maryland Roger Button & Co., Wholesale Hardware

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Various social event venues

San Juan Hill, Puerto Rico

Time: 1880- before 1910

9. The son abandoned The son’s wife told him to stop his wife. growing abnormally, believing Characters: Characters: that it is an inconsiderate trickery. Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button Antagonist The society began to comment Minor Characters Antagonist: negatively towards the wife who A narrator 1. Hildegarde Moncrief, Benjamin’s wife. appears too old to marry a young While she has grown to be much more settled man. Setting: than her younger self and is well-intentioned, she is also revealed to be ignorant and close- The son further indulges in - Time: A time in the minded. She believes that Benjamin can control youthful frivolity. past his ageing process and that he ages backwards - Social to pull a prank on everybody. Environment: Affluent family 2. Society. with strong upper middle class Minor Characters: relations Society - Location: Home, Social Event Areas A narrator: “I”

Atmosphere: Setting: Prejudiced and envious Location: Baltimore, Maryland Time: 1880- before 1910

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10. The son is entering his The son gave the leadership of old age and his company to his own Characters: Characters: experiences the offspring. troubles of his own Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button old age; losing his He enters Harvard and became a Antagonist memories and football star, but cannot remain a Minor Characters Antagonist: Roscoe Button, Benjamin’s Son. abilities, star long due to his body growing A narrator He detests Benjamin and agrees with his discriminated by his younger and weaker. mother that Benjamin grows backwards due to own child, and not Setting: his naught. He is narrow-minded, judgmental, believed in by others. He graduate in 1914 and return to arrogant, and rude. live with his own son who scorns - Time: A time in the him for the nature of his aging. past Minor Characters: - Social 1. Society. They are shallow observers who His wife has moved to live in Environment: care only what is shown on the outside. Italy. Affluent family with strong upper 2. School Students and Staff, like society He was drafted into WW1 but middle class rejected from providing service relations 3. Military Personnel’s, like society

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due to his extremely young - Location: Home, appearance. Education A narrator: “I” Institution, Military Camp Setting: Atmosphere: Location: Bittersweet Baltimore, Maryland The Button Home Harvard University Camp Mosby, South Carolina

Time: 1880- before 1910

11. The son dies. The son’s offspring took care of him together with his own child. Characters: Characters:

The son was taken to Main protagonist Main protagonist: Benjamin Button kindergarten until he was too Antagonist young to partake in the activities. Minor Characters Antagonist: Roscoe Button, Benjamin’s Son A narrator The son’s memories left him as Minor Characters: he grow younger. Setting: 1. House guests 2. Nana. Benjamin’s caretaker. Then he was taken home to be - Time: A time in the 3. Kindergarten teacher cared for by his nurse, Nana, past 4. Kindergarten students until he grows into an infant and - Social dies. Environment: A narrator: “I” Affluent family with strong upper middle class Setting: relations - Location: Home, Location:

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Educational Baltimore, Maryland Institution The Buttons Home A kindergarten Atmosphere: Time: 1910 - after 1928 Bittersweet

Appendix 2: The Film Adaptation’s Narrative Function Transcription of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Cardinal Function Catalyzer Indices Proper Informant

1. A fine clockmaker A new train station was built. Characters: Characters: was hired to build a Minor Characters Minor Characters: grand clock for a new A clockmaker was working in his - Middle Class Mr. Gateau. He is the best clock-smith in train station shop. His wife came by him to - Mix Race Southern America. He was born blind, but pat his arm and walked past to - Successful grew to become a strong bodied and successful close the door and turned off the Craftsman of some clock smith. He kept a cropped hair and thin light. Behind her, a worker was sort moustaches and daily wears a long white shirt seen working. beneath his overall belt and trousers. Setting: Location Mrs. Gateau. She is a Creole woman from - A craftsman Evangeline Parish. Her name is not mentioned workshop in film. - A large and special building A worker at the workshop - A strong bodied - A city Black man. Time - A time in the past A Narrator:

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Daisy Fuller. She is the childhood friend and Atmosphere lover of Benjamin Button. When she narrated - Joyful the story, she is already old and has a raspy voice.

Setting: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Mr. Gateau’s Clock Shop; a dingily lit workshop with a lot of brown furniture, clock parts, and small yellow electric light bulbs.

Time: 1918 Weather: Bright

2. The clockmaker went The clockmaker’s son enlisted in Characters: Characters: to a train station to the army when he was of age. Minor Characters Minor Characters: retrieve his son’s - Middle Class Mr. Gateau. Besides his occupation as a body The clockmaker and his wife sent family clockmaker, he is also a loving husband and their son off at a train station for - Mix Race father. his deployment. - Successful Craftsman of some Mrs. Gateau. She is Mr. Gateau’s beloved wife. The clockmaker returned home to sort continue working on the grand Mr. Gateau’s Son. He is a white skinned young clock. Setting: man with a mixed race blood line. He is a Location: soldier. One bright day, when the - A modest dining clockmaker and his wife were room Narrator: eating their meal, they received a - A large Daisy Fuller. letter. The wife read the letter transportation and soon dropped it down on the station Setting: table, shocked. Afterwards, the - A city Location: clockmaker put his utensils New Orleans, Louisiana down, got up, and dismissed Time: An old train station in New Orleans – Not to be

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himself to the bedroom. - A time in the past confused with the new train station that commissioned a clock from Mr. Gateau. In the morning, the clockmaker Atmosphere: Mr. Gateau’s dining room - a small area with a and his wife went to the train - Grief-stricken round table and a few chairs beside a large station in their mourning outfits. thinly curtained window Mr. Gateau’s workshop

Time: Before 1918 – daytime Weather: Mostly cloudy, but bright.

3. The clockmaker The clockmaker buried his son’s Character: Characters: mounted a strange body in his family plot. Minor Characters: Minor Characters: backwards moving - Middle Class Mr. Gateau. The grief stricken but responsible clock on the station to The clockmaker returned to his Family clock-maker. Unfortunately, the grand clock convey his hope that shop and labored to finish his - Mix race that was commissioned from him by the grand the clock will turn clock. - Craftsmen station becomes his last because he closed his back time and return shop in his grief and disappeared from public. the men who died in Setting: the war so that they Location: Mrs. Gateau. She is Mr. Gateau’s wife. can continue living, - A burial site including his son. - A large President Teddy Roosevelt. He is the president Then, he closed his transportation of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He felt shop and disappeared. station apologetic, respectful, and sympathetic to Mr. - A city Gateau and the hope he places on his clock.

Time: Teddy Roosevelt’s Attendants. They are men - In the past accompanying the president on the train station’s grand opening. Atmosphere: - Gloomy People attending the train station’s grand opening Members of the Tuba Band Workers at the train station Young soldiers in the war-front

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Mr. Gateau’s son

Narrator: Daisy Fuller.

Setting: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana A grave site - A wide area of land with gravestones lying side by side. The Gateau’s Family Grave Plot - A small enclosure of plot surrounded by a fence that contained three large gravestones. Mr. Gateau’s Workshop – A dingily lit workshop with small yellow light bulbs, wooden furniture, and clock parts. The New Grand Train Station’s Main Hall – A large white building with classic European interior design. This is a new train station and the owners of this building were the ones who commissioned a grand clock from Mr. Gateau. A grim battlefield somewhere in Europe. The Old Train Station – This is the train station where the Gateaus sent their son off to war and retrieve his body.

Time: Before 1918 – daytime

4. After the war ends, a During an end of the war Character: Characters: baby boy was born celebration on the street, a man Main Character: Main Character: but his appearance ran home as quickly as he could. - Has a curious An unnamed baby. He is a newborn infant but was very old and He entered the front door of an condition that led he has the characteristics of a very old man. wrinkled. The baby’s extravagant house and ran to the him to live an Although still bearing the appearance of a father was horrified second floor. He bumped into a unnatural life baby, his skin is very wrinkled.

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and abandoned him priest in the hall and questioned on the back porch of why he is there. The priest Minor Characters Minor Characters: a house. answered that his wife is dying. - Wealthy upper Mr. Thomas Button. He is the young and middle class people wealthy owner of a business specializing in the The man walked to his wife’s making of buttons, and the biological father of side. Inside her bedroom, a Setting: Benjamin Button, the old baby. He is proud doctor and his nurse, the man’s Location: and loves his wife very dearly. He isn’t a servants, a nun, and the priest - A city street particularly strong built man. was present. On a bloodied bed, - A wealthy home the man’s wife made the man - A suburban house Mrs. Button. She is the wife of Mr. Thomas promise that their baby will Button and Benjamin Button’s biological belong somewhere before Time: mother. She is a kind lady who wishes the best drawing her last breath. - In the past for her son but, she is frail and dying.

The man then walked towards a Atmosphere: A priest crib and took a look at his own - Shocking A family doctor. baby. Horrified, he took the baby A nurse. and ran outside despite of the A nun. shouting from those present. Servants of the family. People celebrating on the street. He was caught by a policeman A policeman. eventually but managed to slip away into a house’s back yard. Queenie. She is the caretaker residing at Nolan Park. She is friendly, merry, passionate, and very doting Black woman.

Tizzy Weathers. He is the lover of Queenie and the cook of Nolan Park. He is a smartly dressed man with a calm personality.

Narrator: Benjamin Button. He narrates his story in his olden days, but due to the nature of his growth, he sounds very young and healthy as any man in his 20s. This narration is what he

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wrote on his diary, a collection of memories throughout his entire life before he forgets about them.

Setting: Location: The Streets of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Buttons’ Family Home – A grand 2 floored house with an extravagant interior A dockyard behind a warehouse. Nolan Park – A large white house in a street corner. This house is an elderly residence institution run and provided by the Nolan Foundation. Queenie and Tizzy Weathers takes care of it and its elderly residents. At this moment, only White elderlies inhabit this care facility.

