Button, Button Essay “Button, Button,” by Richard Matheson is a beautifully crafted story that explores the greed, selfishness and the ignorance of humankind. When a mysterious man named Mr Steward places the couple in a position where they have the choice to kill someone they did not know in return for fifty thousand dollars. Within this short story, the perspectives of Norma and Arthur malivently oppose each other to lead to the downfall of their relationship. The button reveals a new side of each other to one another. Norma’s strong values and opinions on the topic disagree with Arthur’s views and neither of them understand each other’s viewpoints. The strong character traits that each person …show more content…
He does not believe that taking a life in return for fifty thousand dollars is right. Arthur is broken by the argument between himself and Norma. He can not handle the fact that his wife would accept the offer. Arthur is emotionally weak, he is crippled by his wife’s willingness to press the button and the arguments between himself and his wife. Throughout the story, Arthur does not want to discuss the topic of the button with Norma because he is afraid of seeing Norma’s true self. During the last dispute between himself and his wife, Arthur is seen speechless with his hands shaking. This shows the emotion and fear that he is going through during the argument. Norma’s ideas and her willingness to take a life to get fifty thousand dollars scares and disgusts Arthur. It pushes him past a point which he can no longer bare. This argument ultimately causes him to take his own life. The differing opinions that each person has, causes the intense arguments from the couple. Arthur’s strong morals causes him to disagree with Norma. He believes that killing someone that he does not know for money is gruesome and wrong. He believes that it is murder. His wife on the other hand, believes that because she does not know the person then it is not considered murder. Arthur can not believe that his wife would murder someone for wealth. He is afraid of Norma’s true colours. Arthur is not good at expressing his ideas to Norma. Neither of them understand each other’s viewpoints. Arthur can not sufficiently explain his opinions to Norma because he believes that what he thinks is what all people would think when presented with this situation. Arthur cannot bare his wife’s ideas and the argument pushes him over the edge, where he meets his end. Therefore, Arthur’s inability to explain his strong values and opinions, and his weakness takes part in the downfall of their relationship and the end of his
these traits presented in their roles, regardless of being thought of as an evil character or not.
The character Mrs. Wright is portrayed as a kind and gentle woman. She is also described as her opinion not being of importance in the marriage. It is stated by Mr. Hale that “ I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John” .(745) Her neighbor, Mrs. Hale, depicts her as “She─come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself─real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and─fluttery. How─she─did─change”. (752) It appears that Mrs. Wright is a kind and gentle woman, not capable of committing a murder. But, with the evidence provided and the description of Mr. Wright’s personality it can also be said that the audience will play on the sympathy card for Mrs. Wright. She appears to be caught in a domestic violence crime in which she is guilty of, but the audience will overlook the crime due to the nature of the circumstances. By using pathos it will create a feeling that Mrs. Wright was the one who was suffering in the marriage, and that she only did what she felt necessary at the
For example, Annette makes the comment that Benjamin was in the right to smack Henry because he was defending himself from Henry’s assault of insults to which Alan agrees with immediately. Veronica and Michaels sense of righteousness involves other people, Veronica especially believing everyone needs to uphold a standard morality. For example, the idea of bringing Benjamin over. Veronica and Michael want to make sure Benjamin understands his implications so this situation won’t happen again. Veronica worries about their children having morals while Alan and Annette don’t care much for that. When arguing about whether or not Benjamin disfigured Henry, Alan shrugs off the fact that his son just smacked another kid in the face. He instead diminishes Benjamin’s injury saying how it’ll go away and he’ll chip in on the costs of the dentist. He’s not interested in the same sense of morality that Veronica is. These contrasting views come from how Alan and Annette are able to get away with more that Veronica and Michael. For the Novaks there are consequences to their actions, while in Alan’s case with the pharmaceutical companies he gets rewarded for defending
The world of Arthurian literature is filled with magic and adventure that enchants readers of all ages. T.H. White has done a fantastic job of turning the childhood adventures of Arthur by turning his narrative into spellbinding, cartoon like interpretation of the sword in the stone legend. Moral values are apparent from the beginning of White’s novel. White has cleverly connected all the educational adventures of Arthur, along with the people and animals encountered to the pulling the sword out of the stone. This marvelous amalgamation of key elements not only ties the loose ends of Arthur’s adventures together, they also solidify the reasoning behind Arthurs’ predetermined path to becoming the king of England.
The Arthurian cycle shows a sporadic awareness of the impossibility of mere humans fulfilling all the ideals that Arthur and his court represent. The story of Lancelot and Guenevere, Merlin's imprisonment by Nimu‘, and numerous other instances testify to the recognition of this tension between the real and the unrealistic.
The Misfit was no exception to her ways of manipulation but her efforts came up short. Her actions, in many ways, could be compared to species of prey as they use their unique characteristics to elude the grasp of their predators. Just as the speed of the gazelle against the strength of the lion, the grandmother’s intelligence could be compared to the Misfit’s need for vengeance. When some people can see death coming, they will do anything in their power to avoid it. The grandmother knew who she was dealing with as soon as she saw the Misfit’s face. Yet, she tried to fool herself into believing that her sure fate could have been changed by her own actions. It is hard to say that her actions were just out of manipulation. T...
