“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a short story that could be categorized into several different genres. While Fitzgerald is usually associated with realist narratives such as The Great Gatsby, “Benjamin Button” is centered on a non-realistic element: Benjamin’s reverse-aging condition. Because of Benjamin’s “magical” or “supernatural” condition, the story could be considered a work of fantasy, science fiction, or speculative fiction.
What’s notable about this short story is that, unlike “typical” speculative fiction or fantasy, most elements of the story are realistic. Fitzgerald intentionally renders all other aspects of the world of the story true-to-life, such as the social dynamics of Baltimore in the late 1800s, the effects of the Civil War on American society, and more. In this way, “Benjamin Button” exists somewhere between realism and speculative fiction.
It is worth noting that, after the publication of “Benjamin Button,” more and more writers began exploring reverse aging in their work, leading to the creation of a literary sub-genre informally referred to as “Age Regression Fiction.” Writers like Philip K. Dick and Roald Dahl experimented with this concept in their work.
One final genre that some scholars believe “Benjamin Button” could belong to is satire. Though, again, many of the aspects of the story are realistic, there are certainly some elements that are exaggerated for comedic effect as well as to offer important social critique. Consider, for example, the ways that Fitzgerald captures the public’s reaction to Benjamin—in having side characters obsess over the “scandal” of Benjamin’s condition and then promptly forget or move onto other gossip, Fitzgerald is mocking upper-class society’s obsession with reputation and simultaneous lack of concern for the truth.
