Sound Of Thunder Theme

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In our society today, when we hear “time travel” we think that it won’t be achieved in a millennium. There are scientists out there who don’t even know if it’s possible to send ourselves back in time, or forward into the future. A “Sound Of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury suggests you shouldn’t start things you can’t complete. This is demonstrated in the text when the author uses Characterization, denouement, and recurring elements.
Don’t start things you cannot complete is the theme of Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” because of how Eckels’ characterization changed from brave to cowardice and alive to dead. For example in the text, Ray Bradbury writes “‘Anyway, Keith's President now. All you got to worry about is-’ ‘Shooting my dinosaur,’ Eckels …show more content…
One example of this is when the man behind the desk answers Eckels question of who won the election. The man says, “You joking? You know very well. Deutscher, of course! Who else? Not that weak fool Keith”(9). We hear in the beginning of the story Eckels talking about how he is glad Keith won because Deutscher would be a disaster. But once the future is changed, Deutscher wins all because of Eckels stepping on the tiny prehistoric butterfly. The country will now be a disaster because Eckels couldn’t follow through with a task he thought he could do just like the theme …show more content…
One place in the story that showed a recurring element was the characters in the story realizing they made a mistake and couldn't complete what they said they would do. In the beginning of the story, Eckles is fully in on going to the past and with going on their hunting trip, but when they get there, Eckles freaks out. This is shown when it says, “‘I didn’t think it would be this big’, said Eckels. ‘I made a mistake, that’s all. And now I want out.’”(6) When the characters in the story say things they can't complete, it is a recurring element because later on in the story it is shown again when Travis was supposed to kick Eckles out of the time machine because he didn't do what he was told, and went out on the path, but he didn't. Later on, he realized he should have because time was changed and there was no going back. This was shown on page 8 when Travis said, “‘How do we know?’ cried Travis. ‘We don’t know anything! No one knows! Get out of here, Eckles!’”(8) By Travis saying this he is proving that he was saying something that he did not complete because Eckles never got out of the time machine and he let them come back with them. Both of these things are examples of characters in the story saying they would do something, but not completing that. This shows the theme
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