In paragraphs 129-145, what does the dialogue reveal about Norma's motivations for pushing the button?
"I'm not involved at all!" She drew in a shaking breath. Tm simply trying to indicate that-
"What?_"That I'd like for us to go to Europe. Like for us to have a cottage on the island. Like for us to have a nicer apartment, nicer fur-niture, nicer clothes, a car. Like for us to
finally have a baby, for that matter."
"Norma, we will," he said.
"When?"
He stared at her in dismay. "Norma-"
"When?!"
"Are you"-he seemed to draw back slightly-"are you really saying-"
"I'm saying that they're probably doing it for some research project!" she cut him off.
"That they want to know what average people would do under such a circumstance!That they're just saying someone would die,
BUTTON, BUTTON 593
in order to study reactions, see if there'd be guilt, anxiety, whatever! You don't think they'd kill somebody, do you?!"
• She is tired of arguing with Arthur.
• She believes she deserves a better life.
• She wants to become a more adventurous person.
• She wants to be part of a psychological experiment.
Based on the dialogue, it can be inferred that Norma's motivations for pushing the button are:
• She believes she deserves a better life: Norma expresses her desire for a better lifestyle, including a cottage on an island, nicer apartment, furniture, clothes, and a car. She believes that pushing the button will provide her with the means to achieve these things and improve their quality of life.
• She wants to finally have a baby: Norma mentions her desire to have a baby, implying that pushing the button may somehow fulfill this longing or provide the means to have a child.
• She wants to be part of a psychological experiment: Norma speculates that the button and the offer of a large sum of money may be part of a research project to study the reactions of ordinary people placed in such a situation. She suggests that the motive behind the experiment is to observe people's guilt, anxiety, and other emotional responses.