Time:1918 – Night time 5. The baby that was A young couple, a man and a Characters: Characters: abandoned by his woman from a discriminated Main Character: Main Character: biological father was minority race, emerged from a - Was born with a An unnamed baby. He is a newborn baby with found by a couple on door. They stood on the back very curious the appearance of an old man. He was recently the steps of their porch, flirting with each other. condition that led abandoned by his biological father due to his backyard porch. him to live an appearance. Little else is known about him at A resident from inside the house unnatural life this moment. approached the couple, telling her that another resident needed a Minor Character A: Minor Character: service. - A wealthy upper Queenie. She is a friendly, merry, and doting middle class Black woman who works at the Nolan Park as The young woman grumbled but a caretaker. entered the house again, only to Minor Characters B: be pulled out by her lover. They - People from a Tizzy Weathers. He is Queenie’s lover. Upon descended down the steps and discriminated looking at the baby’s

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stepped on a wriggling bundle of minority race blanket. The wriggling thing - Middle class Mr. Thomas Button. He is the biological father inside the blanket cried. economy people of Benjamin Button. Horrified by his son’s appearance, he abandoned him. The baby’s biological father, who Minor Characters C: had been hiding in a dark place, - People from a An elderly white resident walked away in the dark majority race that unnoticed by the couple. needs special care Narrator: Benjamin Button

Setting: Setting: Location: Location: - An establishment New Orleans, Louisiana for the special The back porch of Nolan Park needs Nolan Park - A city where interracial Time: relationships and 1918 – Night time. interaction is accepted

Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Bittersweet 6. The abandoned baby The young woman was surprised Characters: Characters: was adopted by one that there was a crying and Main Character: Main Character: of the couple. wriggling bundle of blanket on - Was born with a Benjamin. He was the baby that was the steps of her back stairs. She curious condition abandoned by his biological father. However, uncovered the blanket and was that led him to live he was found by a caring Black woman and shocked to find the baby and the an unnatural life was adopted by her as her own. She gave him state that it is at. the name Benjamin. Minor Characters A: Her lover suggested to leave the - Middle Class Minor Characters:

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baby to the police, but the - People from a Queenie. She is a big hearted and kind young woman disagreed, believing that discriminated Black woman. She has a merry and loving he was abandoned because of his minority race personality and is very well loved by the appearance. residents of Nolan Park. She is their live-in Minor Character B: caretaker. She recently adopted Benjamin in She took the baby inside the - Middle Class order to give him a chance to be loved before house, past the halls and the - Medical Aid he dies because she, like the doctor, believes staircase, revealing that the house that he will not survive very long. she lives in is a care and housing Minor Characters C: facility for people with special - People from a Tizzy Weathers. He is Queenie’s lover. He is needs. She descended into her majority race that strong bodied, smartly dressed, and has a calm bedroom in the basement and left needs special care personality. He disapproves of Queenie’s the baby while she looked for a choice to adopt the baby, believing that is may doctor. Setting: not be a human. However, he still respects her Location: choice and took care of the baby together with She then called the doctor who is - An establishment her. currently providing a medical that houses and service for the residents living in cares for people Doctor Rose. He is a middle aged doctor the house. The doctor checked with special needs practicing at Nolan Park. the baby and revealed that he was - A city where born with the physical condition interracial Elderly residents of the Nolan Park of an old man and will not live relationships and long. interaction is Narrator: Benjamin Button. accepted The doctor asked about the Setting: baby’s origin. The young woman Time: Location: replied that it was her sister’s - In the past New Orleans, Louisiana child from an affair with a man The back porch of Nolan Park from a majority race. The doctor Atmosphere: The living room of Nolan Park – A spacious suggested that the baby ought to - Welcoming area where the residents of Nolan Park be given up somewhere else. The normally socialize with one another. young woman disagreed and Nolan Park. claimed that the baby is a Queenie’s bedroom in the basement of Nolan miracle. Park – A small and dingy room in the

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basement that was converted to become She then took him to meet the Queenie’s bedroom. other residents of the house and introduced him. Time: 1918 – Night time

Weather: Clear

7. The baby grew up The baby, now a boy with the Characters: Characters: into a young boy, appearance of a very old man, sat Main Character: Main Character: even though he has behind a dining table together - Was born with a Benjamin. He has grown into a 6 year old boy the appearance of a with the residents of the housing curious condition but has the appearance of a very old and a very old man. Since facility. He is banging a utensil that led him to live hunched man. His bones are stiff and he cannot he never left the front on the table excitedly to hear its an unnatural life move anywhere without the help of a stairs of the house, he clanking sound through the help wheelchair. Due to his circumstances, his developed a curiosity of his hearing aid device. Minor Characters A: adopted mother, Queenie, is very protective of towards life outside - Middle Class him and does not allow him to be anywhere of it. His adopted mother came to stop - People from a beyond the house porch. Benjamin has the him on the request of the discriminated obedience, innocence, and psychological residents who were bothered by minority race development of a child. However, since he him. - Family lives a very sheltered life, he develops a curiosity to the outside world. At another time, the boy paced Minor Characters B: back and forth on the porch with - People from a Minor Characters: his wheelchair. He saw a group majority race that Queenie. Queenie is Benjamin’s adopted of children playing across the needs special care mother. She is a friendly and doting Black street. woman who has a passion in caring for those in Setting: need. She is the main caretaker of Nolan Park, Location: and is a very protective and stern woman. - An establishment that provides care Tizzy Weathers. and residence for the special needs The elderly residents - A city where

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interracial Children playing across the street relationships and interaction is Narrator: Benjamin Button accepted Setting: Time: Location: - In the past New Orleans, Louisiana The dining room and front porch of Nolan Atmosphere: Park. - Full of wonder Time: 1925 – Evening 8. The boy learnt that One night, in his adopted Characters: Characters: everyone who lives mother’s bedroom, the boy Main Character: Main Character: has their own story. confessed that in some days, he - Was born with a Benjamin: He is a 6 year old boy with the feels different from everybody curious condition appearance of an old man on his dying day. He else. His mother responded by that led him to live was adopted by a Black woman named saying that everybody does and it an unnatural life. Queenie and spent his life up to this point doesn’t matter because everyone bound to a wheelchair, a hearing aid will die regardless. Minor Characters A: instrument, and a thick pair of glasses. Due to - Middle Class the circumstances of his condition, that he Then, the boy asked how much - People from a bears resemblance to the appearance of the longer he will live. His mother discriminated residence in the house he lives in, most of the responded that he should be minority race time he feels that he is like them. However, he thankful because he has lived - Family notices that he functions very differently from much longer than what he was them. This raises questions in him. supposed to. Minor Characters B: - People from a Minor Characters: In the morning, a retired war majority race that Queenie. Queenie is Benjamin’s protective general who resided in the needs special care adopted mother. She is a friendly and loving residence ran outside naked to Black woman who has a passion in caring for put up the national flag on the Setting: those in need. She works at Nolan Park as its flag post. Location: caretaker. Knowing full-well of the prejudice - An establishment that her race received in the past, she tried to Then, a woman who used to be a that provides home raise Benjamin with equality by teaching him

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professional performing artist and care for the that everyone, no matter how different, will moved into the residence. She special needs end the same way so that he can live a full life. still loves to do her craft. - A city where interracial Tizzy Weathers. relationships and interaction is General Winslow. A retired US Army General accepted who resides at the elderly residence. He has a habit of putting up the United States flag in the Time: early morning. - In the past Mrs. Sybil Wagner. An elderly retired opera Atmosphere: singer who resides at the elderly residence. - Peaceful Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Queenie’s bedroom at the basement of Nolan Park. Nolan Park’s living room and front lawn. Mrs. Sybil Wagner’s bedroom in Nolan Park.

Time: 1925 –  Queenie’s and Benjamin’s scene – Night  The General’s scene – Morning 5:30 am  Mrs. Sybil Wagner’s scene – morning 9. The boy learned to One very early morning, when Characters: Characters: read from his adopted his adopted father was cooking in Main Character: Main Character: father and was the kitchen, the boy held a can in - Was born with a Benjamin. He is a prematurely old 6 year old impressed by his his hand and tried to read a word. curious condition boy. Every day he is showing progress in his knowledge of His father helped him. that led him to live growth. This day in particular, he develops a

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Shakespeare. an unnatural life. curiosity in reading and cooking, and he attempted to learn how to read while watching Minor Characters A: his adopted father cook. - Middle Class - People from a Minor Character: discriminated Tizzy Weathers. He is Benjamin’s adopted minority race father. Though he initially disapproves of his - Family adoption, he actively cares for Benjamin together with his love, Queenie. Over the Minor Characters B: years, he has learnt to accept Benjamin as his - People from a own. He is a Black man with a calm majority race that personality and works as the cook of Nolan needs special care Park. He revealed that he first learnt how to read from his grandfather who was the dressing Setting: assistant of a famous actor. Location: - An establishment The elderly residents of Nolan Park. that provides home and care for the Narrator: Benjamin Button. special needs - A city where Settings: interracial Location: relationships and New Orleans, Louisiana interaction is The kitchen of Nolan Park. accepted Time: 1925 – Morning Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Passionate 10. The boy learnt from That same morning, after Characters: Characters: his adopted father teaching the boy how to Main Character: Main Character: that life is pronounce a word, the boy’s - Was born with a Benjamin.

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unpredictable and adopted father shared that he curious condition spontaneous. learn how to read from his that led him to live Minor Character: grandfather who used to work for an unnatural life. Tizzy Weathers. an actor. That actor was later known as an assassin that killed a Minor Characters A: The elderly residents of Nolan Park. well-known politician. - Middle Class - People from a Narrator: Benjamin Button. discriminated minority race Settings: - Family Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Minor Characters B: The kitchen of Nolan Park. - People from a majority race that Time: 1925 – Morning needs special care

Setting: Location: - An establishment that provides home and care for the special needs - A city where interracial relationships and interaction is accepted

Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Passionate 11. The boy learnt how to The boy was taken by his Characters Characters:

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walk adopted mother to attend a Main Character: Main Character: weekly religious service. The end - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 6 year old boy who was born of the event, the adopted mother condition that led with a rare condition that made him have the pushed the boy’s wheelchair onto him to live an appearance of an old man. He is a very calm the stage. There, the preacher unnatural life and curious child who has a lot of asked her what he could do to determination to learn so that he may live a help her. She asked him to bless Minor Characters: normal life. In this scene, he learnt how to walk her because she wasn’t able to - People from a and was proud of himself that he could. bear any children due to a discriminated problem with her reproductive minority race Minor Characters: system. Then, he blessed her. Queenie. She is Benjamin’s protective and Setting: caring adopted mother. She loves Benjamin Afterwards, he turned towards Location: very much, it is all the more evident that she the boy and asked him what was - A city where tried hard to find something that can help wrong with him. The adopted interracial Benjamin live life like everybody else despite mother told him that the boy was relationships and of his condition. She raised him very fairly and being taken to the grave a lot interaction is kindly. She is a woman who has a difficulty to sooner by the Devil. The accepted become pregnant. preacher asked the boy about his - Makeshift Prayer age. The boy told him his House A Protestant Preacher. He is a jolly and biological age even though he charismatic Black man with a thick body and looks a lot older. The preacher Time: booming voice. He died of heart attack at the then prayed so that God can - In the past end of the service. remove the demons attached to him and then, he encouraged the Atmosphere: Several Protestant Nuns. Black women of boy to walk. The boy stood up - Spiritual, various ages dressed in white dresses with a from his wheelchair and was met celebratory, and matching white cap. with cheerful encouragements passionate from others who are watching. Choir Members. Black men and women of various ages dressed in white choir robes.

Church-goers. Black men and women of various ages who are very supportive and devout to the cause of the Lord.

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Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Settings: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana The church that Queenie attends – A large makeshift tent at the side of a road.

Time: 1925 – Evening 12. The boy went outside The boy, now in crutches, walked Characters: Characters: on his own for the into the kitchen from the porch. Main Character: Main Character: first time in his life He looked out into the window - Has a curious Benjamin. He is an 8 year old boy who has the and made his first after hearing the voice of a condition that led appearance of an old man. He has grown friend. stranger telling a story about his him to live an stronger over the past 2 years and has learnt to wives and their unlucky demise. unnatural life walk with only the help of a pair of crutches.

