Major themes of of Richard Matheson’s Button, Button are greed and morality. A couple argue over whether to press a button in a mysterious box. Doing so will earn them $50,000, but it will also trigger the death of a stranger. One seems OK with it, provided the victim was someone they couldn’t possibly know. The other disagrees, arguing it would still be a form of murder. Their discussion suggests the story may be an allegory. Pressing a button to launch a missile and dealing in commercial quantities of drugs have one thing in common: the victims are all faceless strangers.
Button, Button Text / PDF / Audio (2,200 words)
Video Version
This is an episode from the 1980’s revival of the famous Twilight Zone TV series. The protagonists are younger, poorer, and about as far as you can get from being called a loving couple. The wife is a dislikeable, chain-smoking shrew who manages to humiliate her husband while maintaining a deranged look throughout the show. Few viewers will be disappointed with the way the ending has been changed!