Name ______“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Before reading the short story, write about what lessons or realizations are learned at each age …
Age 2
Age 10
Age 22
Age 35
Age 45
Age 60
Age 85
What are the disadvantages to growing old? ---
---
What are the disadvantages to growing young?---
---
Define the underlined word:
“The Roger Button family had an enviable position, both social and financial ….(3)
“…dressed himself, adjusted an impeccable stock, and hurried forth….(3)
“and threw Mr. Button a look of hearty contempt…” (5)
“Wrapped in a voluminous white blanket, and partly crammed into one of the cribs…(5)”
How many years are threescore and ten? ______
What do you think a septuagenarian is? ______
Section 1
Setting: ______
Characters: ______
______
Shocking moment: ______
Describe the “baby’s --speech ______
--hair ______
--chin ______
Give reactions of two people of the baby Button.
______-- ______
______-- ______
Section 2 – What difficulty does the father face while shopping? ______
______
FYI – Information on the name Methuselah from Wikipedia:
Methuselah or Metushélach -- "Man of the dart", or alternatively "when he dies/died, it will be sent/has been sent" is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. The name Methuselah has become a general synonym for any living creature of great age.
“Mr. Button, however, was obdurate – he held out his hand. ‘Come along!’ he said sternly” (9).
Obdurate means ______
Section 3 – List some of the items Mr. Button brought home for his son.
-______
-______
What did Benjamin do to get into BIG enough trouble to be spanked? ______
What book did he LIKE to read? ______
Why did he eventually get along with his grandfather so well? ______
Section 4 – Life between his _____ and his _____ birthdays
When Benjamin was 18, he looked to be a man of ______.
Why was he called a “dangerous lunatic” by the college registrar? ______
______
After yelling “You’ll regret this,” what does Benjamin become determined to do? ______
______
Predict: What does the sentence “It was the biggest mistake that Yale College had ever made” mean?
______
Section 5 – What are the similarities between Benjamin and his father at this point?
-______
-______
What impact does Hildegarde Moncrief have on Benjamin? ______
Section 6 – What great social news was announced? ______
List two rumors circulating:-- ______
-- ______
Section 7 – Does the opening paragraph mean the family is rich or poor? ______
Benjamin was the first man to own a ______.
Why is this ironic? “He seems to grow younger every year.” ______
List two ways Benjamin is a lousy husband. --- ______
--- ______
On page 22, list ways Benjamin’s life has changed:
-______
-______
-______
Section 8
How has his views changed toward his wife? -- ______
______
Section 9
Roscoe Button is Benjamin’s SON GRANDSON GREAT-GRANDSON
Who considers Benjamin a hero? ______Why ? ______
______
Why did Benjamin’s skills get weaker with age? ______
______
How did Roscoe make Benjamin cry? ______
AND ______
Section 10
How has Benjamin’s physical appearance changed? ______
Summarize this Section in TWO sentences.
1. ______
______
2. ______
______
Section 11
How does Benjamin spend his days? ______
Write the sentence that shows Benjamin dies at the end. ______
______
What is the (very depressing) theme of this story? (guess) ______
______