Then, the boy’s adopted father Minor Characters A: Minor Characters: entered the kitchen and - Middle Class Tizzy Weathers. introduced the stranger to the - People from a boy, claiming that he is an discriminated Ngunda Oti. He is a small pygmy Black man. acquaintance of an acquaintance minority race He is Tizzy Weathers’s adventurous and of his and that he also has a - Family talkative acquaintance. He has been married physical defect. five times and each marriage end in the Minor Characters B: unfortunate and accidental death of his wives; The boy looked at his adopted - People from a for example, captured by a tribe of Cannibals father’s acquaintance and he majority race that and eaten, drowned, eaten by an alligator, etc. glanced back at him. needs special care Several of the elderly residents listening to The boy sits alone in the living Minor Characters C: Ngunda Oti’s story. room and his adopted father’s - Has a special acquaintance sat beside him. He condition that led Narrator: Benjamin Button. asked the boy why he look so him to live an old, is it because of the worms? unnatural life Settings:

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The boy answered that he was Location: born what way. Then, he invited Setting: New Orleans, Louisiana the boy to go outside together Location: Nolan Park’s kitchen, back porch, and sitting with him. - An establishment room. that provides housing and care Time: 1927 – Day for the special needs - A city where interracial relationships and interaction is accepted

Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Wonder 13. The boy learnt about The old boy reluctantly follow Characters: Characters: his new friend and his adopted father’s acquaintance Main Character Main Character: self-confidence from to catch a bus. Inside the bus, he - Has a curious Benjamin. He is an 8 year old boy on his first him. His friend taught told his life story to the boy; condition that led ever experience to be outside of the house by him that people who about how he was abducted from him to live an himself. He left without the approval of his are different will his tribe by a superior race and unnatural life parents. This shows that Benjamin is beginning always live alone. was used as a showpiece at a zoo. to grow into an age where he is beginning to However, the truth is Minor Character A: have a sense of independence. everyone else is just After the bus ride, they sat - Has a special as alone as they are together in a park on a bench. condition that led Minor Characters: but those people are him to live an Ngunda Oti. He is a talkative and adventurous more terrified of it. unnatural life pygmy Black man. He was a man from a pygmy tribe in Africa. He was captured and Minor Character B was put on display at the zoo together with - People from a other monkeys. There, he had his teeth filed to

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majority race that look sharp to make him look like a dangerous needs special care Cannibal. He confessed to Benjamin that above Setting: anything, all he ever wanted to do is to return Location: home to sit by the river he grew up near. - A city where interracial Children on the bus. White children who are relationships and curious about the “freaks” that sits behind interaction is them. accepted White people on the bus Time: - In the past People in the park

Atmosphere: Narrator: Benjamin Button. - Wonder and nostalgia Settings: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana A public bus interior A peristyle in a park

Time: 1927 – Day

14. The boy learnt to go After sharing about his life story Characters: Characters: to places on his own. and the wisdom he learnt from it, Main Character: Main Character: the boy’s adopted father’s - Has a curious Benjamin. He is an 8 year old boy with the acquaintance asked the boy to condition that led appearance of an old man. He remarked his come along with him. him to live an experience with Ngunda Oti that day was one unnatural life of the happiest days of his life because through In a street, he was greeted by a it he had his first experience to be outside with tall young woman. The Minor Character B: a friend on his own and learnt many things acquaintance introduced the - Has a special through him, among them, confidence and woman as his lady-friend. The condition that led independence. lady greeted the boy respectfully. him to live an

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unnatural life Minor Character: Then, the acquaintance asked the Ngunda Oti. He is talkative, adventurous, and boy if he can return home on his Minor Character C: an entertaining character. However, he is quite own. He informed the boy of the - People from a irresponsible. He is Tizzy Weathers’s bus route he should take. The boy discriminated acquaintance and Benjamin’s new friend. He then walked to a bus stop but the minority race shared a lot about his life to Benjamin as well bus driver refused to wait for as his wisdom and dreams. him. Minor Character D: - People from a Filamena Gilea. She is Ngunda Oti’s lover. She majority race is a tall, respectful, and happy young Black woman. Setting: Location: Queenie. She is Benjamin’s adopted mother - A city where and the caretaker of Nolan Park. She had spent interracial the entire day searching for Benjamin because relationships and he left without telling her and Tizzy Weathers interaction is any notice and without permission. She was accepted very upset at Benjamin when he returned home. Time: - In the past People on the street.

Atmosphere: Narrator: Benjamin Button. - Anxious but happy Settings: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana A peristyle in a park A street in New Orleans A bus stop beside a street in New Orleans Nolan Park A bathroom in Nolan Park

Time: 1927

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 At the park – daytime  On the street after the park, and on the bus stop – at the end of the day, at sunset  Back in Nolan Park – Late at night 15. The boy met a little During a lunch gathering with the Characters: Characters: girl families of the residence, the boy, Main Characters: Main Characters: who is now is able to walk with a - Has a curious Benjamin. He has grown into a 12-year old boy cane, approached an elderly condition that led but bears the appearance of a 70-year old man. woman. She marveled at how he him to live an He has outgrown his crutches and walks with a was able to grow younger. He unnatural life. single cane. He has become more mature and simply replied to her greetings. independent over the past 4 years and he has Minor Characters A: respectful disposition for others. From a distance, a little girl - People from a called out to the woman. The majority race that Minor Characters: little girl performed a dance needs special care Grandma Fuller. She is a strong, proud, and technique. The old woman stern old lady who resides at Nolan Park. She complimented her skills and the Minor Character B: is Daisy Fuller’s Grandmother. little girl, proud of herself, ran - Middle Class. towards the old woman. Then, - People from a Daisy Fuller. She is grandma Fuller’s 8-year the woman introduced the little discriminated old granddaughter. She has a keen interest in girl to the boy. The little girl is minority race ballet dancing. the old woman’s granddaughter. - Family. Narrator: Benjamin Button. Minor Character C: - Relatives of Minor Character A Settings: Location: Settings: New Orleans. Louisiana. Location: The front lawn of Nolan Park. - An establishment that provides Time: housing and care 1930, Thanksgiving Day – daytime for the special need. Weather: Bright and clear.

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- A city where interracial relationships and interaction is accepted.

Time: - In the past.

Atmosphere: - Wonder. 16. The boy’s adopted After the boy was introduced to Characters: Characters: mother declared her the girl, they were called for Main Character: Main Character: pregnancy supper by the boy’s adopted - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 12 year old boy who has the father. condition that led appearance of a 70 year old man. He no longer him to live an walks with the help of a crutch, but instead, he In the supper, after everyone unnatural life now uses a cane. He has grown more have said their prayers, the boy’s independent and mature over the past 4 years. adopted father brought out a Minor Characters A: However, that does not save him from his high roasted flightless bird onto the - People from a level of curiosity and the heartbreak that he felt presentation table where the majority race that when he discovered that Queenie will have dishes are laid out. needs special care another child besides him.

The little girl that the boy was Minor Characters B: Minor Characters: introduced to before expressed - Middle Class Daisy Fuller. She is Grandma Fuller’s 8 year that flightless birds aren’t - People from a old granddaughter. She has a keen interest in actually birds, but pheasants. discriminated Ballet dancing and Benjamin. She is Then, she expressed her sadness minority race knowledgeable and has a soft, kind heart. over the bird’s species because of - Family its inability to fly. Tizzy Weathers. He is Benjamin’s adopted Minor Characters C: father. He is a calm and strong Black man who The boy’s adopted father’s - Relatives of Minor works as a cook at Nolan Park. He is Queenie’s acquaintance who took the boy Character A lover and the father to the child she bears. out on an outing before was

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present. He responded to the girl Setting: Queenie. She is Benjamin’s adopted mother. that he love flightless birds Location: She is a friendly, passionate, and doting because they are delicious to eat. - An establishment woman who works as the caretaker of Nolan The girl remarked with a grin that that provides Park. After years of not being able to be he is horrible for thinking that housing and care pregnant, she is finally bearing a child. way. for the special needs Ngunda Oti. - A city where interracial Filamena Gilea relationships and interaction is Narrator: Benjamin Button. accepted Setting: Time: Location: - In the past New Orleans, Louisiana Nolan Park’s dining hall Atmosphere - Bittersweet Time: 1930, Thanksgiving - daytime Weather: Bright, sunny, and clear 17. The girl confessed One night, the girl walked into Characters: Characters: that she has always the boy’s room and invited him Main Character Main Character: known that the boy to have a talk inside a makeshift - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a prematurely old boy who has isn’t actually old, but tent that she built. She told him to condition that led the appearance of 70 year old man. However, only looks so. light the match and invited him to him to live an despite of his appearance, he actually has the share each other’s secrets. unnatural life youthful and curious heart of a child.

The girl confessed to the boy that Minor Character: Minor Character: she caught her mother having an - A person from a Daisy Fuller. She is Grandma Fuller’s 8 year affair with another man. Then, majority race old granddaughter and Benjamin’s new friend. she asked him to share his secret. She has a kind heart and a keen interest in The boy shared that he is not as Setting: ballet dancing. She is also interested in old as he looks. Location: Benjamin and is sharp to discover that he is not - An establishment actually as old as he appears to be. that provides

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housing and care Narrator: Benjamin Button. for the special needs Setting: - A city where Location: interracial New Orleans, Louisiana relationships and Benjamin’s bedroom at Nolan Park interaction is A makeshift tent in the living room of Nolan accepted Park

Time: Time: 1930 – late night - In the past

Atmosphere - Warm and friendly 18. The boy learnt that The boy’s adopted mother Characters: Characters: not all relationships delivered a baby, and the boy Main Character: Main Character: last. found himself with fewer - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 12 year old boy with the companies. condition that led appearance of a 70 year old man. Despite of his him to live an appearance, he still has this naiveté which While he was reading a book all unnatural life shows that his heart and psychological alone, his adopted father’s development still remains in the level of that of acquaintance announced that he Minor Characters A: a 12 year old. He is a respectful, calm, kind- is leaving. The boy questioned - People from a hearted, and curious child. where he is going, and the man majority race that answered that he has no clear needs special care Minor Characters: destination but he promised the Ngunda Oti. He has recently broken up with young boy that he will send the Minor Characters B: his lover and is leaving New Orleans. boy a postcard wherever he goes. - Middle Class - People from a Queenie. Benjamin’s doting adopted mother. The boy then asked what will discriminated She is currently busy caring for her new baby happen to his lady-friend when minority race that she has less time to care for Benjamin. he’s gone. The boy’s adopted - Family father’s acquaintance answered Narrator: Benjamin Button that they are not friends anymore. Minor Character C:

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- Was born with a Setting: special condition Location: that led him to live New Orleans, Louisiana an unnatural life Benjamin’s Bedroom at Nolan Park

Setting: Time: 1931 Location: - An establishment that provides housing and care for the special needs - A city where interracial relationships and interaction is accepted

Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Sadness 19. The boy learned how One bright day, the boy was Characters: Characters: to play a musical playing with a toy in the front Main Character: Main Character: instrument and how room when an old lady - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 12 year old boy who has the to passionately play it approached the front door with condition that led appearance of a 70 year old man. However, her dog. She called out a him to live an despite of his appearance, he still has the naïve greeting, the boy replied. Then, unnatural life and young heart and psychological growth of a the boy’s adopted mother came 12 year old child. One of the proofs from this to greet the lady and apologized Minor Characters A: scene is that he enjoys playing with a toy to her because she could not - People from a soldier. Apart from that, he is also very curious allow her dog to stay in the house majority race that and mostly obedient to his adopted mother and due to its policy. The old lady needs special care father.

