Button Button Richard Matheson

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Button, Button by

Richard Matheson

Button, Button

Answer the questions about 

Button, Button

1. Draw a picture of the object inside the carton package.

1. Drawing should look like this:

A wooden box with a button on top of it. The button was covered by a glass dome. 

2. Who was Mr. Steward and what was his offer to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur?

2. Who was Mr. Steward and what was his offer to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur?

Mr. Steward was a representative of an anonymous organization. He offered them that if they pushed the button, somewhere in the world someone they did not know would die. In return for this, they would receive a payment of $ 50,000.

3. How did Arthur treat Mr. Steward after listening to his offer?

3. How did Arthur treat Mr. Steward after listening to his offer?

Arthur became angry. He thrust the button unit and the envelope into Mr. Steward’s hands and asked him to leave.

4. Why did Arthur disagree with his wife?

4. Why did Arthur disagree with his wife?

Arthur disagreed with her because he considered the killing of a human being an immoral act. He thought that it did not make any difference whether or not they knew the person who died.

5. Why did Mr. Steward return the package though Norma had told him that she was not interested?

5. Why did Mr. Steward return the package though Norma had told him that she was not interested?

Mr. Steward continued persuading Norma as he had perhaps observed that she could ultimately fall a prey to the temptation of $50,000. Arthur had turned down the offer straight away but Norma had not shown any outright rejection.

6. Who might be killed according to Norma and Arthur?

6. Who might be killed according to Norma and Arthur?

According to Norma, it might be some old Chinese peasant ten thousand miles away or some diseased native in the Congo, whereas Arthur thought it might be some baby boy in Pennsylvania or some beautiful little girl on the next block.

7. Why did Norma try to persuade her husband to agree with her?

7. Why did Norma try to persuade her husband to agree with her?

She tried to persuade her husband to agree with her because she wanted to fulfill her dreams. Fifty thousand dollars, for example, could help them to go on a trip to Europe, buy a cottage on the island, have a nicer apartments, nicer furniture, nicer clothes and a car.

8. What were the reasons Norma gave to her husband to accept the offer?

8. What were the reasons Norma gave to her husband to accept the offer?

She told Arthur it would not be murder if they did not know the person who died. She thought that those who had made the offer would not be actually kill any one, and that they were probably doing it for some research project.

9. How was Arthur different from Norma?

9. How was Arthur different from Norma?

He had control over his desires. He considered killing someone immoral. Norma was subject to her desires and wanted to fulfill them by hook or by crook.

10. What compelled Norma to push the button?

10. What compelled Norma to push the button?

Norma very desperately wanted to get money to improve her lifestyle. She did not have control over her desires. Furthermore, curiosity and materialism compelled her to push the button.

11. What were the feelings of Norma after punching the button?

11. What were the feelings of Norma after punching the button?

She shuddered and a chill of horror swept across her. However, the feeling lasted only a moment. She thought it was ridiculous to get worked up over nothing.

12. How did Arthur die?

12. How did Arthur die?

Arthur died in a subway accident. A shoving crowd pushed him from the platform in front of the train.

13. Did Norma remain normal on hearing the news of the accident of her husband?

13. Did Norma remain normal on hearing the news of the accident of her husband?

She could not remain normal on hearing the news of her husband’s death. She could not seem to breathe. She was in a state of numbness and a great shock.

14. What is the significance of Arthur’s life insurance policy?

14. What is the significance of Arthur’s life insurance policy?

Arthur’s life insurance policy was for $25000. With double indemnity in case of his accidental death, its worth was $50,000, and coincidentally, the same amount had been offered by Mr. Steward.

What is the setting?

What is the social setting then? What are the clues?

Who is the protagonist?

What is the Point of View? (think about how much we know and from whose perspective?)

What is this: when Norma is in her bed thinking about how much money $50,000 is, she really wants the money

1. flashback
2. euphemism
3. foreshadowing
4. flash-forward

Is the PLOT in chronological order?

1. yes, the events take place in the order they happened
2. no, the plot has a different order that of which the events took place (something happened before getting the package, but that is later in the story)

Find clues about Norma's character in the text. How can you describe her personality? (p 106,108,109)

Themes: Morals

How are Norma and the Aurthur different? (in what they think about pushing the button, p 106, 108))

Themes: Temptation and Consequences

What is the lesson here?

Would you push the button?

Which ending did you like best?
Why?
In what way could the endings be compared?