Wishful Thinking

F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was born on September 24, was one of handful of writers who had a successful career. But his life was marked with tragedy.

The native of New York would be remembered for his depiction of the Jazz Age, as fascinating and mysterious as Jay Gatsby, the titular character in "The Great Gatsby". His other works sealed his legacy, but one particular piece might have been forgotten if not Hollywood bought the rights to it. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", first published in Colliers Magazine on May 27, 1922, was wishful thinking. There was no historical basis on this strange tale, only an experiment that might allude to Fitzgerald's life.

Years of normal ungrowth

"As long ago as 1860 it was the proper thing to be born at home. At present, so I am told, the high gods of medicine have decreed that the first cries of the young shall be uttered upon the anesthetic air of a hospital, preferably a fashionably one. So young Mr. and Mrs. Roger Button were fifty years ahead of style when they decided, one day in the summer of 1860, that their first baby should be born in a hospital. Whether this anachronism had any bearing upon the astonishing history I am about to set down will never be known."

Fitzgerald once remarked it was tragic that nothing was left during the final years of one's life. This may be the premise of Benjamin Button, who was seventy years of age when he came into the world. He was already capable of speech. On his twelfth year, his parents figured out he was aging backward. This could have been a detriment, but his life turned out well. When he reached 20, he had the features of a fifty year old. He took over the family business, and married a younger woman who had no idea of his condition. He even joined the Spanish-American War and came home a hero. By the time he reached 50, he turned over the business to his son, Roscoe. He enrolled at Harvard and became a standout. It happened that father and son attended the same university. Many years later, Benjamin went to kindergarten with his grandson.

David Fincher's big-screen version of the short story was no different from the other filmmakers' adaptation of Fitzgerald's other works. They were awed, but have little idea of what his writings were about. Those who thought that the author was unable to deal what life threw at him might be surprised to learn about his own hadwritten ledger, which the University of South Carolina released last year.

"We know he didn't spell very well. And his arithmetic wasn't much better," director Elizabeth Sudduth said, but given his reputation as an alcoholic, the document shows Fitzgerald "was far more on top of his affairs than people thought," she said.

One could only speculate about "Benjamin Button". Fitzgerald lived his life and did the best he could. Success came a bit too early, which he didn't handle well. He got lost along the way. Misfortune struck when he was back in the saddle.