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assured her that the dog is very old and is dying herself. The Minor Characters B Minor Characters: boy’s adopted mother gave in - Middle Class Queenie. She is Benjamin’s adopted mother and asked for the boy to take the - People from a and caretaker of Nolan Park. She recently had a old lady and her dog to her room. discriminated baby girl. Queenie is a friendly, doting, minority race sympathetic, and a generous woman. The boy then described that he - Family never remembered the lady’s Queenie’s Baby. name, that she always wear Setting: perfume and dress finely even Location: The “Piano” Woman. She is a well-dressed old though no one came to visit her, - An establishment woman who moved to reside at the Nolan Park. and that she is one of the person that provides care She has a dog that accompanies her that makes the biggest impression and housing for the everywhere she goes. Unfortunately, Benjamin to him. special needs never remembers her name, although he - A city where confessed that she is someone who had made When the lady was playing a interracial one of the biggest impressions in his life. She musical instrument one evening, relationships and plays the piano very well and she taught the boy sat beside her to watch interaction is Benjamin how to play the piano. She taught her play. Then, she explained that accepted him how to play “Bethena, a concert waltz” by what is important about playing Scott Joplin, a piece that he never forgets. them is not about how well it is Time: played but how the player feels - In the past Additional Information: about what they’re playing. She “Bethena” by Scott Joplin is the first piano then told him to try a simple Atmosphere: composition that Joplin wrote following the melody so that he can experience - Passionate death of his beloved wife. Marc Silver from it. NPR wrote that Bethena was almost like “on the verge of tears and a tender and heartfelt remembrance of a love lost.” (Silver, 2008: para 2)

Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location:

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New Orleans, Louisiana The front room of Nolan Park.

Time: 1931

20. The boy, now hitting The boy was taking a bath and Characters: Characters: puberty and is now a notices that he was growing hairs Main Character: Main Character: teenage boy, in specific areas around his body. - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 13 years old is beginning discovered that he is He also felt a lot stronger every condition that led to go through puberty. He has discovered that growing backwards, day. Then, he went to the mirror him to live an he is not growing the same way as everybody from being old to to evaluate his appearance. unnatural life else; he is growing backwards, from an old being young. man into a younger one. Setting: Location: Narrator: Benjamin Button. - An establishment that provides care Setting: and housing for the Location: special needs New Orleans, Louisiana - A city where A bathroom at Nolan Park interracial relationships and Time: 1932 interaction is accepted

Time: - In the past

Atmosphere - Excitement 21. The teenage boy had The boy, now a teenage boy, Characters: Characters: his first job working went to the harbor with one of Main Character: Main Character: as a tugboat man the elderly home’s resident who - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a young teenager, about 13 or is notoriously known for having condition that led 14 with the appearance of an old man in his survived several very dangerous him to live an 70s. Benjamin can walk upright without the

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accidents with nature. unnatural life help of any canes. He has grown to be much more independent than before and is more Together, they watched the boats Minor Character A: capable of doing difficult physical activities. come by and go. Then, the old - People from a man told him a story about how majority race that Minor Characters: one of his accidents happened. needs special care Mr. Daws. He is one of the residents of Nolan Park. He was known to have been hit by Then, a man walked out from one Minor Character B lightning 7 times and survived each of it. In of the tugboats. He offered a job - People of non- some days, he tells the tale to Benjamin on the boat to anyone who is segregated race together with some wisdom. willing to work for one day and who don’t reside at he is willing to pay a small sum the social care Captain Mike. He is the captain of a tugboat of money for it. The boy facility called “Chelsea.” He is an Irish man in his 40s volunteered. and is a drunkard. It is commonly known by Setting: people that he never pays his workers. Location: - A workplace A man sitting beside Mr. Daws. A stranger - A city where who tells Mr. Daws that Captain Mike never interracial pays his workers. relationships and interaction is Narrator: Benjamin Button. accepted Setting: Time: Location: - In the past New Orleans, Louisiana At the side of the Mississippi River Atmosphere: - Desperation and Time: 1932 – day warmth Weather: somewhat cloudy 22. The Captain of the On the boat, the Captain, asked Characters: Characters: boat shared his for someone to clean the deck Main Character: Main Character: passion and from bird droppings. The teenage - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a young teenager who is about determination for art boy willingly volunteered and condition that led 13 or 14 years old but has the appearance of a with the teenage boy. scrubbed the deck clean. him to live an man in his 70s. He is an obedient, able-bodied,

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unnatural life calm, and respectful boy. By this time, he has Then, the Captain called him up grown more independent than what he was in to the bridge. There, he was Minor Character A: the past as he is more confident to make his asked if he is still able to have a - Someone from an own decisions without the influence of his sexual intercourse with women. ethnicity that is not parents. The teenage boy confessed that discriminated and he never tried. The Captain was segregated by the Minor Characters: surprised and invited the teenage majority population Captain Mike. He is the captain of the tugboat boy to come with him. of the Main “Chelsea”. He is an Irish man in his 40s, is a Character’s origin drunkard, loves the company of comfort They went into a pub. While - Coworkers to Main women, and is a passionate tattoo artist. waiting for the prostitutes to be Character ready for them, the Captain Other people in the pub shared his story. Setting: Location: Narrator: Benjamin Button. - A place of pleasure - A city where Setting: interracial Location: relationships and New Orleans, Louisiana interaction is A pub interior accepted Time: 1932 Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Wonder

23. The teenage boy After the Captain finished his Characters: Characters: tasted his first sexual story, one of the prostitutes called Main Character: Main Characters: experience out that they are ready for him - Has a curious Benjamin. His experience with the comfort and his company. condition that led woman taught him the value of earning money him to live an on his own and his love for sexuality. The Captain and the teenage boy unnatural life

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entered the brothel area. Minor Character: Minor Characters Captain Mike. The Captain went into a room - People of various with a few young ladies and a ethnicities Prostitutes. Many ladies of various ethnic back young lady was told to take the ground who works as sex-workers at the teenage boy. Though reluctant, Setting: brothel that is attached to the pub the Captain she took him into a bedroom. Location: and Benjamin went to. - A place of pleasure - A city where Narrator: Benjamin Button. interracial relationships and Setting: interaction is Location: accepted New Orleans, Louisiana A brothel attached to the pub Benjamin and Time: Captain Mike goes to - In the past Time: 1932 Atmosphere: - Pleasure 24. The teenage boy When the teenage boy was done Characters: Characters: tasted his first putting his clothes back on, he Main Character: Main Character: alcoholic drink left the brothel to return home. - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 13 or 14 year old boy who condition that led has the appearance on a 70 year old man and On the street, he met a middle him to live an ages backwards. He recently developed a taste aged man who, for some reason, unnatural life for the company of women and has a child-like was interested in him. He invited excitement towards it. He also met his the boy to have a drink with him Minor Character A: biological father, but he does not know that it at his favorite restaurant. - People from a non- is him until many years later. segregated race There, the man asked how it is Minor Characters: possible that someone with an Setting: The Prostitute. She is the young woman that appearance as old as the boy can Location: Benjamin had intercourse with. She is a young, have no experience with women - A place of pleasure brown skinned lady from an exotic race. and alcohol. - A city where

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interracial Mr. Thomas Button. He is Benjamin’s The teenage boy answered that relationships and biological father. However, Benjamin does not he isn’t actually old but was born interaction is know of it until many years later. He is a old. The middle aged man smiled accepted wealthy widower and the owner of a button and raised a toast. Then, the he factory. Currently, his business is rivaled by began telling his story to the Time: the rise of zippers. Naturally, he developed already drunk boy; about his - In the past adistaste for it. He is ridden with guilt for career and the death of his wife. abandoning Benjamin and is beginning to seek Atmosphere: a relationship with him. - Bittersweet Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana The brothel that is attached to the pub that Benjamin and Captain Mike goes to The pub that Benjamin and Captain Mike went to A street in New Orleans The French Quarter - A small and old, but fashionable bar that Mr. Thomas Button frequents

Time: 1932 – night time Weather: Clear 25. The teenage boy The teenage boy was having his Characters: Characters: learnt about a new hair cut by the lady that taught Main Character: Main Character: perspective on life him how to play a musical - Has a curious Benjamin. Benjamin has grown into a 16 year and death, and what it instrument in the past. She asked condition that led old boy and has grown more youthful as he means to miss how it is possible that he is him to live an ages, this time it is evident by the darkening of someone growing more hair. He answered unnatural life his hair color. that he might be growing younger. The lady then replied Minor Character: Minor Character:

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that it must be terrible because he - Some very dear to The “Piano” woman. She is a sweet, kind, and will witness those he loves die the Main Character well-dressed elderly lady who, in the past, before him. The teenage boy was - Someone from a taught Benjamin how to play the piano. She is undoubtly shaken by what she majority racial someone very dear to Benjamin. said. Realizing that, she tried to population that comfort him by telling him that needs special care The residents of Nolan Park everyone is meant to lose the people they love because without Setting: Narrator: Benjamin Button. it, they will not realize how Location: valuable and important they are. - An establishment Setting: that provides care One fall day, the teenage boy and housing for the Location: invited the lady to accompany special needs New Orleans, Louisiana him to the drug store. However, - A city where The “Piano” woman’s bedroom at Nolan Park the lady had already passed interracial A graveyard in New Orleans away. relationships and interaction is Time: 1935 – day The boy accompanied her on her accepted Weather: Cloudy burial and finally understood what she told him. He was the Time: last to leave her grave. - In the past

Atmosphere: - Sadness

26. The teenage boy left The teenage boy, almost an adult Characters: Characters: home to work as a already, packed his bag and said Main Character: Main Character: tugboat man goodbye to his parents. They sent - Has a curious Benjamin. He has grown into a 17 year old him off lovingly. His childhood condition that led teenager, a young man already, and friend, who has been inside the him to live an consequently, his appearance had grown much house, ran after him and asked unnatural life younger and stronger. Even though he still has him where he is going to. He a slight limp and joint stiffness, his skin grew

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answered, “to Sea!” Minor Characters A: much tighter, his back fully upright, and he has - Middle Class more energy. - People from a discriminated Minor Character: minority race Queenie. She is Benjamin’s adopted mother. - Family She has begun to show the signs of ageing but she still has not lost her warm, friendly, doting, Minor Character B and merry nature. She is still the caretaker of - Someone from a Nolan Park. majority race that needs special care Tizzy Weathers. He is Benjamin’s adopted - Someone dear to father. He has fully accepted Benjamin as his the Main Character son at this point.

Setting: Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood Location: friend. She is now almost 13 years old and is - An establishment Benjamin’s closest friend. for the special needs The elderly residents of Nolan Park. - A city where interracial Narrator: Benjamin Button. relationships and interaction is Setting: accepted Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Time: The front room of Nolan Park - In the past A street in front of Nolan Park Nolan Park Atmosphere: - Determination Time: 1936 - morning

Weather: Very clear and sunny

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27. The young man met a The teenage boy, now a young Characters: Characters: woman and was man, was working in a tugboat Main Character: Main Character: attracted to her and described his coworkers and - Has a curious Benjamin. He has grown into a 22 year old the nature of his contract with the condition that led man and looking much younger and stronger tugboat crew. him to live an albeit seemingly still having pressure on his unnatural life joints. He appears as a man in his late 50s. He One winter day, the Captain is an honest man, a hard worker, and is well- asked how it is possible that the Minor Characters A: liked by his employer. Apart from his physical young man is growing younger - People from various growth, Benjamin also grew fully independent. and what his secret is. The young ethnicities who are He has come far from his childhood naiveté man simply answered that the not discriminated and obedience and is confident to make his Captain must be influenced by and segregated by own life decisions. his alcohol. They both laughed. the majority population of the Minor Character: The scene moves to show a hotel Main Character’s Captain Mike. He is the drunkard Captain of in a different country where the origin the remodeled tugboat “Chelsea.” He is a tugboat crew stays in. - Coworkers to Main passionate tattoo artist and enjoys the company Character of comfort women. He is a merry man who In the bar, the Captain explained loves to share about his passion to others. about the symbolism behind the Minor Characters B: hummingbird tattoo he drew on - Foreigners in their Prentiss Mayes. He is the fat, elderly cook of his body to the local people in the native home the tugboat “Chelsea” bar with the help of an country interpreter. Then, a fight broke Rick Brody. He is one of the crew members of out in the bar. Setting: the tugboat “Chelsea.” He is a burly man who, Location: when at sea, can get along well with his twin - The Ocean brother. However, the moment they set foot on - A foreign country land, they never got along well. He is the that has an alliance identical twin brother of Vic Brody. to the Main Character’s origin Vic Brody. He is the identical twin brother of - A building for a Rick Brody. Like him, he is a burly man who temporary works as a crew member of the tugboat residence “Chelsea.” He too can get along well with his

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- A bar inside the brother only when they were at Sea. building John Grimm. He is a pessimistic crew member Time: of the tugboat “Chelsea.” - In the past Pleasant Curtis. He is a crew member of the Atmosphere: tugboat “Chelsea.” He is a man of very few - Happy words as he never spoke to anyone except himself.

