Questions:

1. Why did Norma consider the tone and attitude of Mr. Steward offensive?

Because he was insistent like a salesperson and kept speaking even after Norma’s excuse of being busy at home. Moreover, Norma felt his expressive style very odd and disrespectful.

2. Why did Arthur disagree with his wife?

Because he was not interested in the offer. He considered the death of some unidentified person a shameful and immoral act. His conscience could not allow him even to think of such heartlessness and selfishness.

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

Because she was a greedy and desirous lady who wanted to accomplish her materialistic desires with the valuable amount of $50000. She wanted to take a trip to Europe with her husband, buy a cottage on the Island and spend a luxurious life.

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

She said that it might be a psychological research in order to study human reactions or a game played by some eccentric millionaire. According to her they would not have any concern with the death of an unknown person and it was a golden chance for them to realize their dreams and improve their life style.

5. Why did Mr. Steward continue persuading Norma?

Because he had already perceived Norma’s greedy and selfish nature through her interest in the temptation of $50,000. He had gathered that she could go to every extent of immorality for the sake of money.

6. What was the message Norma received on pushing the button?

Norma received a message from Lenox Hill Hospital about her husband’s death. A voice informed her of the subway accident. She remembered his life-insurance policy for $25,000 with double indemnity.

7. How do you define Norma’s personality?

Norma is an average woman. She is not particularly selfish, cruel, or greedy. She wants to have more money to buy a bigger house and travel. That is perfectly normal. When she is offered a large sum of money for a simple act of pressing the button, she cannot resist the temptation, although by doing so, she will cause somebody somewhere in the world to die. Norma is no murderer. She will never pick up a gun and shoot somebody for money. But when she is reassured that that person who dies will not be somebody she knows, she begins to waver.

8. Is there anything allegorical about Norma and her behavior?

The morals seem involved in the modern symbolic tale. There is increasing lamenting over the moral decay of our society, because people seem to be obsessed with money and ready to “push the button”, which sends innocent people to their early graves. They actually know the consequences of what they are doing. But that does not stop them, because the monetary reward is too attractive. Besides, they don’t know the victims personally and they don’t have to watch them die. This is particularly true with modern wars. We must all be accountable for our actions. Nobody can be excused for being indifferent to other people’s sufferings. In the long run, nobody can cause the death and suffering of others without getting hurt themselves either.

9. What main style of writing is used in the story?

Richard Matheson uses situational irony to get readers interested, and did the same with Girl of My Dreams. Situational irony, also called irony of events, is most broadly defined as a situation where the outcome is incongruous with what was expected, but it is also more generally understood as a situation that includes contradictions or sharp contrasts.