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Age 70(newborn child): Benjamin Button is born
Benjamin is born as a wrinkly old man, with the ability to talk and an impressive amount of life lessons under his belt. Benjamin is confused about his new world: "I can't tell you exaclty who I am, because I've only been born a few hours--but my last name is certainly Button." (63). The narratory describes Benjamin's voice as "cracked ancient." (63). -
Age 70(a couple months old): Benjamin's father has trouble accepting him
Benjamin's father thinks that Benjamin "was a poor excuse for a first family baby." (66). His father consistently makes him dye his hair and eyebrows, play with rattles, and younger boys. -
Age 65(5 years old): Benjamin Buttons goes to Kindergarden
At age 5, Benjamin Button is sent to kindergarden. He doesn't fit in well there, and took frequent naps while the other children do arts and crafts. His teacher complained to his parents and he was removed from kindergarden. To their friends, his paretns said that "he was too young." (68). -
Period: to
Benjamin Button's "Normal Ungrowth"
During this time period, at 18 years from birth, Benjamin tries to enroll at Yale, "A man of your age trying to enter here as a freshamn!" (70). When Benjamin was 20 years from birth he went to work for his father at Roger Button & Co., Wholesale Hardware. He also meets his future wife, Hildegrade. -
Age 58(12 years old): Benjamin notices he starts to get younger and wants to wear pants
"By the time he was twelve years old his parents had grown used to him." (68). Benjamin, and his parents start ot nitice changes in Benjamin, like his hair getting not-so-grey anymore. As a result, Benjamin feels he is of the age to wear long pants, claiming that "I am grown." (68). -
Age 50(20 years old): Benjamin and Hildegrade meet
"Men of your age know how to appreciate women." (73). This is how Hildegrade describes Benjamin. They get married, and Baltimore remembers the story of Benjamin's birth and get excited about the new couple. -
Age 38(32 years old): Benjamin joins the army
Benjamin, due to his content at home and not being attracted to his wife, decides to join the Spanish-American army effort. He becomes a lieutenant-colonel. He participates in the "celebrated charge up San Juan Hill. He was slightly wounded, and received a medal." (76). -
Age 20(50 years old): Benjamin enrolls in Harvard College
Benjamin Button enrolls in Harvard and immediatly stands out academically and athletically. He repays Yale, by crushing them in the Harvard v. Yale football game: he took down 11 Yale men, scored 7 touchdowns and 14 field goals. "He played so brilliantly..." (78). -
Age 16(54 years old): Benjamin graduates from Harvard
After Benjamin graduates from Harvard, he goes to live with his son Roscoe, because Hldegrade is now living in Italy. Roscoe experiences the same problem with Benjamin that Benjamin's father had had before him: "But though he was welcomed in a gerneal way, there was obviously no hertiness in Roscoe's feeling toward him." (79). -
Age 57(13 years old): Benjain tries to rejoin the army
"...sixteen was the minimum age, and he did not look that old." (80.) Despite Benjamin's doubts, he found his old uniform and tried to enlist in the army again. He did not look old enough and he was made fun of a lot by the other officers. Soon Roscoe came to pick him up and they went home. -
Age 65(5 years old): Benjamin and Roscoe's son go to Kindergarden
Yet again, Benjamin is enrolled in kindergarden. This time though, his thoughts on Kingergarden had changed: "Benjamin found that playing with little strips of colored paper, making mats and chains and curious and beautiful design, was the most fascinating game in the world." (82). -
Age 70(essentially newborn child): Benjamin dies
After Nana becoming the "center of his tiny little world," Benjamin dies of young age. (82). He remembers very little of his past. "Then it was dark, and [everything] faded out from his mind." (83).