Russian Interpreter. A Russian man at the bar who interpreted Captain Mike’s story to the rest of the Russians in the bar.

Russian men drinking at the bar. They were also listening to Captain Mike’s explanation.

Elizabeth Abbott. She is a well and formally dressed gentlewoman of plain beauty that Benjamin met at the hotel. She is the wife of Walter Abbott, has a distinct British accent, and seems to have a struggling marriage. She is in her late 40s.

Sir Walter Abbott. He is the husband of Elizabeth Abbott. He is a fat, elderly gentleman who works as the Chief Minister of the British Trade Mission in Murmansk. He is also a spy.

Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location: The Sea

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Murmansk Port, Murmansk, Russia “The Winter Palace”, a hotel in Murmansk, Russia A bar inside “The Winter Palace”

Time: 1941 28. The young man fell in The young man descended from Characters: Characters: love for the first time the hotel’s main stair one night, Main Character: Main Character: claiming that he couldn’t sleep. - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 22 year old young man who In the living room was the same condition that led ages backwards. Although mostly agreeable, he woman he saw. He greeted her, him to live an has some traits in him that are quite negative; told her that he wanted to make unnatural life his love for the company of women for comfort some tea, and invited her. She and his willingness to have an affair with a eventually agrees and sat together Minor Character: married woman. He grew attracted towards with him. - A foreigner from a Elizabeth despite of her being married already. nation that is He offered her a sweetener and different from the Minor Character: she refused after noticing that Main Character but Elizabeth Abbott. She is Walter Abbott’s wife. there is a bug inside the speaks the same She is a lonely woman in her late 40s who is container. Then, they conversed. language as the desperate for company and excitement. She She was bewildered about how Main Character desires to be able to live her life to the fullest he was still able to work as a and reach her personal dreams despite of her sailor at his age. He assured her Setting: circumstances. that as long as you can do the Location: work, age does not matter. - A foreign country Narrator: Benjamin Button. that has an allied Then, he confessed that relation to the Main Setting: something has been keeping him Character’s origin Location: up from sleep. The woman - A building for a The Sea replied that her own father tried temporary Murmansk Port, Murmansk, Russia to cheat death by not sleeping but residence “The Winter Palace”, a hotel in Murmansk, eventually dies anyway. The - A room within the Russia teenage boy mused that the building A bar inside “The Winter Palace” woman’s father must have known

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something that others don’t. Time: Time:1941 Then, the woman shared about - In the past her disappointment with her failed vacation somewhere across Atmosphere: the world with her husband and - Desperation her marriage life.

They continue to meet at the lobby every night since.

One night, the woman told him that she may have given him a mixed feeling about their relationship. She is, after all, a married woman, and it appears that they are becoming closer. To this, the young man answered that he isn’t familiar with what is not commonly done by married or non-married women.

29. The young man broke In a dance studio, the childhood Characters: Characters: his childhood friend’s friend dances in front of a row of Minor Character: Minor Character: heart examiners. - Someone the Main Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood Character is close friend from New Orleans. She is in love with Then, during a break she read the with and is in love Benjamin. She has grown into an ambitious postcard from the young man and with the Main and beautiful young ballet dancer. Daisy is discovered that he has fallen for Character currently auditioning for a position at the New someone else. York City Ballet Company. While initially Setting: relegated into the dancing corps, the emotion Location: portrayed whilst broken hearted by Benjamin’s - A building where letter earned her the judges’ favor. people dance - A large city Dance judges. Various people sitting behind a

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somewhere in the table to judge the audition. same country as the Main Character’s Fellow dancers in the audition. origin Narrator: Daisy Fuller Time: - In the past Setting: Location: A dance studio in New York City Atmosphere Time: 1941 - Sad Weather: Clear

30. The young man had One night, the young man Characters: Characters: an affair with the descended into the lobby and Main Character: Main Character: woman he met, and found the woman formally - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now having an affair with learnt that it is dressed. She taught him how to condition that led Elizabeth. important to make the enjoy a local alcoholic drink and him to live an most of life while delicacy that paired well unnatural life Minor Character: there is the together. She exclaimed teasingly Minor Character Elizabeth Abbott. A lonely and desperate opportunity to do it. how he has never enjoyed any - A foreigner from a woman of 40 who is married to Walter Abbott. treat like that and that he hasn’t nation that is She is currently struggling to remain loyal in had a lot of experience with different from the her marriage due to its mundaneness. She women. He agreed, except for the Main Character but desires for an intimate company, excitement, women. speaks the same living fully to her own terms, and the language as the fulfillment of her dream. These desires drove Main Character her to do the unthinkable, which is having an Then, she shared that when she affair with Benjamin. was young she attempted to swim across an oceanic channel but Setting: Narrator: Benjamin Button. was held back by strong wind Location: and the rain. She quitted and - A foreign country Setting: regretted that she never did that has an allied Location: anything important in her life relation to the Main Murmansk, Russia ever since. Then, she bent down Character’s origin “The Winter Palace” Hotel, Murmansk, Russia to kiss him before retreating to - A building for a The street of Murmansk, Russia

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her room. temporary residence Time: 1941 – Winter, Nighttime The next night, the two went on a - A room within the walk and the woman shared building about her past regrets; about waiting for the right moment to Time: do things and never end up doing - In the past anything instead. Then, she set up the rules they must adhere to Atmosphere: if they want to have an affair. - Desperation

31. The young man went In the hotel bar, the Captain held Characters: Characters: to war with his a meeting about the crew’s Main Character: Main Character: tugboat team future. They are drafted into the - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 22 year old backwards aging war and anyone who wishes to condition that led young man. Benjamin is showing a lot of not be a part of it is free to leave. him to live an bravery for stepping up to take the position of The crew’s cook asked for unnatural life the cook because by doing so, he is going to permission to leave due to his war. wife’s declining health and the Minor Characters A: Captain released him. Someone - People of various Minor Characters: questioned who will be able to ethnicities that are Captain Mike. cook for the crew now that the not discriminated or cook is gone. The young man segregated by the Prentiss Mayes. The fat, elderly cook of the confidently volunteered to be the majority population tugboat “Chelsea.” He left the crew to return to new cook. Then, the Captain of the Main his sickly wife. declared that they are going for Character’s origin war. - Coworkers to Main Rick Brody. Character Vic Brody. Minor Characters B: - Foreigners in their John Grimm. native home country Pleasant Curtis.

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Setting: Narrator: Benjamin Button. Location: - A foreign country Setting: with alliance to the Location: Main Character’s The bar of “Winter Palace”, Murmansk, Russia origin - A building for a Time: 1941 temporary residence - A bar within the building

Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Anxious 32. The affair came to an One night, the woman stopped Character: Characters: end waiting at the lobby and the Main Character Main Character: young man sat alone. - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 22 year old young man with condition that led the appearance of someone in his late 50s. In After a meeting with the crew, him to live an addition to his characteristics that have been the young man returned to his unnatural life mentioned previously, he is also someone who room and found a note that she is quick to cope with his situation and move had left behind. It said “It was Setting: on. nice to have met you.” Location: - A foreign country Narrator: Benjamin Button. that has an alliance to the Main Setting: Character’s origin - A building for a Location: temporary Murmansk, Russia residence The bar of “The Winter Palace” - A room within the “The Winter Palace” Hotel in Murmansk,

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building Russia

Time: Time: 1941 - In the past

Atmosphere: - Bittersweet 33. The tugboat was At sea, one of the crew members Characters: Characters: attacked by a gave all of the money that he has Main Character: Main Character: submarine and earned to the young man so that - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 23 years old and the new everyone, except the he can send it to his wife and condition that led cook of the “Chelsea”. He is an honest, young man and children if he died in the war. him to live an hardworking, and trustworthy man who is another crew The young man took it and unnatural life well-liked by his captain. He survived the member, dies. promised him that the money will submarine attack together with one other crew reach them. Minor Characters A: member. - People of various Suddenly, one of the crew ethnicities who are Minor Characters: members rang a bell. The rest of not discriminated or Pleasant Curtis. He is a crew member of the the crew came to see what was segregated by the “Chelsea” who is known to have never spoken going on and they saw a lot of majority population a word to anyone except himself. He placed his transport ships burning. The of the Main trust on Benjamin to deliver his wage to his Captain ordered to turn off the Character’s origin family, knowing full well that he will not engine and everyone get ready to - Coworkers to Main survive. a battle position. They have Character spotted a submarine moving Captain Mike. towards them. Setting: Location: Vic Brody. - The Sea Rick Brody. Time: - In the past John Grimm.

Atmosphere: Chief Gunner Dennis Smith. He is a navy - Daunting and Tense soldier assigned to assist the “Chelsea” crew in

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their salvage and rescue mission.

Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location: Atlantic Ocean Aboard the tugboat “Chelsea”

Time: 1942

34. The young man and The submarine and the tugboat Characters: Characters: his remaining mate crew shot at one another. The Main Character: Main Character: were rescued by a tugboat was steered to crash to - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 23 year old crew member of rescue ship. He had to the submarine and the submarine condition that led the tugboat “Chelsea”. He survived the say goodbye to the exploded. Everyone on the him to live an submarine attack. Being surrounded by death tugboat and the rest tugboat, except the young man unnatural life all through his childhood, he thought he was of the team members and one other crew member died used to witnessing it; but in the submarine who died, and of gunshot wound. Minor Characters A: attack, death did not feel natural to him. It felt encountered a - People of non- forced, untimely, and murder-like. From this hummingbird Before the Captain died, he segregated race moment on, he cherishes life and detests any emerging from the offered one last word of wisdom - Coworkers to Main conflict that leads to the taking away of tugboat’s life ring. to the young man and a comfort Character somebody’s. For the first time in to himself who is dying; that his life, he felt a death regardless of how strongly he felt Minor Characters B: Pleasant Curtis. The anti-social member of the situation that didn’t about something, when it comes - People from a tugboat “Chelsea”. He trusted Benjamin above feel natural. to the end, he has to let it go. majority race all the other crew members to be able to give his wage to his family. He died during the The tugboat sunk. Setting: submarine attack. Location: The next morning, the young The Sea Captain Mike. He is the drunkard but merry man was on a big ship, looking Captain of the tugboat “Chelsea”. Following over the sea. Behind him, one of Time: the submarine attack, he was gravely injured his crew mate sat huddled with a In the past by gunshots and was upset that his artworks

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blanket, lost over the death of his (tattoos) were destroyed by the shots. He died brother. A sailor handed the Atmosphere: shortly after. young man the tugboat’s life ring Sad, Loss and told him to toss it in the Vic Brody. He is the twin brother of Rick ocean. Brody. He died during the submarine attack.

