Button, Button: Uncanny Stories

In both “Button, Button” and “Girl of My Dreams,” Matheson focuses on a married couple that faces a unique challenge, and the outcome of each story reflects both The Dilemmas of Marriage and The Devastating Effects of Selfishness as one spouse inadvertently destroys the other while mindlessly pursuing personal gain. Yet despite the moral complexities involved, the premise and storyline of “Button, Button” is intentionally simple. Norma is given a button and tempted by the prospect of winning $50,000 if she is willing to press it and kill someone she doesn’t know. From the very beginning, her instinctive interest in this devil’s bargain shows that she is a deeply flawed character; because of her shortsightedness, lack of patience, and superficiality, she takes the proposal literally and assumes that some stranger she has never met will be the one to die. 

By latching onto this interpretation of the warning note, Norma attempts to distance herself from the morally reprehensible nature of the bargain, ignoring Arthur’s protestation that “who [she] kill[s] makes no difference. It’s still murder” (21). This fundamental disagreement shows just how different Norma and Arthur are, for each spouse fails to understand the other’s point of view. This philosophical impasse ruins them both in the end as Norma is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions and finally realizes that Arther himself was essentially a stranger to her despite their long years of marriage. Although their story takes place on a small scale, it also serves as a microcosmic example of The Devastating Effects of Selfishness.

Matheson employs a simple, straightforward premise for “Button, Button” to demonstrate that this sort of temptation or ethical quandary could happen to just about anyone. Everything about the couple screams normalcy; Norma and Arthur have ordinary names and live an ordinary life in an ordinary apartment—until the proposition. Likewise, their story is told primarily through dialogue because this format becomes an examination of the mental stages that any person might go through as they convince themselves to push the button. The story itself was written in the 1970s, a decade that saw a rising interest in the nature of the psyche, human nature, and ethics. Within this context, Matheson’s story is an example of the fact that experiments on humans during this time frame were often fraught with ethical and moral wrongs.

Matheson’s exploration of ethical dilemmas continues with “Girl of My Dreams,” a dark psychological thriller full of irony, betrayal, and questionable decision-making. The ironic double meaning of the story’s title reimagines a phrase that most commonly refers to a stereotypically “perfect” love interest. In this story, however, the phrase actually takes on the opposite meaning, as Greg openly despises Carrie, and the title is complicated still further when it is revealed to be a play on words. (Carrie’s dreams are the source of profit in the couple’s lives, and her uncanny talent is the only value that he sees in her.)

The titular phrase could also be interpreted to indicate Greg’s state of mind when he considers his wife, for he is often consumed by rude and selfish thoughts. Because his perspective remains central to the narrative, these less-than-complimentary musings occupy a great deal of space in the narrative. For example, when Carrie is suffering as a result of her violent and terrifying nightmares, Greg thinks to himself, “Oh boy what I go through” (28), and The Devastating Effects of Selfishness are apparent in his willingness to disregard her pain and focus only on his own annoyance. Likewise, he calls her names and often fantasizes about hurting or killing her, and these dark images foreshadow the story’s violent conclusion. 

As the narrative builds, implicit questions linger about the nature of Carrie’s dreams and Greg’s plans for them, and Greg’s status as the villain of the piece is soon established when he seeks to use Carrie’s dreams to extort money from helpless, worried people who have been told that their loved ones will die. Greg’s callous and cool approach to these situations shows that he has no more concern for his wife than he does for the strangers that he torments. Ironically, his sadistic ways and his selfishness ultimately work against him when Carrie grows tired of being used and offers Greg’s latest target the information for free. When Greg’s response is to retaliate with murderous intent, Matheson uses the violent final scene to reveal the monstrous urges that lurk within many human beings. The story’s final irony lies in the fact that although Greg survives, he must live with the knowledge that his death will be violent and could come at any moment.