Richard Matheson, an acknowledged writer of the 20th century, may seem as a simple horror artist who creates stories to scare his target audience. However, many of Matheson’s stories contain meaningful topics that relate to modern day issues. This can be seen through the works “Button Button”, “Nick of Time”, and “No Such Thing as a Vampire”.
In the short story “Button Button”, Matheson expresses the important idea that people let their greediness change their views of their inner morals. This is shown mainly through the protagonist Norma.
“The point is,” Norma broke in,” “if it’s someone you’ve never seen in your life and never will see, someone whose death you don’t even have to know about, you still wouldn’t push the button?” (Page 21)
Through the quote from Norma, Richard Matheson further proves the point that greedy behavior is a problem that does happen in society. Also, Norma represents people who are usually good, but are influenced easily by physical things, such as money.
Norma focuses on the life she is going to have once she receives her money, and does not give one thought to the person she is essentially murdering due to her selfishness.
Norma to her husband Arthur: “I’d like for us to go to Europe. Like for us to have a nicer apartment, nicer furniture, nicer clothes. Like for us to finally have a baby for that matter.” (Page 23)
Norma’s self-centered point of view shows that even though she is killing someone for the sake of money, it is not her problem because she is not committing the crime first hand. This quote also goes to show how fast people think of themselves only.
In the Twilight Zone episode “Nick of Time” one of the main ideas is you can only control your own destiny.
The Mystic Seer is a for...
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.... Gheria drugged and killed Vares and tortured Alexis: “The pain and torturing horror she had undergone would be enough for her. As for Vares--- Dr. Gheria smiled in pleasure for the first time since Alexis and he had returned from Cluj at the end of the summer.” (Page 96 & 97)
This quote from the story shows how humans are almost programmed to “get back” at someone who was done them the wrong way. Dr. Gheria did not even bother to talk about the affair between Vares and Alexis, but rather, came up with a plan of revenge instead. “No Such Thing as a Vampire” is accurate of how humans act like Dr. Gheria in real life.
In conclusion, Richard Matheson’s stories are unfortunately correct of how society works. Even though “Button Button”, “Nick of Time”, and “No Such Thing as a Vampire” may seem like horror stories with no meaning, they contain many hidden messages.
In the short story "Shiloh" written by Bobbie Ann Mason, she expresses a theme stating that taking life for granted causes individuals to lose sight of what is important and how people become blinded by everyone and everything around them. Emotions take a big toll on the way a person handles a situation and people do not necessarily compartmentalize in order to make the right decision with ease. There are various characters represented throughout the story ranging from dynamic to round characters. Norma Jean and Leroy Moffitt are the antagonist and protagonist, both of them are at war with each other. Situational irony occurs when Leroy arrives home and continues to stay home after being involved in a truck accident at work. Norma Jean is not used to her husband being home now and would rather have him on the road again. He is excited to settle down with his wife but she wants him gone. She was comfortable with staying at home alone and now that he is there all the time, her freedom is disturbed. The tone the author entails is complicated, harsh, selfish, and straightforward simply for the matter that their marriage lacks communication which makes any relationship complicated. Straightforward is another tone being described because at the end Norma Jean bluntly tells Leroy that she is leaving him. It is very crucial to his ears and harsh coming from her after sixteen years of marriage. The story takes place in the couple's home, super plaza, and the battleground of Shiloh. In the story the reader is able to foreshadow the outcome as a result of Norma Jean's behavior. Symbolism induces the battleground, Star Trek pillow, Wonder Woman, craft kits, and color of the ruffle. The narrator tells the story from a third person limited om...
...before, destroys the wholesome values previously exhibited by the family. Jurgis and Ona drift further and further apart as times get worse, and when this is culminated by Jurgis' discover of Ona's rape and his consequent beating of her boss, Jurgis goes to jail. There is constant events happened one after each other to this family because of the struggle of getting more money in order to keep life sustainable. There is indeede no mercy given to this family. Sinclair shows this family suffering as much as possible in order to show the complete negligence of capitalist society toward the people that it controls. Money has so much powerful that makes human’s value turns down to the level of animal. The pressure of life makes them destroy the hope and happiness from each other; take advantage to each other In order to gain their own benefit and to protect themselves.
Asma, Stephen. On Monsters :An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
People exploit the faults in their surroundings in hypocritical attempts to justify their own imperfections. Goodman Brown and Dimmesdale demonstrate hypocrisy in their efforts to avoid confronting their own distorted realities. Both Goodman Brown and Dimmesdale seek to exemplify the ideal Puritan lifestyle. After succumbing to unfaithful temptations, both men recognize that they have transgressed certain central values of their respective puritan communities yet neither correctly identifies the sin that ultimately debases his initially righteous character. For instance, Goodman Brown breaches basic Puritan prin...
