ipl-logo

Short Story 'Button' By Richard Matheson

651 Words3 Pages

Would you push the button? In Richard Matheson’s short story “Button, Button”, I think Richard showed the dialogue that was going on between Arthur and Norma to show Norma’s motivations to push the button, to build a unhappy mood between Arthur and Norma, and to introduce Norma. If Richard didn't show the dialogue between Arthur and Norma, we wouldn't know why Norma wanted to push the button, we wouldn't know how Arthur felt about Norma wanting to push the button, and we wouldn't know that Norma is crazy. After Norma talks to Mr. Steward, Norma is really curious about the button and she wants to push the button. The dialogue that Richard used between Norma and Arthur in all parts of the short story shows why Norma wants to push the button. At dinner time, she says ““Fifty thousand dollars, Arthur,” Norma interrupted. “A chance to take that trip to Europe we’ve always talked about.”” (Matheson, Button, Button, Page 108). When Richard shows this dialogue between her and Arthur, it shows her motivations-she wants to push the button because then she would have all of these luxuries. This is important to know because when it shows her motivations, the readers have a better understanding of what she might do later in the story. When Richard did this, I think it …show more content…

““Suppose it’s a genuine offer?” “All right, suppose it is?” He looked incredulous. “What would you like to do? Get the button back and push it? Murder someone?” Norma looked disgusted. “Murder.”” (Matheson, Button, Button, Page 108). This shows once again that Norma doesn't care if someone else dies. It said she looked disgusted as she said murder when Arthur said “Murder someone?” It also shows that she has less care for people then Arthur does. This gives us some background information about Norma and shows us that she is less considerate and more

Show More
Related
537 Words | 3 Pages

The film “Murder by Number” also includes medical issues, including brain damage, as contributing to the violence of many serial killers. Some criminologists and psychiatrists believe that serial killers kill because of issues with their families. These issues include failure to properly bond with

Read More
1675 Words | 7 Pages

The Silver Fox Industry on PEI The reign of the silver fox fur industry in PEI lasted from 1900 to 1950. Fur farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain types of animals for their fur. The more rare the fur colour, the more expensive it was. The fur industry typically involves the capture of wild animals that are put in captivity and breed until the desired “look” for the offspring is obtained and once there is a sufficient number of this type of animal they are killed and sold for their pelts.

Read More
1469 Words | 6 Pages

First, in Sunset Boulevard, the butler Max told Norma what she wanted her to hear, which caused her to be unable to see reality. An example of Norma’s inability to see that she is no longer popular. Norma will not accept that the movie business has moved on and has gotten better with time and technological advancements, “I am big! It’s the pictures that got small” (Wilder). Norma continually claims that she is still a star and that the movie business got worse with the installation of sound.

Read More
612 Words | 3 Pages

I Want Constantine’s Murderer to Die Olga Polites Newsweek In the article “I Want Constantine’s Murderer to Die”, Olga Polites received a call from her sister-in-law informing Olga that her husbands 22-year-old cousin had been murdered, which, in turn, made her question her formerly unwavering stance on capital punishment. Summary

Read More
992 Words | 4 Pages

Norma also takes on the femme fatal role, by killing her lover due to jealousy. This trope strays away from the societal stereotype that was attributed to female characters at the time. Haunting of Hill House, on the other hand represents Eleanor's journey. Knowingly, Eleanor goes on the journey to Hill House fully aware of its paranormal attributes. Although hill house is relatively different for Eleanor.

