Sound Of Thunder Thesis
I. SUBJECT
Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” follows Eckels as he joins a hunting party to travel back in time to kill a Tyrannosaurus rex. As the group waits to board the Time Machine, they discuss the results of the recent election in which the more moderate Keith triumphed over the tyrannical Deutscher. After the party arrives in the past, they are warned of the dangers of tiny alterations to the timeline by their safari guides, Travis and Lesperance. Travis explains that the hunters must remain on the levitating path to avoid disturbing the environment, and to only shoot the prey tagged by prior scouts. The party begins its hunt, but when the dinosaur approaches, Eckels is frightened and runs off the path back to the Time Machine. When …show more content…
Throughout the story, many characters explain or demonstrate how small and often seemingly insignificant actions can have dire effects. When Eckels speaks to one of the officials at Time Safari, the man attempts to explain the dangers of hunting dinosaurs, saying “[w]e don’t want anyone going who’ll panic at the first shot. Six Safari leaders were killed last year, and a dozen hunters” (58). The official uses the past deaths to inform Eckels that the hunts are not for faint of heart and that it is not too late to back out. Eckels, however, does not truly heed the official’s warning, and chooses to go on the safari despite his obvious lack of courage. This decision to ignore one’s own mental aptitude led to the deaths of the prior hunters, and to Eckels’ even more calamitous …show more content…
As Eckels drops to his knees in despair at the end of the story, “He did not move. Eyes shut, he waited, shivering. He heard Travis breathe loud in the room; he heard Travis shift his rifle, click the safety catch, and raise the weapon. There was a sound of thunder” (68). Although the reader is left unsure exactly what occurred, it is understood that Travis either shoots himself or Eckels. Through his final words, Bradbury alludes not only to the title but also to the idea of actions having consequences. Eckels’ careless choice to step off the path has led to incredible alterations to the timeline that he must now live with. The reader is left questioning whether Travis chose to kill Eckels as punishment for stepping off the path or himself for fear of what the changed world might
Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” follows Eckels as he joins a hunting party to travel back in time to kill a Tyrannosaurus rex. As the group waits to board the Time Machine, they discuss the results of the recent election in which the more moderate Keith triumphed over the tyrannical Deutscher. After the party arrives in the past, they are warned of the dangers of tiny alterations to the timeline by their safari guides, Travis and Lesperance. Travis explains that the hunters must remain on the levitating path to avoid disturbing the environment, and to only shoot the prey tagged by prior scouts. The party begins its hunt, but when the dinosaur approaches, Eckels is frightened and runs off the path back to the Time Machine. When …show more content…
Throughout the story, many characters explain or demonstrate how small and often seemingly insignificant actions can have dire effects. When Eckels speaks to one of the officials at Time Safari, the man attempts to explain the dangers of hunting dinosaurs, saying “[w]e don’t want anyone going who’ll panic at the first shot. Six Safari leaders were killed last year, and a dozen hunters” (58). The official uses the past deaths to inform Eckels that the hunts are not for faint of heart and that it is not too late to back out. Eckels, however, does not truly heed the official’s warning, and chooses to go on the safari despite his obvious lack of courage. This decision to ignore one’s own mental aptitude led to the deaths of the prior hunters, and to Eckels’ even more calamitous …show more content…
As Eckels drops to his knees in despair at the end of the story, “He did not move. Eyes shut, he waited, shivering. He heard Travis breathe loud in the room; he heard Travis shift his rifle, click the safety catch, and raise the weapon. There was a sound of thunder” (68). Although the reader is left unsure exactly what occurred, it is understood that Travis either shoots himself or Eckels. Through his final words, Bradbury alludes not only to the title but also to the idea of actions having consequences. Eckels’ careless choice to step off the path has led to incredible alterations to the timeline that he must now live with. The reader is left questioning whether Travis chose to kill Eckels as punishment for stepping off the path or himself for fear of what the changed world might