A sound of thunder

             What was the world like 60 million years ago? Can one little change really make a huge difference in our future? In "A Sound of Thunder," Ray Bradbury's creative use of foreshadowing and vivid language keep readers turning the page for more, as his plot creates a sense of wonder in our minds.
             As we read, Bradbury leaves subtle hints as to what will come. The guide of Eckels's safari instructs at the beginning of their trip, " 'We don't want to change the future'" (32). Bradbury repeats this line many times, leaving us to conclude that somehow the future will be changed. In addition, the guide also warns, " 'If you fall off the path there's a stiff penalty'" (32). This leaves us to conclude that Eckels falls off the path. All of us wonder at some point in our lives if it would be worthwhile to go back in time and fix a few mistakes, but would fixing our mistakes make life better?
             Bradbury also uses descriptive language to help us picture what is happening. As Eckels approaches the dinosaur, the dinosaur "came on great oiled resilient striding legs. It towered thirty feet about half the trees, a great evil got, folding its delicate watchmaker's claws close to its oily reptilian chest" (36). We all know this intimidating feeling that Eckels feels as he moves closer to this beast. As the Tyrannosaurus fell, "It clutched trees, pulled them with it" (38). Readers imagine what is happening right before Eckels's eyes.
             Why read a story without a good plot? Well, Bradbury creates his plot in a way that keeps us wondering what will happen next. We all know what it feels like to have second thoughts, and Eckels, having second thoughts himself, asks, " 'Does this safari guarantee I come back alive?' 'We guarantee nothing,' said the official, 'except the dinosaurs'" (29). Late
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A sound of thunder. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 12:23, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/3330.html