What is The Red Button?

The red button in "Strangler Bob" is a dual symbol of both order and chaos. When it is first introduced, the button represents order, as the unnamed prisoner who is being gained up on tries to push the button to get the deputy’s attention so that they can diffuse the situation and restore order to the jailhouse. The next time it is introduced in the story, however, Dundun and BD press the button when they become disinterested in Strangler Bob during their LSD trip. When they do push the button, the deputy and two guards rush into the cell block and begin beating all of the inmates, creating utter chaos within the jailhouse. Thus, the button comes to represent both sides of this duality.