In this male dominated investigation, it is empathy that truly is the mark that allows the investigation to be solved from an unsuspected place. Void of empathy, nothing can genuinely be understood. Empathy is the foundation with which we can see the world and understand the reason behind everything whether for the good or bad. Condoning the action of an individual is not taking into account their situation or what other options were available to them considering any existed. Labeling a criminal is putting an individual into a category of black and white without considering the complexity of the matter or the many shades of gray the world presents. In the eyes of the law, Mrs. Wright was a murderer. To those who could empathize with her struggles she was a survivor—despite her wrongdoing. Justice is found in this play, or rather the term may be favored as mercy, that Mrs. Wright was a victim who believed in her heart she chose the only path that lead to
In the opening lines of the tale there is a compulsion, representing internal conflict, indicated on the part of both the protagonist and his wife Faith:
E. Arthur Robinson feels that by using this irony the narrator creates a feeling of hysteria, and the turmoil resulting from this hysteria is what places "The Tell-Tale Heart" in the list of the greatest horror stories of all time (94). Julian Symons suggests that the murder of the old man is motiveless, and unconnected with passion or profit (212). But in a deeper sense, the murder does have a purpose: to ensure that the narrator does not have to endure the haunting of the Evil Eye any longer. To a madman, this is as good of a reason as any; in the mind of a madman, reason does not always win out over emotion. Edward H. Davidson insists that emotion had a large part to play in the crime, suggesting that the narrator suffers and commits a crime because of an excess of emotion over intelligence (203).
Hawthorne explains this further, “It was a ghastly look with which he regarded them; but there was something at once tender and strangely triumphant in it” (229). At first Arthur is shocked that he could get the words out, but since he did, he felt relieved and soon felt happiness as he finally let go of his sin. In this quote, Hawthorne shows how Arthur’s body language reflected his emotions, this explains how the character has faced many trials in the last moments of his life and can finally escape his sin a proud, holy man. Though Arthur is portrayed as such a holy being, he also has darkness in his life. Hawthorne describes some of his darkness, “He trod in the shadowy by-paths and thus kept himself simple and childlike” (62).
For instance, once Norma presses the button and begins to believe it truly has no power, she receives a call from the Lennox Hospital informing her that her husband died; she then calls Mr. Steward and exclaims, “‘You said I wouldn’t know the one that died!’... Mr. Steward said, ‘do you really think you knew your husband?’” (Matheson 25). Because Mr. Steward asks Norma if she really knows her husband, it suggests that Norma’s egotistical personality causes her to be incognizant of her surroundings. The author composes this choice in the plot in order to manifest the concept that greed can cause a person to be desperate enough to make irrational decisions. Moreover, Norma’s recklessness reveals her inability to formulate logical decisions. In the end, Norma’s decision costs her her husband’s
The narrator murders an old man who he is meant to be taking care of. He claims to have nothing against the man and says that he loves him. Regardless of this, he finds the mans filmy, vulture-like eye to be disturbing and thinks this is a valid enough reason to kill him. Montresor feels insulted by his colleague, Fortunado and believes that it is now his duty to end his life. Both claim to not have anything against his victim other than one small detail, being either and eye or an insult, and feel that they are justified in wanting them dead.They both meticulously plan out what they are going to do to their victim long before they carry out their actions. Neither the old man or Fortunado had any idea that their murderer had any reason to want them dead and had no way of anticipating what was doing to happen to them. The narrator smothers the old man with his mattress, chops up his body, and stuffs him in the floorboards. Montresor leads a very d...
She requests that Arden’s body be brought to her and, upon seeing him, she speaks to Arden and confesses to the murder, and expresses her guilt, wishing he were still alive, by saying “...And would my death save thine thou shouldst not die” (“Arden” 8). Though she previously conveyed how free she felt, the combination of the hand-towel and knife used to kill Arden, his innocent blood stains on the floor, and his distorted, unmoving body triggers Alice to feel an overwhelming and unbearable sense of guilt. Once this guilt comes upon her, she cannot stop herself from begging her dead husband for forgiveness, though he cannot offer it to her now. The guilt of her actions causes her to expose the people who helped her enact this heinous crime. Because Alice reveals the truth behind Arden’s murder, every character pays a penance for their
He shows that he has developed his own code of conduct (Browne, 1973, p.2). The means that the $50k that would be received is for murder (Matheson, 2009, p.10). Arthur uses the word murder multiple times. There is no doubt in this character’s mind that pushing the button is wrong and it is murder no matter what. Matheson proves through Arthur the when one considers universal morality, not everyone would experience happiness through the use of the box. The person that dies surely would not be happy with death. No even if the person is thousands of miles away living with a disease in the Congo, or a peasant in China. However Arthur counters Norma distance by bringing the possible victims close to home with his questions of what about a baby boy in Pennsylvania or a pretty little girl around the corner (Matheson, 2009, p.10), when one considers the lives of children, most individuals understand children have just began to live and they have their whole lives ahead of them. The pushing of the button would definitely cut their lives short. Matheson gives readers that aha moment, Arthur and Norma did not know each other at all, at least not when it comes to a moral dilemma. Matheson has posted this couple on two different sides of the fence in this
The ladies make an unspoken decision that Mrs. Wright did not deserve to be punished for killing her husband. In their minds, evidence of his extreme cruelty to his wife negated her guilt.