The concept of Alienation and its depiction in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (1922) by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Abstract

The theme of human alienation, encompassing various psycho-social disorders such as loss of self, anxiety, depersonalization, loneliness, and pessimism, has been extensively explored by philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists. In the context of modernist literature, this theme became prevalent as writers grappled with feelings of distance and isolation from their societies. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a prominent figure of the "Lost Generation" of writers, addressed the theme of alienation in his works, despite not initially receiving the same recognition as other modernist authors. One of his underrated works, the short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," has gained renewed attention and even a movie adaptation, highlighting its enduring relevance in the literary landscape. This article forwards a theoretical exploration of alienation and how it is perceived by few of the main thinkers in the human history such as Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. Additionally, Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (1922) will be analyzed under the light of alienation in order to examine the portrayal of such phenomenon in the modern society.