Read More
1282 Words | 6 Pages

As a result of the relationship coming to an end, Norma starts strengthening herself so that she can leave her husband,

Read More
1191 Words | 5 Pages

Leroy compares her to Wonder Woman while watching her lift weights, expressing his admiration and love for his wife (759). While Leroy claims to love Norma Jean, he only loves her in a superficial sense, only praising her appearance and the things she provides him with such as her terrific piano-playing. After playing with his miniature model kits, Leroy fantasizes about indulging Norma Jean with a log cabin. He incessantly tells her how much joy it would bring him to build her a “‘real home’” and is met with her

Read More
1826 Words | 8 Pages

He keeps insisting to Norma Jean that, “I’m going to build you this house… I want to make you a real home,” he is clearly trying to fix the problems in his relationship by building a new home for the couple, proving he is still dedicated to Norma Jean (Mason, 1982, p. 6). He tries to persuade Norma Jean by appealing to her new love of body building saying, “You and me together could lift those logs. It’s just like lifting weights,” (Mason, 1982, p. 6). Laurie Champion (2001) says that Leroy, “Implicitly equates building a home and a stable marriage with physical exercise, body building,” essentially he is telling Norma Jean that they can still have a good marriage while she becomes more independent, she does not need to give up their relationship to be a successful woman.

Read More
718 Words | 3 Pages

Second of all, Norma pushes herself even further to her husband’s demise by keeping the button despite telling herself she would throw it out in the morning. For instance, Norma pushes herself even further to her husband’s demise by continuously interacting with the button, causing the curiosity to grow. Keeping the button despite telling herself she would throw it out in the morning, this is because she has recurring thoughts about it and what it would do. As a result, the further she messed with the button, the harder it

Read More
549 Words | 3 Pages

Norma was mysterious because she didn't even know Joe was coming until he showed up to her house but she knew exactly what she wanted from him. Also when her Butler said that her last three husbands had slept in this room that he was moved into kind of put a twist on everything. You began to wondered what lead her to the end of each past relationship. This influenced the Butler and Joe.

Read More
2126 Words | 9 Pages

Vengeance has been an ongoing problem for many centuries. In the long run, with the new generation, they have been following the same pattern to get revenge, without knowing the reasons why. If no one is willing to stop and think it over, to evaluate if it’s worth the risk, then the act of vengeance will be ongoing at the cost of many lives. Many people do not realize that having to avenge the death of a loved one will take so much time and patience in their lives. In the short story, “An Act of Vengeance,” by Isabel Allende, the issue involves a young girl who gets raped by Tadeo Cespedes, whom also killed her father on the same day.

Read More
1358 Words | 6 Pages

Testicular Cancer Research Project Testicular cancer is when there is an abnormal growth in the testicals from malignant cells. Cancer in the testicals is very rare since it is not primarily hereditary, and it is very curable when found in its early stages (WebMD,2015). It is mostly only caused by germ cells (sperm cells) that have mutated in such a way that it causes cancer (WebMD,2015). With testicular cancer there is a .38% percent chance that males in the United States will get testicular cancer, but there is a 1/5000 chance of dying from testicular cancer (Some Facts About Testicular Cancer,2015). There are two common forms of testicular cancer in males, Seminoma cancer and Non-Seminoma (Testicular Cancer:

Read More
1156 Words | 5 Pages

At the start of the flashback the reader is told the following; “If I were a more self-assured person I would not have volunteered to give up my seat on an overcrowded flight, would not have been upgraded to first class, would not have been seated beside him. This was my reward for being a pushover.” From this section of the short story the reader gets the impression that the woman is unconfident, miserable and dissatisfied with her current lifestyle. She has been pushed around her entire life, and this series of random events caused by her timidness has finally lead to meeting an famous actor called Roy Spivey. Shortly after meeting each other, the woman and Roy Spivey immediately form some sort of relationship and begins to exchange intimate information about

Read More
1504 Words | 7 Pages

Norma can’t face the outside world and realize that no one knows who she is anymore. When Norma’s career ended she wasn’t able to handle the truth and there were people that aided her delusion; that she could actually become the big star

Read More
925 Words | 4 Pages

She didn’t care about what she was doing and the consequences that come with it. She won 't realize ‘till later the grand mistake she 's made. Norma is so greedy that she can 't see past the reward that she’s been offered, and it’s clouding her thinking and actions as shown when she pushes the button. Matheson also shows Norma as

Read More

More about Short Story 'Button' By Richard Matheson

Related Topics

Open Document