Norma’s mother was a flapper so she was not one to hold to the social conventions of the times; however, because she was raised in a devout Mormon household, race would be the area where she would not budge. It was no surprise to me that Norma would also learn to snub her nose at those conventions that seemed ludicrous to her, such as whites not associating with blacks, but Norma’s decision to fraternize with a man of color in spite of her mother’s stance, would bring to the forefront what C. Wright Mills, in his article The Promise, coined as personal troubles and issues. For Norma, choosing to be involved with June’s father would bring up issues of character surrounding the social acceptability of a white girl consorting with a black man, especially when everywhere she looked; society, would shout unequivocally that it was not acceptable (1959). So, when she discovers that she is pregnant, she finds herself in quite the predicament. Norma is a walking contradiction in my opinion. Although there is no doubt in my mind that she loved her children, her desire for autonomy and a name, made it impossible for her to navigate the minefields of race, thanks to the Hollywood elite who would hang the framework through which Norma would
Tibbetts, John C. The Gothic Imagination: Conversations on Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction in the Media. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print.
Leroy Moffit is a truck driver, and over the years as his wife Norma Jean is adapting to the changing community his adaptation to things consist of pretty much the way he drives his truck. During this time Norma Jean is left at home to fend for herself and learn the workings of nearly being a single woman. Norma Jean started to play the organ again, practice weight lifting, and take night classes. When Leroy came home after years of being saturated in his work he expected things to be like they were in the beginning of their marriage. As time goes on at home, Leroy takes notice to Norma Jean’s keen, and independent understanding of what goes on around her. He observes and is afraid to admit that she has had to be her own husband. Over the years Norma Jean developed a structured routine that does not include him. As Leroy sits around and plays with a model log cabin set Norma is constantly working to advance and adapt herself with ...
In chapter eight of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, Mina Harker’s journal entry serves to illustrate using the rational mind to combat the supernatural. In Mina’s entry, she recounts the strange event that has just occurred to her and caused her not to be able to sleep. In times of stress, Mina translates everything into analog, which is a familiar and understandable medium for her. After the events of the evening, instead of going into a dream state where she would be met with irrational dreams fueled by her subconscious, she chooses to write, which, unlike her dreams, she can control. The precise nature of writing is a comfort to Mina.
Frankenstein is the story of an eccentric scientist whose masterful creation, a monster composed of sown together appendages of dead bodies, escapes and is now loose in the country. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelly’s diction enhances fear-provoking imagery in order to induce apprehension and suspense on the reader. Throughout this horrifying account, the reader is almost ‘told’ how to feel – generally a feeling of uneasiness or fright. The author’s diction makes the images throughout the story more vivid and dramatic, so dramatic that it can almost make you shudder.
Many timeless novels have impacts on our everyday culture, not only as a book, but also through music or movies. Many popular novels have multiple adaptations, which shape how we approach their interpretation, in ways we may never even notice. In some films, humans are depicted as monsters, whether through their actions, or through the thoughts of other beings. In these films we find issues with our own society, and in turn see ourselves as monsters, and look for ways we can change, for the better. One particular novel that influences this side of Hollywood is Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein”. The ways Frankenstein influences pop culture can be seen in science fiction films in which humans are depicted as monster, and “monsters” are seen as more humane beings, such as I, Robot, and Ender’s Game.
Popular movies often reflect society’s real world fears; likewise in horror movies monsters reveal our true anxieties as well. The monster that I am going to be using as examples will show how they reflected society’s fears and anxieties during specific moments in history.
Nowadays, people are still enticed by fear, they have a curiosity for the supernatural, evil and frightening. Although modern day society is supposedly politically correct, we are still an immoral society and many of us would treat a creature like Frankenstein’s creation or a vampire like Dracula like a monster. In this way, the novels still have social significance.
Selfishness is one of the most common personality traits shared amongst society, Kenneth Grahame’s literature features the theme of how making rash decisions can lead to dramatic effects to those around you.
Richard Matheson 's Button, Button," is an enlightening short story fiction of man versus self, conflict. The wealth of the family will increase substantially by pressing this button on this box. However, pressing this button will surely cause the death of another human being, someone unknown, somewhere in the world. An individual may consider pushing the button. Pushing the button can be considered murder. Matheson’s Button, Button expresses a man versus self, conflict when faced with a morality trap. This story maps the depiction of an ordinary couple transported into a concentration seemingly beyond their control.
Greed, being a key human condition, has shaped society from the very start. In fact, some scholars believe that greed was the first major milestone of human success, when the first human wondered why he/she had to scrounge around for necessities; it is a part of being human to be greedy. Wanting a new car, to be loved by another, or to desire the feeling of well doing when feeding the needy, these are all factions of greed...