In 1860 Baltimore, Benjamin is born with the physical appearance of a 70-year-old
man, already capable of speech. His father Roger invites neighborhood boys to
play with him and orders him to play with children's toys, but Benjamin obeys only
to please his father. At five, Benjamin is sent to kindergarten but is quickly
withdrawn after he repeatedly falls asleep during child activities.
At the age of 18, Benjamin enrolls in Yale College, but is sent home by official ...