Rick Brody. He is the twin brother of Vic Brody. He appeared very lost without his brother which shows that regardless of how much they fought, he loves his brother.

John Grimm. He is the pessimistic crew member of the “Chelsea”. He died during the attack

Chief Gunner Dennis Smith. A navy soldier assigned to assist the “Chelsea” crew in their salvage and rescue mission. He died in the submarine attack.

A sailor from the ship “Liberty”. A sailor who told Benjamin to throw the life-ring of “Chelsea” back to the ocean.

Other sailors from the ship “Liberty”

Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location: Atlantic Ocean Aboard the tugboat “Chelsea” Aboard the Liberty Ship

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Time: 1942 35. The young man The young man approached the Characters: Characters: returns home elderly institution that he was Main Character: Main Character: brought up in. A young girl from - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 26 years old, and a lot a minority race was sweeping on condition that led stronger and younger than before. He now has the front step. He walked inside him to live an the appearance of a man in his 50s. His hair has the house and called out to his unnatural life been cropped short and he now dresses neatly adopted mother. in tidy shirt and suit as opposed to his more Minor Characters A: relaxed fashion as a sailor. - Middle Class - People from a Minor Character: discriminated Queenie. She is Benjamin’s adopted mother. minority race She is a merry and loving Black woman, now - Family in her 50s. She still works as the caretaker of Nolan Park together with her daughter who Minor Characters B: helps her out. She recently lost her partner - People from various Tizzy Weathers as he died in his sleep one ethnicities needing night. She has aged considerably since before special care Benjamin left to sea, but she never lost her warmth or her kindness. Setting: Location: Queenie’s daughter. Queenie’s 14 year old - An establishment daughter. She does not know that Benjamin is that provides her brother. housing and care for the special Residents of the Nolan Park. Now, the needs residents of Nolan Park aren’t as exclusive as - A city where before. Now, there are Black elderlies residing interracial there too. relationships and interaction is Narrator: Benjamin Button. accepted Setting: Time: Location:

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- In the past New Orleans, Louisiana Back at Nolan Park Atmosphere: - Happy, Welcoming Time: 1945 36. The young man meets The young man readapts to the Characters: Characters: his childhood friend peacefulness of his home life. Main Character: Main Character: again. One day, he descended down the - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 26 year old young man who stairs and saw his childhood condition that led ages backwards. He has the appearance of a friend outside. He went outside to him to live an man in his 50s but still has the heart of a young the porch to greet her. unnatural life man. After returning home, his friend Daisy came by for a visit. He was surprised to find Minor Characters A: how beautiful she is and he fell in love with - Middle Class her. - People of from a discriminated Minor Character: minority race Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood - Family friend. She has grown into a beautiful and graceful 22 year old young dancer. Minor Characters B: - People from various Narrator: Benjamin Button. ethnicities that needs special care Setting: Location: Minor Character C: New Orleans, Louisiana - A dear person to the The back porch of Nolan Park Main Character - A person from a Time: 1945 majority race

Setting: Location: - An establishment that provides housing and care

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for the special needs - A city where interracial relationships and interaction is accepted

Time: - In the past

Atmosphere: - Happy, Welcoming 37. The young man fell The childhood friend greeted him Characters: Characters: in love with his back and they conversed, Main Character: Main Character: childhood friend catching up with one another. - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 26 years old young man who Then, he invited her to have condition that led ages backwards. After returning home from the dinner with him. him to live an war and his working life at sea, he readapts to unnatural life the peacefulness of his previous life. There, he helped out his family to run Nolan Park. He Minor Character: reunited with his childhood friend who came - A dear person to the for a visit and fell in love with her. Main Character - A person from a Minor Character: majority race Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood friend. She has grown into a beautiful and Setting: graceful young dancer. She is 22 and is a Location: youthful, passionate, talkative, lively, and - An establishment knowledgeable individual in the matters of that provides care Ballet dancing. However, she too has grown and housing for the very pleasure-seeking. She is attracted to special needs Benjamin and used to be in love with him. - A city where interracial Narrator: Benjamin Button.

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relationships and interaction is Setting: accepted Location: Time: New Orleans, Louisiana - In the past Inside Nolan Park

Atmosphere: Time 1945 - Nostalgia 38. The young man The childhood friend greeted him Characters: Characters: rejected his childhood back and they conversed, Main Character: Main Character: friend’s sexual catching up with one another. - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 26 years old young man who advances. Then, he invited her to have condition that led ages backwards. He reunited with his dinner with him. The young man him to live an childhood friend who came for a visit and fell and his childhood friend went to unnatural life in love with her. However, as attracted and in have dinner together in a fancy love as he was to Daisy, he is very respectful of restaurant. There, he taught her Minor Character: her and does not want to treat her improperly. how to enjoy alcohol paired with - A dear person to the Therefore, he rejects her when she advanced a a delicacy, the same way the Main Character sexual favor on him. woman he previously had an - A person from a affair with had taught him. majority race Minor Character: Daisy Fuller. Benjamin’s childhood friend. She There, the childhood friend also Setting: is now a beautiful and graceful young dancer. shared to him about her Location: She is 22 and at the height of her youthful experiences and growth during - A city where energy. She is a passionate, talkative, and the span of time they were apart interracial lively woman. She is attracted to Benjamin and from each other. relationships and is still in love with him. interaction is Afterwards, they went to the park accepted Narrator: Benjamin Button. and she performed a little dance move for him. Then, the young Time: Setting: man was invited to have a sexual - In the past intercourse by his childhood Location: friend. Atmosphere: New Orleans, Louisiana

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- Rejection A restaurant A park

Time 1945 39. The young man learnt The middle aged man that Characters: Characters: the truth about his offered the young man his first Main Character: Main Characters: biological father and alcohol came by to visit him. The - Has a curious Benjamin. He is a 26 year old young man who family. His biological young man was fixing his condition that led ages backwards physically. After his last father apologized for garment when the middle aged him to live an encounter with Daisy, his childhood friend and having abandoned man came. The young man asked unnatural life new romantic interest, he regretted rejecting him and for not being what was wrong with him since her offer and offending her. In this part of the honest with him. he now walks with a crutch and Minor Character: story, he learns that he is the biological son of the middle aged man said that his - A person from a Mr. Thomas Button and the heir to the foot got infected. majority race Button’s Buttons business. He is visibly upset - Upper Middle Class and shocked about it and refuses to accept his Then, they sat in a restaurant. - Very wealthy new identity. The middle aged man lamented how his business slowed down to Setting: Minor Character: the boom of a new product and Location: Mr. Thomas Button. He is Benjamin’s the end of the war. His business - A city where biological father. He is now an old man in his was flourishing because of the interracial 50s and is dying due to an unknown illness and war. Then, he said that he is ill relationships and his infected foot. He has lived his entire life in and dying, and would love to be interaction is regret for abandoning Benjamin when he was a able to visit the young man from accepted. baby and sought only his forgiveness and time to time. acceptance as a family member. Time: Then, the middle aged man took - In the past Residents of the Nolan Park the young man to his factory and Waiters and people in the steak house started talking about how his Atmosphere: business came to be. The young - Shock Narrator: Benjamin Button. man was impressed and asked the middle aged man what he wants Setting: from him. Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

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Benjamin’s bedroom at Nolan Park Delmonico’s Steak House The Button’s Buttons button factory

Time: 1945

40. The young man’s After hearing the news about his Characters: Character: biological father identity, the young man left. At Main Character: Main Character: forgive himself and the elderly institution, his - Has a curious Benjamin Button. The 26 year old young man pass away peacefully adopted mother was furious after condition that led who ages backwards. He recently learnt about finding out what had happened. him to live an his family history, however, he refuses to The young man bid good night to unnatural life accept his new identity and refuses to accept her in order to not incense her the Buttons as his family. He was shocked, even more. Minor Character A: confused, and upset after hearing the news. - A person from a However, he is a fair man and has a lot Then, he returned one day to his non-segregated race sympathy and respect for Mr. Thomas Button, bed-ridden biological father, took - Upper Middle Class his biological father, as a friend. He took him him to his nature-viewing home - Very wealthy to his house at Lake Pontchartrain and helped and help him to redo one of the - An acquaintance him to relieve himself of his past regrets and activities he loved to do most arranged his funeral service after he passed with; watching the sunrise. He Minor Character B: away. taught the father the wisdom the - Middle Class Captain taught him as the sun - A race that used to Minor Characters: rises. be segregated Mr. Thomas Button. He is Benjamin Button’s biological father. He is a regretful old man who Setting: is dying from an illness and an infected foot. Location: He received help from Benjamin to forgive - An establishment himself from his past mistakes and died for the special peacefully. needs - A city where Queenie. She is Benjamin Button’s adopted interracial mother. She is furious to know about Mr. relationships and Thomas Button’s real identity and that he interaction is wanted Benjamin back in his life. However,

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accepted she still paid respect to him by attending his - A place bordering funeral together with Benjamin. to nature Mr. Thomas Button’s chauffeur Time: - In the past Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Atmosphere: Setting: - Bittersweet  Location: Bliss, Forgiving New Orleans, Louisiana Button’s Button factory Mr. Thomas Button’s house Queenie’s Bedroom at Nolan Park Mr. Thomas Button’s lake house dock at Lake Pontchartrain

Time: 1945

41. The young man’s The young man’s childhood Characters: Characters: love was rejected. friend had a dance performance Main Characters: Main Character: in a nearby city and he came to - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 27 years old and is in watch. After the performance, he condition that led love with Daisy Fuller. He is hurt and went to the backstage area to him to live an disappointed that his love for her was rejected. send his congratulations. She was unnatural life However, he was respectful of her choices and surprised that he came and does not force himself on her. invited him to the after party. Minor Character A : - Someone with Minor Characters: In the after party, the young man relation to the Main The Man. Someone from the backstage area saw his childhood friend bonding Character with her boyfriend. He decided to - A person from a Daisy Fuller. Benjamin Button’s childhood leave and his childhood friend majority race friend and romantic interest. Unfortunately, she came after him to explain. does not feel for him the same way as he does Minor Characters B: for her. She is still dejected from their last - People of various encounter 2 years ago and does not want to

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ethnic backgrounds accept Benjamin back.

