THEME Themes are the messages or ideas the reader takes from
the text. They are closely linked to writers purpose, so are very
important. The theme might be: An idea A problem An experience A
social issue
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THEMES Themes may be obviously stated or implied. Some messages
may be very obvious and some are less clear. Some will have
different messages for different audiences. Trust your own ideas.
There are no right or wrong answers to how you understand a text.
If you have an idea, find evidence from the text to support (prove)
it then use it.
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ACTIVITY 1 THEMEEVEDINCE
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ACTIVITY 2 1. Does "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" have a
moral, or attempt to teach its readers a lesson of sorts? 2. What
does "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" teach us about the
nature of age?
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THEMES IDENTITY "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is the
story of a man who is born old and ages backwards. The story
explores the way that age dictates identity; how old we are has
quite a bit to do with who we are. And not just where physical
appearance is concerned. By being born old, Benjamin is born not
just with the body and face of an old man, but with the mind and
emotions of an old man. Even though hes a new-born, then, he enjoys
the company of old men. As he gets younger physically, his
personality changes accordingly: he becomes more vivacious and
social. "Benjamin Button" reminds us that age is not, after all,
just a number. Questions About Identity What aspects of identity
does age define in this story? How does Benjamin deal with his odd
aging process? When Benjamin is born, what aspects of him are
"old," and which are "young"?
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THEMES - FAMILY We tend to think of family as the people who
support us at all possible times. This is not the case in "Benjamin
Button." Because Benjamin is different, his parents have difficulty
accepting him for who he is. They are able to love him only in so
far as he plays along with a charade of normality. Later, Benjamin
encounters the same problem with his wife, and eventually, his son.
Still, if they are unable to love him unconditionally, they are
still there for Benjamin out of a sense of family obligation.
Questions About Family What role do Benjamins parents play in this
story? What about that of his wife and child, in the latter half of
the tale? Do Benjamins parents love their child? Benjamin loses
interest in his wife and child as he grows younger. As readers, do
we judge him for this? Or do we understand that its part of his
condition?
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OTHER THEMES Life, consciousness, and existence Transformation
Society and class