ThecuriouscaseofBenjaminButton2008

TheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButton

(2008)focusesonthemaincharacter,
BenjaminButton.BenjaminButtonwasbornwithgeneticdisease.Insteadofgrowingolder,
heslivingareverselifewhichhelooksyoungerandyoungerasyearspass.Hisbiological
motherdiedgivingbirthtothebaby.ThefactthatBenjaminsphysicallooks
abnormal,makeshisfatherthinksthatheisamonster.So,hisbiologicalfatherdecidesto
leaveshimatfrontstepsofahospicewithsomemoney.Queenie,thehousekeeper,adopts
himandlookspassthefactthathehasanelderlymanfacebecauseshealwayswantstohave
achild.ShenamesthebabyBenjamin.Hisdisticntivelyphysicalbodyaltersthewaysof
hisdevelopmentprocess.Developmentalpsychologyisthestudyofchangesthatdevelop
overthespanofindividualslifetimeincludingmentally,physicallyandemotionally
changes.EachstageofButtonslifecanbeexplainedbythetheoriesofdevelopmental
psychology.
Firstofall,hisbehavioursininfancystagecanbeconsideredinrelationtocognitive
developmentandbabycapcity.Thestoryofhimstartsatthenighthewasfoundatthedoor
step.HecriesbecauseQueeniestepsonhim.Thatmakeshernoticeshim.Thisactionis
basedontheconceptofbabycapacity.ThecryingofBenjaminiscausedbythepaincanbe
examinedbabyinstincttosurvive.Ifhedoesntcry,hemightgetkilledbytheweightthatare
putonthemorbeingleftoutsideuntildiebecauseofthecoldness.Healsoexploresthenew
worldbylookingaround.Thisbehaviourisfallingintopiagetsstagesofcognitive
developmentaltheory,sensorimotor.Attheageof0to2,theinfantusesdirectsensoryand
motorcontact.InthescenethatheplayswithQueenieandotherpeopleandtheenvironment.
Hesmilesbackatelderlyswhoareplayingwithhim.

Benjaminslifeproceedstochildhoodstage,manydevelopmentalthoeriesarerelated
tohisbehaviorsandemotionaldevelopments.Benjaminusestheactionofbangingtoexpress
himemotionorjustforfun.Bangingwasusedinseveralscencesofhischildhoodstage.The
theoryofbasiccognitivedevelopmentcanexplainhisaction.Basiccognitivedevelopment
consistsofSchema,Assimilation,andAccomodation.Schemaisoneselfsmindsetabout
anything.Hismindsetinthiscaseisthathecanplaybybangingthings.Assimilationisusing
differentobjectstofitwiththeschema.AsBenjaminsaction,heusesforktobanginsteadof
hishandonthetable.Therealisationofunfittedobjectsandschema,Accomodation,occurs
whenhismomteacheshimthathecantplaywithaforkandtellshimnottodoitagaing.So,
helearnsfromthatexperience.Thereisapartitthestorythathesayshefeelssafeinthe
house.ItassociateswithMaryAinsworthstheoryofattachment.Hehasbeenstayingwith
Queenieandelderlysincewhenhewasababy.Thebondbetweenhim,Queenie,elderly,and
thehousegetsstrongerandstrongastimegoesby.Ashertheorydescribestheemotional
bondbetweenatleastonecaregiverandainfant.Benjaminattachestothehouseandpeople
inthehouse.Thereasonhefeelsthemostconfidentwhenheisinthehousecanbe
demonstratedbythetheoryofattachment.LanguageacquisitionHisstepfatherteacheshim
howtoreadproperly
Inhisadolescenceperiod,hissocialskill,physicalimprovement,andsexualattitude
developsignificantlyaccordingtomanydevelopmentaltheories.socialdevelopment,
socializeintheoryisthelearningofvalueinvgvgtsocietywithotherpeople.Hisphysical
developdrasticlyinthisperiod.Hismuscularstrenghtisimproved.Asinthemovie,hestops
usingawheelschairandinsteadhestartswalkingwithwalkingstick.Lateron,hestopsusing
walkingstickaswellsincehecanwalkonhisown.Hestartstodevelopsexualattitudein
accounttotheconceptofsexualattitudementionedintheFreudstheoryofpsychosexual

development.AtGenitastage,Freudsaysthatapersonlearnsnewwaystodealmaturely
withoppositesex.Benjaminhaslearntnewwayofinteractingwithwomen.Hefirsttime
experincessexualactivitieswiththeprostitute.Besides,accordingtotheideaofconformity,
hisfearofbeingdifferentfromthegrouporbeingdislikedcanberelatedtohisdecision.His
friend,Mike,takeshimtotheprostitutehouse.Theguysaysthateveryonehavebeen
experiencedthis.So,comformityinfluenceshisdecision.Benjaminhaslearnttablemanner
orwhatisconsideredacceptableactsonadinnertable.Itreferstosocialdevelopment
conceptwhichistheprocessofpeoplelearningsocialrulesandvalues.
Throughouthisadulthoodperiod,Bejaminhasdevelopedemotionalprocessand
independencylevel.Afterworkingonashipparttimeforawhile,hedecidedtobecomea
fulltimesailor.Heinthisstageiscompletelybeabletosurviveonhisownwithouthis
parents.BenjamindecidestoleaveshishousetogoouttheoceanwithcaptainMike.
Correspondingtotheideaofautonomywhichexplainsabouttheabilitytomakedecisionfor
themselfandlookaftertheirself.Duringthetimewhentheshipdocked,hemeetsamarried
womanwhosenameisElizabethAbbott.Theyspendstheseveralconsecutivenighttogether
talkingaboutexperiences.Hisfeelingtowardherdevelopsandfinallyfallinginlovewith
her.Theyhaveanagreementtokeeptheirrelationshipasecret.EmotionaldeveHelateron
learnstoapplymoralityandcontrolhisfeeling.Itcanbeevidencedbythesceneherefuseto
sleepwithDaisy
Benjaminhasenteredthelastperiodoflife,oldageanddyingwhichincluded
physicaldeclinesandemotionaldevelopment.Hegoesthroughthestageofgriefaccordingto
Bowlby.Inthewar,heseesthedeathofhisfriendswhichcreateshimnumbnessinhisheart.
Heisinshockedandfeelslongingforthem.However,herealizesthattheyarenotcoming

back.Therecoveryprocessstartsandsucceeds.Hislifemoveson,buttheirgoodmemories
arestillwithhim.
Whenhishealthisstartedtodecline,hehasAlzheimersdiseasewhichistheconditionthat
damagememmoryandintellectualskills.FromthescencewhenBenjamincannotremember
thathehasjusthadameal.HeforgethowtoplaypianoandevenDaisywhowastheloveof
hislifeisforgetten.
Toconclude,Benjaminhasbeenthroughstagesofhislife,suchasinfancy,
childhood,adolescense,adulthood,andoldage.Ingeneral,hehasdevelopedhisthinking
processes,emotions,andbehaviorsrefertothepsychologicaltheories.Benjaminlifeisa
uniqueexampleofdevelopmentalprocessbecauseofthediseasethathehas,whichmake
himphysicallydifferentfromtheothers.Incontrast,hisotherdevelopmentsstilladjustalong
thelinewithnormalpeople.