Setting: David. Daisy’s boyfriend. Location: Other dancers - A building where people dance Narrator: Benjamin Button. - A big city from the same country of the Setting: Main Character’s Location: origin New York City The Majestic Theater Time: The Backstage of the Majestic Theater - Sometime in the A Loft past Time: 1947 Atmosphere: - Bitter

42. The young man’s The childhood friend walked Characters: Characters: childhood friend was outside of a theater door. A taxi Minor Character: Main Character: hit by a moving approached. - Someone with Benjamin. He is now 34 years old and has vehicle, which relation to the Main grown into a very handsome brown haired resulted in the Benjamin received a telegram Character young man. He is strong bodied, has flawless breaking of her leg, about it from a messenger boy - A person from a skin, and no longer need any glasses. He has a her grief, and majority race in her classy fashion style. He was contacted by disappearance own country Daisy’s friend who was present at the time the accident happened. Since his love for Daisy Minor Characters B: never diminished and due to his care for her as - People of various a friend, he flew to France to take care of her. ethnic backgrounds Even though he was rejected by her while he was there, he remained to watch over her from Setting: a safe distance. Location: - A building where Minor Characters:

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people dance Daisy Fuller. Benjamin Button’s childhood - A big city from a friend and romantic interest. She was at the foreign country height of her dancing career when she was hit across the continent by a taxi. Her leg was broken in 5 places and she could no longer dance as she used to. She Time: becomes depressed that her youth and her life - Sometime in the were taken away from her by this accident. She past rejected Benjamin because she perceived that he has a perfect life and was jealous of it. She Atmosphere: later disappeared to tend to herself. - Pitiful Daisy’s friend.

Daisy’s dancing mates.

Taxi Driver – A taxi driver who crashed onto Daisy

The shopping woman The late man The truck driver The store clerk The store clerk’s boyfriend French Pedestrians and Citizens

Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location: A street in Paris, France Nolan Park, New Orleans, Louisiana

Time: 1954

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43. The young man’s One afternoon, several years Characters: Characters: childhood friend later, the young man, now a Main Characters: Main Character: returned home, and middle age man, returned home - Has a curious Benjamin. He has grown into a 42 year old the two begun a from a motorcycle drive. He condition that led man, but has the flawless appearance of relationship greeted his now ageing adopted him to live an someone in his 30s. Through his regretful past mother, and opened the back unnatural life with Daisy, he has learnt to accept Daisy for door to come inside. Behind him, who she is and is willing to spend his life with another door opened and his Minor Character: her. childhood friend stood there. - Someone with relation to the Main Minor Characters: They sat around the kitchen’s Character Queenie. She is Benjamin Button’s adopted dining table. His adopted mother - A person from a mother. She has grown into an old lady, with walked in commenting about majority race gray hair, stooped back, stiff joints, and she how the childhood friend never needs the help of a cane to walk. kept in touch. The middle age Minor Character B: man said good night to her and - Middle Class Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood the mother left. Then, they went - Someone from a friend and love interest. She has physically into the bedroom. discriminated recovered from the accident with the taxi but is minority race still psychologically hurt by it as it has ruined - Family her dancing career. She is no longer a dancer.

Minor Character C: An old man residing at Nolan Park. - A resident of the establishment Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Setting: Location: Location: - An establishment New Orleans, Louisiana that provides Back porch of Nolan Park housing and care Kitchen table at Nolan Park for the special needs Time: 1962

Time:

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- Sometime in the past

Atmosphere: - Bittersweet

44. The middle age The middle age man and his Characters: Characters: man’s adopted childhood friend return home Main Characters: Main Character: mother passed away from their trip. They put down - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 43 years old. He is their suitcases below the stair and condition that led heartbroken that Queenie, his beloved mother then the middle age man called him to live an passed away. However, as he is a man of calm for his mother. An old lady unnatural life disposition, he kept his integrity intact albeit in appeared from the top of the mourning. To honor her, he held a funeral with stairs. He asked her where Minor Character A: people who are close to her and buried her everybody is. The lady - Someone with beside her beloved Tizzy Weathers who passed apologized and told him that his relation to the Main away a few decades prior. adopted mother had died. Character - A person from a Minor Character: majority race Daisy Fuller. Benjamin’s childhood friend and girlfriend. Minor Characters B: - Someone from a Mrs. Carter. An elderly resident at Nolan Park majority race who resides at the Narrator: Benjamin Button. establishment Setting: Setting: Location: Location: - An establishment New Orleans, Louisiana that provides Nolan Park housing and care for the special Time: 1963 needs

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Time: - Sometime in the past

Atmosphere: - Heartbreak and loss 45. The middle age man After the middle age man’s Characters: Character: helped his childhood adopted mother passed away, he Main Characters: Main Character: friend accept herself sold his biological father’s house - Has a curious Benjamin. Benjamin’s core personality never as she is. and bought a smaller house for condition that led really changed from when he was young. He him and his childhood friend. He him to live an had always been a peace-loving, respectful, also hired a therapist to help his unnatural life sympathetic, quiet, and calm man. His childhood friend regain the health experiences further developed him into a man of her leg. Minor Character: who cherishes living life to the fullest. So, he - Someone with never dwelt in negative emotions for long. One day, after the childhood relation to the Main Although it may still bother him internally, he friend finished swimming, she Character chooses to move on and take a course of action saw a young swimmer. Being - A person from a so that his life can continue. After the death of reminded of her past, she cried majority race his mother, he chooses to live his life for her lost abilities, professional independently. He left Nolan Park to live his career, and her youth but was too Minor Character B: own life, leaving Nolan Park to be cared for by ashamed to admit it. The middle - People from a Queenie’s daughter. In this setting, he is 43. age man then took her to the majority race place where he helped his father Minor Characters: pass before, and let her Setting: A couple purchasing his father’s house experience the moment for Location: herself. - A suburban area Mrs. Van Dam, a physical therapist and near the place of the Benjamin and Daisy’s neighbor Main Character’s origin Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood - A place close to friend and girlfriend. She still struggles to nature move on from her past.

Time: People at the swimming pool

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- Sometime in the past Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Atmosphere: Setting: - Bittersweet acceptance Location: New Orleans, Louisiana The Buttons’ family home A suburban townhouse A public swimming pool The dock of the House at lake Pontchartrain

Time: 1963 46. The childhood friend After the experience, the Characters: Characters confessed to him that childhood friend found peace and Main Characters: Main Character: she is pregnant opened a dance studio to teach - Has a curious Benjamin Button. He is now 47 and an young children her skills. condition that led expecting father. him to live an After one of the session, she unnatural life Minor Characters: attempted to do one of her Daisy Fuller. Benjamin’s childhood friend and routines but failed due to the pain Minor Character: girlfriend. After being helped by Benjamin to in her leg. The middle age man - Someone with move on from her past, she opened a small watched her and complimented relation to the Main dance studio to teach young children to dance. her. They looked at each other in Character Though she may not be able to dance as well as the mirror. - A person from a before, she found peace this way. She is an non-segregated race expecting mother.

Minor Characters B: Narrator: Benjamin Button. - People of various ethnicity Setting: Location: Setting: New Orleans, Louisiana Location: A dance studio in New Orleans, Louisiana - A suburban area

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near the place of the Time: 1967 Main Character’s origin

Time: - Sometime in the past

Atmosphere: - Surprise, happiness 47. The middle age man The childhood friend and the Characters: Characters: discovered that the middle age man sat in a café Main Characters: woman he had an while speaking about his anxiety - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 47 and an expecting affair with when he about being a father. The condition that led father. He is afraid and anxious to be a father was still working as a childhood friend tried to comfort him to live an due to his ageing abnormality. However, he is tugboat man had him about it. Then, she dismissed unnatural life happy that Elizabeth has reached her dream, successfully fulfilled herself to the restroom. which in essence is almost like a her dream Minor Character A: commemoration of the time they spent Then, he looked at the news - Someone with together. playing on the TV. relation to the Main Character Minor Characters: - A person from a Daisy Fuller. Benjamin’s childhood friend and majority race girlfriend. She is an expecting mother.

Minor Character B: Elizabeth Abbot. She was the woman that - Someone the Main Benjamin had an affair with when he was in Character used to Murmansk with his tugboat crew. She has have an affair with since aged and is now a lady in her 80s. In her old age, she mustered up her courage to live Other Minor Characters: her life fully and finally reached her goal to - People of various swim across the English Channel. She was ethnicity awarded the title “The Oldest Woman to Swim the English Channel.” Setting:

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Location: Narrator: Benjamin Button. - A suburban area near the place of the Setting: Main Character’s Location: origin New Orleans, Louisiana A dance studio in New Orleans, Louisiana Time: - Sometime in the Time: 1967 past

Atmosphere: - Warm 48. The middle age man One spring day, when the middle Characters: Characters: became a father to a age man was about to leave Main Characters: Main Character: normal and healthy somewhere, he heard the sound - Has a curious Benjamin. Benjamin is anxious about how he baby of his childhood friend falling condition that led can be involved in his child’s life. In his heart, down. He looked down the stairs him to live an he desires to be a father but is sad that he is to where she fell and saw a lot of unnatural life unable to be a normal one. blood. She told him to call help. Minor Character: Minor Characters: The help came and he waited - Someone with Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood anxiously outside of his bedroom relation to the Main friend, girlfriend, and mother to his child. She for the procedure to be okay. Character is 42. Then, he heard the sound of a - A person from a baby crying. majority race Baby Caroline. Benjamin’s and Daisy’s daughter. She is born normal and healthy. Setting: Location: A doctor - A suburban home Several nurses near the place of the Main Character’s Narrator: Benjamin Button. origin Setting: Time: Location:

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- Sometime in the New Orleans, Louisiana past Benjamin’s and Daisy’s suburban townhouse

Atmosphere: Time: 1968 - Tense and worry 49. The middle age man Following the birth of the baby, Characters: Characters: abandoned his family the middle age man becomes Main Character: Main Character: more anxious. He insisted to his - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 51 years old and is a childhood friend that the child condition that led father to a baby girl. However, he is anxious needs a father, not a playmate. him to live an because he is unsure how his life can revolve The childhood friend was unnatural life around his daughter. He eventually told Daisy offended and began to feel if it about it; that he does not want his child to be was because of her age that he Minor Character: bullied because of the way he age, and he does behaved that way. The middle - Someone with not want Daisy to have to bear the age man answered that it isn’t relation to the Main responsibility and difficulty of raising them because of that. He is sure that Character both eventually. In the end, despite of Daisy’s she cannot raise both of them. - A person from a pleas, he left Daisy and Caroline with a lot of majority race money so that they can find a way to live a The baby had her first birthday more normal life. He left Caroline while she is party, and the middle age man Setting: still young enough to not be able to remember spoke to one of the father. He Location: who he is. exclaimed that they will grow so - A suburban home fast it won’t be long until they near the place of the Minor Characters: are in high school. Main Character’s Daisy Fuller. She is Benjamin’s childhood origin friend and girlfriend. She is also the mother of The next morning, the middle age his child. She tried very hard to understand man left behind the house key, Time: Benjamin’s anxiety and find a compromise to and a bank card containing all of - Sometime in the that so that they can all still live together. the savings he had from selling past However, when he was leaving, she understood his father’s business and nature- that she cannot have her wish granted. She side house. Then, he drove away Atmosphere: tried to accept it as her reality and respect his with his motorcycle to live in - Sad feeling of loss going. many places overseas as a laborer. Baby Caroline. Daisy’s and Benjamin’s

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daughter.

A neighboring father attending Caroline’s birthday party Children and parents attending Caroline’s birthday party

Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Setting: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana A sandbox in a playground Benjamin’s and Daisy’s bedroom in the suburban townhouse

Time: 1969 50. The old man returned One evening after a teaching Characters: Characters: home session at the studio, the middle Main Characters: Main Character: age man, now an old man, - Has a curious Benjamin. Now 62, he looks like a young man entered the studio, looking much condition that led in his 20s. He is glad that Daisy has found a younger. him to live an proper husband to care for her and Caroline unnatural life and is happy that Caroline has grown into a healthy young teenager. Minor Character A: - Someone with Minor Character: relation to the Main Daisy Fuller. Now in her late 50s. She still Character teaches young girls to dance in her little dance - A person from a studio. She is broken hearted that she has to majority race meet Benjamin again, especially since she also has to introduce her daughter to him not as a Minor Character B: father but as someone else. She confessed that - People from a he is right. She is not that strong to raise both majority race of them.

