Short Fiction · Character
Benjamin Button
Born old and aging backward, Benjamin Button must live his life in reverse, greeting his father as a stranger and falling in love as he grows younger.
major
Also known as Mr. Button, Benjamin, Mr. Benjamin Button, Button, little Benjamin
First appearance: tarquin of cheapside
As a major figure in Short Fiction, Benjamin Button is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Protagonist who ages backward from an old man to an infant.
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Benjamin arrives as a bearded infant in dotted socks and pink pants, and his father calls him Methuselah. As he grows younger, he becomes his father's companion, then a young man at a dance where a beautiful woman stops…
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See Benjamin Button in tarquin of cheapsideCharacter Web
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Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Reverse aging and identity
- Social climbers and romantics
- Varied fates and transformations
- Protagonist
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Val reaches his emotional and psychological peak in this passage as he confronts the painful gap between his r…
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Benjamin Button appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Benjamin Button in tarquin of cheapside