Themes and message

Power and authority

At the beginning of the story “Buttony” by Fiona McFarlane, we are shown that Miss Lewis is in charge of her class. She decides if and when the children play their game, and she is the one in possession of the button they play with:

They knew that the shifting sound of the drawer opening meant largesse – gold stars or stamps or, in exceptional cases, gummy frogs – and that Miss Lewis’s bounty was capable of falling on them all, but fell perhaps more often on Joseph. Alternatively, the sound of the drawer opening meant Buttony. (ll. 12-16)

The game has a magical routine for the children, and Miss Lewis herself describes it more like a ritual than a simple game. She is the one who directs the children during each round of Buttony, repeating the same instructions over and over: “ ‘Hands out, eyes closed’” (l. 91) and “ ‘Open your eyes’ ” (l. 104).  

Furthermore, she expresses delight in her authority over the most popular child in her class, Joseph. From the start of the story, the boy is described as being very beautiful and having many qualities which make Miss Lewis call on him in class the most. However, her favouritism has a darker side:

‘Close the drawer, Joseph,’ she said, because she found she liked nothing better, after admiring him, after giving him the opportunity to be admired...