The following version of this short story was used to create the guide: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Dehli Open Books, 2021.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is told from the point of view of an unidentified first person narrator, and written in the past tense.

In Chapter 1, on a September morning in 1860, Roger Button rushed to the hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, eager to greet his newborn son. Outside the hospital, he encountered Doctor Keene. The doctor was anxious and cold, filling Roger with unease.

Roger rushed into the hospital, and all of the nurses treated him with similar unkindness. Finally a nurse directed him towards the nursery, where he saw his son for the first time. The child, however, was not a child at all, but a 70-year-old man. The baby then spoke to Roger, telling him to get him some more appropriate clothes. The nurse urged him to get the child out of the hospital as soon as possible, as they were already in danger of losing their reputation.

In Chapter 2, Roger visited a store in search of clothing for his son. Nothing seemed appropriate. Finally he found a suit, and purchased it. When Roger saw his son in the suit, he felt even more depressed. Before leaving the hospital, he cut his son’s beard. The child asked what Roger would name him.

In Chapter 3, Roger named his son Benjamin. He kept Benjamin in the nursery, though Benjamin had no interest in childish games or toys. Benjamin frequently snuck downstairs for Roger's cigars, or for the encyclopedia to read.

Over the years, Benjamin strived to play the part of the child. When he turned 12, he realized he looked a little bit younger. Roger agreed to let him wear longer pants, if Benjamin agreed to keep dyeing his gray hair and playing with children his age.

In Chapter 4, when Benjamin turned 18, he looked 50. Roger sent him to Connecticut, where he took and passed the entrance examinations for Yale College. Though he was accepted, when the registrar saw his aged appearance, he accused Benjamin of being an unstable fraud, and demanded he leave the campus.

In Chapter 5, Benjamin began working for his father's company. He and Roger also became friends. One night while at a party, Benjamin met and fell in love with Hildegarde. Suddenly Benjamin felt his life was starting.

In Chapter 6, Benjamin and Hildegarde announced their engagement. Despite the stories about Benjamin's birth, Hildegarde was undeterred. However, she also refused to listen to the truth.

In Chapter 7, Benjamin and Hildegarde's marriage was happy for 15 years. However, when Benjamin began noticing Hildegarde's age, he felt less attracted to her. Unsure what to do, he joined the army and became a hero.

In Chapter 8, when Benjamin returned from the war, he was shocked by Hildegarde's aged appearance. Meanwhile, he looked younger than ever. He tried discussing their situation with her, but Hildegarde blamed him, and refused to listen. To distract himself from his marital troubles, Benjamin began partying.

In Chapter 9, Roscoe inherited the family business, and Benjamin enrolled at Harvard University. For his first two years he excelled at school, and was a star on the football team. In his last two years, however, he grew scrawny. His work felt harder, too. After graduation, he moved in with Roscoe. Hildegarde had moved to Italy, and he had nowhere else to go. Roscoe was ashamed of Benjamin, and treated him cruelly.

In Chapter 10, Benjamin received a summons from the army. Delighted, he snuck off to South Carolina without telling Roscoe. Two days later, Roscoe collected him from the army camp, and brought him back to Baltimore.

In Chapter 11, Benjamin grew younger and younger. He continued living with Roscoe. He soon became an infant, and a nanny assumed his care. With each passing day, Benjamin felt more freed from his haunting memories and dreams.