A Sound of Thunder
Characters:
Eckles (Probably rich, stubborn, and a hunter)
Mr. Travis (Safari guide)
Lesperance (Mr. Travis’ assistant)
Two hunters, Billings and Kramer.
Setting: Somewhere in the United States, Time Safari Inc. year 2055.
The Prehistoric Era, in a Jungle. There are dinosaurs everywhere. Humans yet don’t exist.
Plot:
Expositions: Mr. Eckles went to Time Safari Inc. Where he pays $10,000 to travel in time to the prehistoric era; Where he will have the possibility to shoot a Dinosaur. Eckels is also introduced to Mr. Travis, his safari guide. They also explain that the company won’t take responsibility if something happens to him. Since, there is no guarantee that Eckels and the rest of the people will come back alive.
Raising action: A man behind a desk and Eckels talk about the winner of the Presidential elections (A man by the name of Keith).
With guns, they entered the machine. They started traveling to the past, year after year, day after night. In the machine there were 4 other men (Mr. Travis, Lesperance, Billings, and Kramer). “They put on their oxygen helmets and tested the intercoms.” When they arrive to the past they’re in the middle of a jungle. Mr. Travis gives multiple instructions, including that they should shoot only when he says, and to what he says; Also, staying in a Path 6 inches above the ground to prevent direct contact with the Past world.
Climax: The Tyrannosaurus finally arrives, and when they were preparing to shoot Eckels got scared. So, they told him to go back to the machine. In his way, he accidentally stepped out of the Path. Meanwhile, Mr. Travis, Lesperance, Billings and Kramer shot the dinosaur.
Falling action: After they killed the dinosaur, Mr. Travis got mad, because he noticed that Eckels’ boots were dirty. Which meant that he had stepped off the Path. At first, Mt. Travis reacted by saying that they were leaving them in the past, but he reconsidered and told him “Stick your arms up to your elbows in his mouth. Then you can come back with us.” Mr. Travis also told Eckels to dig the steel bullet out of the dead body. They went back to the machine.
Resolution: The machine stopped. They had finally arrived to the present. When they got out, they noticed that even though the man behind the desk was the same; Something was certainly different, like little objects and details. Eckels noticed that the sign in the room was different, the words were written in a different way. Immediately after, he looked at his boots were a dead butterfly laid in the mud. “Who—who won the presidential election yesterday?” asked Eckles.
The man behind the desk answered “Deutscher”. Eckles dropped to his knees in shock, while Mr. Travis raised his weapon and shot him.
Conflict:
Man Vs Nature: This is witnessed, mainly when they’re hunting the Tyrannosaurus.
From a different perspective it’s also witnessed when Eckels steps of the Path and kills the butterfly, since killing the creature created a major problem in the future; Also, the fact that men want to travel back to time, where they weren’t alive yet affects nature’s timeline.
Man vs self: Both Eckels and Mr. Travis had a series of internal problems that affected the plot. While, Mr. Travis’ problem didn’t really affect the overall plot it did change the story (Mr. Travis shot Eckels which shows lack of self-control). Eckels conflict affected not only the story but the past and future of their world. Eckels presented arrogance and lack o self-control during the story. He was arrogant when he contradicted everything that Mr. Travis said, and after he stepped off the path, he didn’t realize the severity of his actions. He presented lack of self-control when he couldn’t control his fear and was out of focus, after he saw the dinosaur; This behavior caused him to change everything.
Man vs man: There was a constant fight and conflict between Mr. Travis and Eckels. Mostly shown after Eckels committed the error of getting off the path. This reaches a point, that Mr. Travis shot Eckels.
Man vs society: Shown when they talk about how the Government doesn’t support the company fully, and when Eckels changed the future, because he changed many aspects in society including who won as president.
Theme: The butterfly effect, how small things or actions can have a major change or change everything.
Narrator: Third person limited ;Tone: Serious, formal, intense, direct and critical.
Mood: Entertaining, adventurous, exciting, suspenseful and intense story.
Alternate ending
When they arrive to 2055, they noticed that everything was different, not only the person behind the desk, even the whole room looked completely different. The room’s mood was gloomy and dark, they were in the middle of an apocalypse. Even though the amount of technology looked extremely advanced, everything was broken and shot down. Eckel looked at his boot, but the amount of dirt was minimum. Mr. Travis checked and one of the steel bullets was missing, that meant that the bullet was in the past. Before It was created. Moments after, a group of police officers arrested them with no apparent reason.
Questions for the oral assembly.
Why was everything different after they came back from the past?
What is the logic and theory behind the theme? Explain the theme.
Was the company certain that they would come back alive?
Why couldn’t they take their oxygen helmets and get out of the path?
What happened to Eckels at the end of the story ?
How did the death of the butterfly from the past affect the present?
What was Eckels’ mistake in the past world?
Why did Eckel panic?
How did the two hunters react to the dead Tyrannosaurus?
What would happen if the hunters disobeyed any of the rules given by the guide?
