Benjamin Button Film and Story Analysis

Plot:   The plot for the movie is the same as the film. A person is born as an old man and as he gets older his features get younger. The story and film both were about this man, Benjamin Button, and his life from birth to death. This made for a fulfilling short story but the film was longer then average. The film had to take more time expressing ideas that can be more efficiently expressed in text. In order to get a full feel of Benjamin's life, the viewer needs more time watching it. The reader on the other hand could get a better grasp on the plot point in a few minutes worth of text.

Point of View: The point of view for the story was from a third person, all knowing perspective. Not very much time was spent on the characters because the reader was simply told the characters thoughts. The film was from the perspective of Benjamin's daughter reading his diary, so more time was spent on the characters to allow for the viewer to get to know them. This fact was another reason for a shorter story and a longer movie. The film also showed what the characters reading about Benjamin were doing, while the story revolved around Benjamin.

Characterization: The film had very detailed characters. For example, the Captain had tattoos and other mannerisms that made him unique from other characters. There is no trouble distinguishing characters of the film from one another. Their dress, personality, and attitudes are very thorough.  It is still easier to understand the characters in the story because of the point of view. A stronger connection with the characters comes from the film because the viewer can see their emotions.

Setting: Both adaptations took place during 80 years, but very different time periods. The short story took place between 1860 and 1920, and the film was between the 1920s and 2003. This created for two very different expiriences. The film being more modern also made it more relatable for me. The short story had characters that live around very moral ideals while the film had more exciting and dangerous events. 1920s-2003 setting allowed for Benjamin to get into more precarious situations, which made for a more exciting film. The setting could have also been different because Fitzgerald wrote the story before the 1920's. The creators of the film could have wanted to expirimemt with the same story but in a modern setting.

Theme: The themes were nearly the same, but they stood out much more in the film. One theme was the similarities and differences between old and young. Benjamin and a girl that he loves are the same age, but they look exactly opposite. When he is an old man in a wheelchair, she is a youthful young girl. Another theme depicts change over time. Both the story and the movie kept returning to notice changes after long periods of time. This created very emotional moments in the story and film, leaving the consumer satisfied.

Benjamin Button Story Analysis

Plot:
   The plot of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is very original. Without the plot, this story would be nothing. This is a story about a man named Benjamin Button. He was strangely born as an old man, and as he grew older his appearence turned younger. The plot basically forced you to be interested in the odd change to human nature. By the second page, the plot has you tied in for the whole strory. It takes you through the happy, sad, and important moments of Benjamin's life. This is a short story, so the plot moves fast. It's goal is to show what life would be like for that phenomenon.

Point of View:
    The point of view is third person omniscient. "It is present, I am told..."(5) is a clear example of the point of view. This type of view allowed for the most character depth possible. The characters emotions, thoughts, and inner desires are given by the narrator. Knowing this information, the reader is able to grow a strong emotional tie with the characters. Without the emotional value this story would have fallen very flat. The point of view got the message of the story through in an efficient manner.

Characterization:
    The characterization was very thorough in this story. Fitzgerald described the characters in such a way that little was left to the imagination. It was like watching a movie. The reader was able to put together the characters appearence and emotions easily because it was openly described. "He had not shaved for three months, but he could find nothing on his face but a faint white down with which he found it unnescessary to meddle."(51) The reader almost knew Benjamin completely, which of course helped the emotional connection Fitzgerald wanted.

Setting:
    "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" began in 1860 in Baltimore, Maryland. The story stayed with Benjamin in Baltimore as the time went by. This was a fantastic setting choice. In 1860, things were not publicized like they are today. The reader was able to see Benjamin's life unfold without the media attention or fame brought about from this occurence. A very natural perspective was brought on to the story of a person born as an old man. Baltimore was also a busy town at the time, so there was plenty of drama to get into. As opposed to say, Texas, which at this time was undergoing the wild west phase. So the reader got a look at how this situation would effect society.

Theme:
   There are several themes of this story. One is Fitzgerald's critisizing of the rich and higher class people. The story often depicted the characters putting looks and social status above their family. That theme went along with another reoccuring theme, which was basically "don't judge a book by its cover". It showed that although Benjamin could be a young kid, he still had a life full of experience. Another question that was raised by Fitzgerald is what consistent quality do we keep a hold of during our growth from young to old.

Shakespearean Sonnet Blog

 In "Sonnet 116", Shakespeare talks about how there is no reason that two people should not get married.He says, "Let me not to the true marriage admit impediments" (Ln.1) which means he did not want to get in the way. Love changes with the circumstances it is in. Love endures hard times, but still it makes it through. Love is also everlasting. Shakespeare says that if he is proven wrong, and love doesn't last forever, then it should mean no man has ever loved.

An example of love is seen in many forms of media. There are love songs by famous musicians today also. A famous movie about love is "Titantic". The movie proved Shakespeare's point because the two people loved each other even through a ship wreck. She loved him even though his death was many years ago. Shakespeare liked the idea of love because he also wrote "Romeo and Juliet", which also is an example of love prevailing.

Ballad

 The song I have chosen is "Mr.Highway is Thinking About the End" by A Day To Remember. This qualifies as a ballad for two reasons. Reason number one is because it is a song about revenge and getting what you deserve. Number two is because it repeats the same message over and over in the music to get the point across. The revenge story is all about someone taking what another person deserves, and the other person being angry about it.

Lyrics in video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMNrrSN7TtE

Heroes

Literary Hero- The Literary Hero I choose is Spiderman. He has always been my favorite as a kid. No real reason why. I owned comics, toys, video games and movies. I always Liked how he was shown as a superhero with a weakness.


Personal Hero- My personal hero is my parents. This is a very cliche thing to say, I know. My parents have given me literally everything so I consider them heroes. My Dad works all the time, as does my Mom. They will never know how much I learned to appreciate it.

Popular Hero-Firefighters are what I consider to be a popular heroes. They are always willing to run into a building to save you. Plus, they never give you tickets. Firefighters work hard and train hard. I respect firefighters for how often they risk their lives.