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Setting: Caroline. A young teenage girl. She is Daisy’s Location: and Benjamin’s daughter. - A suburban area near the place of the Robert. He is Daisy’s husband and Caroline’s Main Character’s step-father. origin Narrator: Benjamin Button. Time: - Sometime in the Setting: past Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Atmosphere: Daisy’s dance studio - Emotional, Sad Time: 1980 51. The old man made When the middle age man was Characters: Characters: love with his now old pondering why he returned, Main Characters: Main Character: childhood friend someone knocked on the door. - Has a curious Benjamin. Now 62, he looks like a young man He opened the door and his condition that led in his 20s. He returned to meet Daisy and his childhood friend stood in front of him to live an family, but for what reason, he cannot pin point the door. She apologized for unnatural life why. He has always loved them and misses showing up there and not them deeply, even though he is not together knowing why. She caressed his Minor Character: with them. He is happy to know that his family face saying, “Nothing last” and - Someone with has found a proper man to care for them and he replied by telling her that he relation to the Main fill his role as a father. never stopped loving her. Character - A person from a Minor Characters: majority race Daisy Fuller. Now in her late 50s. Similarly to Benjamin who is confused about why he Setting: returned to New Orleans, Daisy is confused Location: about why she is meeting him in his hotel - A suburban area room. Though time and marriage have driven near the place of the them apart, she still loves Benjamin as before. Main Character’s

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origin Narrator: Benjamin Button.

Time: Setting: - Sometime in the Location: past New Orleans, Louisiana Benjamin’s hotel room Atmosphere: - Nostalgia and Time: 1980 sadness 52. The old man was After the childhood friend’s Characters: Characters: returned to his husband passed away, the Main Characters: Main Character: adopted mother’s childhood friend received a - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 72 years old and has the elderly home, but he phone call. She immediately took condition that led appearance of a 12 year old boy. He no longer is now a boy with the a taxi to the elderly institution him to live an has a good memory about himself and his past sign of old age where the old man was raised. unnatural life anymore, and avoids being touched. He is There, she was called by showing the psychological degeneration of an Benjamin’s adopted sister into Minor Character A: elderly suffering from dementia. the kitchen. A public service man - Someone with told her that a boy was found relation to the Main Minor Characters: living in a condemned building, Character Daisy Fuller. She is the childhood friend and and he has a diary that contained - A person from a ex-girlfriend of Benjamin. Though no longer in a lot of her name in it. The majority race a relationship with him, she still deeply loves adopted sister told the childhood him and cares for him. She is now in her 60s friend that she told the public Minor Characters B: and is a widow. service man that the boy is one of - A person from a her family member. The public majority race Queenie’s daughter. She is now in her 50s service man confessed that the boy shows the sign of dementia. Minor Character C: Residents of the Nolan Park. A majority of - A person from a them are now Black elderlies rather than White Then, the sound of a music minority race elderlies. instrument playing was heard. The childhood friend approached Minor Character D: A public service officer the source of the sound and saw a - People of various young teenage boy playing with ethnicities A taxi driver

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it. Setting: Narrator: Daisy Fuller. Location: - An establishment Narrator: Benjamin Button. for the special needs Setting: Location: Time: New Orleans, Louisiana - Sometime in the Daisy’s house past The back of a taxi Nolan Park – now looking a lot more aged than Atmosphere: the time the audience was first shown it - Emotional, Sad The parlor of Nolan Park

Time: 1990

53. The old man One morning, the little boy asked Characters: Characters: expresses his for some breakfast but would not Main Characters: Main Character: degenerating believe that he already had some. - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 76 and looks about 8. He memories He got angry at his caretakers condition that led is showing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and insulted them. The childhood him to live an Disease and Dementia. In the scene where he is friend entered the room and took unnatural life on the rooftop, he is 78 and looks about 6. He him to bath. After the bath, he continues to go into a state of remembering and told the childhood friend that he Minor Character A: not remembering his past. sometimes felt he had a long life - Someone with behind him but he cannot relation to the Main Minor Characters: remember anything about it. The Character Queenie’s daughter. Along with Daisy, she is childhood friend said it is okay to - A person from a the new caretaker of Benjamin. She is in her forget. majority race 50s and is the caretaker of Nolan Park.

One day, adults ran outside and Minor Character B: Daisy Fuller. She is now in her later 60s and point to the top of a roof. A - A person from a has become one of Benjamin’s daily care-taker toddler was sitting on the roof minority race together with Queenie’s daughter. She is often pointing to graveyard, saying that sad looking at how Benjamin, the man she

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he can see the big river and the Minor Character D: loved, has degenerated. graveyard where his adopted - People of various mother was buried. The ethnicities An elderly Black resident at the Nolan Park childhood friend coaxed him to Other residents at the Nolan Park go down and he did. Setting: Location: Narrator: Daisy Fuller. - An establishment that provides care Setting: and housing for the Location: special needs New Orleans, Louisiana The kitchen of Nolan Park Time: Benjamin’s bedroom at Nolan Park - Sometime in the The rooftop and yard of Nolan Park past Time: 1994-1996 Atmosphere: - Emotional, Sad 54. The old man The childhood friend moved into Characters: Characters: degenerated the elderly home. She redid the Main Characters: Main Character: old activities that they often did - Has a curious Benjamin Button. He is now 79 and has the together when they were young condition that led appearance of a 5 year old. Progressively, he and cared for him as he grow him to live an grows to be 82 and develops the appearance younger and younger into an unnatural life and abilities of a 2 year old toddler. infant. Minor Character: Daisy Fuller – She is now in her 70s - Someone with relation to the Main Narrator: Daisy Fuller. Character - A person from a Setting: majority race Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Setting: Nolan Park Location: - An establishment Time: 1997 – 2001

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that provides care and housing for the special needs

Time: - Sometime in the past

Atmosphere: - Emotional, Sad 55. The backwards One day, a new digital forward Characters: Characters: moving clock was moving clock was mounted on Minor Characters replaced by a forward the wall of the train station. Workers dismounting the grand clock moving electrical Below it, men covered the old Setting: clock backwards moving clock with a Location: Narrator: Daisy Fuller. cloth. A city A large transportation station Setting: Location: The grand station of New Orleans Time: Time: 2002 Sometime in the past

Atmosphere: Ordinary 56. The old man died A year later, the childhood friend Characters: Characters: peacefully was sitting in the bedroom with Main Characters: Main Character: the now baby old man cradled in - Has a curious Benjamin. He is now 84 and looks no more her arms. He looked at her and condition that led than a very small, almost newborn baby. He closed his eyes. She pulled the him to live an passed away in Daisy’s arms. blanket over his head. unnatural life Minor Character: Minor Character Daisy Fuller. She is now in her later 70s and - Someone with still patiently cares for Benjamin until his last relation to the Main breath. She claimed that before he died, Character Benjamin looked at her as if he knew who she

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- A person from a was. majority race Narrator: Daisy Fuller. Setting: Location: Setting: - An establishment Location: for the special Daisy’s room at Nolan Park needs Time: 2003 Time: - Sometime in the past

Atmosphere: - Emotional, Sad 57. The old man’s The childhood friend has grown Characters: Characters: daughter learnt about very old, is dying, and is now in Minor Characters Minor Characters: him, his life, and the the hospital accompanied with Daisy Fuller. She is now a very old lady in her wisdom he has learnt her daughter. She complained Setting: 80s on her death bed. She has a few heavy in his life. about the pain of her body. A Location: regrets in her life that she wishes to address to nurse came to help her with the - A medical her daughter and Benjamin’s journal held the medical procedures to ease her institution key to it. She confessed to Caroline that she pain. Her daughter expressed her has tried to read it many times but never had love for her. The childhood Time: the strength to. So, to introduce her to her real friend asked her daughter to take - In the past father, her real identity, and who her mother a diary from her old suitcase and really is, she asked Caroline to read it to her asked her daughter to read it to Atmosphere: and relieve herself of the regrets and burdens her. - Apologetic, she has been carrying. troubled Caroline. Daisy’s daughter. She is a 37 year old adult. She loves her mother very much although she feels that she has a lack of confidence due to the way she turned out, not having any special talent to make her mother

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proud of her. She never knew about her true identity and her real father. Through the experience of reading Benjamin’s diary, she was skeptical of it. However, when she learnt that Benjamin was her real father, she became very upset. At the end of her reading, she grew to respect him and wishes that she knew him more. Through the experience, she also learnt a lot of wisdom in her life that helps her to gain some confidence in herself.

Nurses

Setting: Location: New Orleans, Louisiana A hospital room

Time: 2005, during Hurricane K 58. The old man’s After reading the diary, the Characters: Characters: childhood best friend daughter expressed that she Minor Characters Minor Characters: passed away wished she had known her Daisy Fuller. Now, a dying elderly woman in biological father better. The Setting: her 80s. After shedding her past regrets and childhood friend answered, “now Location: burden, she finally passed away in peace. you do.” - A medical institution Caroline. Daisy’s 37 year old daughter. An emergency alarm was turned on and the daughter asked Time: Setting: permission to check outside the - In the past Location: room to see what is going on. New Orleans, Louisiana The childhood friend lay down Atmosphere: A hospital room on the bed looking towards the - Bittersweet, window, she said “Goodnight” to Tearful, Peaceful Time: 2005, during Hurricane K the dead old man.

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Outside, a hummingbird approached the window and left. The childhood friend closed her eyes. 59. The backward A flashback of the people the Characters: Characters: moving clock is left backwards aging man had met, Important Minor Characters Ngunda Oti . Sitting by a river as he wished to discarded in a storage their passion, and their room to drown under experiences was shown. At the Setting: Mr. Daws. Getting struck by lightning just like the hurricane’s end of it, the camera zooms into Location: how he said he was flooding water the backwards moving clock that - Various places sits discarded in a storage room identified by the Piano Woman. Closing the cap of a piano being slowly flooded by water. minor characters Captain Mike Clark. Standing with his back *Note: This flashback on this Time: against the outside wall of his tugboat’s bridge, part is actually mentioned in - Various time in the opening his arms wide, showing off his tattoos Benjamin’s diary as one of its past entry which isn’t shown in the Elizabeth Abbot. The elderly Elizabeth Abbott movie version. A portion of it Atmosphere: on the beach, wrapping her arms around herself did, but it didn’t make its way - Nostalgic after a long swim into the film as it is intended in the script. In actuality, it would Mr. Thomas Button. Standing in front of his have been a part of Cardinal factory holding a large handful of buttons function #58. It said: “I figured out one thing. If you’re Tizzy. Putting his arms down proudly after growing older or younger, it reciting a few verses of Shakespeare doesn’t make any difference. Whichever way you’re going Queenie. Standing in front of Nolan Park with you’re going to have to make the her arms out, mouthing the word “Baby” most of what this is. Along the way, you bump into people who Daisy Fuller. In a dance studio, dancing as she make a dent in your life. Some had always done when she was young people are born to sit by a river. Some gets struck by lightning. Narrator: Benjamin Button

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Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Setting: Some know buttons. Some know Location: Shakespeare. Some are mothers. The storage room of New Orleans Central And some people dance.” Station

Time: 2005

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