Sound of Thunder
In the story “A Sound of Thunder,” Ray Bradbury tells the tale of Eckles, a hunter, who went back in time to shoot a dinosaur. Set in the year 2055, the story ends with Eckles returning home after a dictator gets elected changing everything, which causes Travis, the safari guide, to shoot him. Through the character of Eckles, Bradbury takes a close look at Eckles’ attitude and their results. Bradbury demonstrates that having a careless attitude toward different circumstances will lead a person to make irresponsible mistakes that have disastrous consequences.
Bradbury’s story shows that Eckles approached his circumstances carelessly. One example of this is presented when he admits that the situation was too much for him, “I miscalculated, that’s all. And now I want out” (210). This passage indicated that Eckles has made a choice that he regrets. This is shown by the way Bradbury states that he wants to leave before trying to even shoot the dinosaur. The fact that he admits he miscalculated demonstrates that he didn’t think about his situation carefully. Another example of this idea is shown when Eckles, scared to death by the appearance of the dinosaur, says,” Get me out of here…it was never like this before. I was sure I’d come out alive”(210). At this moment in the story, it’s clear that Eckles is panicking and believe that the dinosaur will kill him. This is shown by the way he says that he thought that he’d come out alive. Bradbury’s use of this type of results demonstrates the consequences the characters received from being careless. Bradbury also suggests that Eckles’ careless attitude leads him to make irresponsible mistakes. One example of this is shown when he falls over from the path, “Eckles, not looking back, walked blindly to the edge of the path, his gun limp in his arms, stepped off the Path, and walked, not knowing it, in the jungle” (211). This passage indicates that Eckles’ carelessness caused him not to pay attention. This is shown by the way
Bradbury’s story shows that Eckles approached his circumstances carelessly. One example of this is presented when he admits that the situation was too much for him, “I miscalculated, that’s all. And now I want out” (210). This passage indicated that Eckles has made a choice that he regrets. This is shown by the way Bradbury states that he wants to leave before trying to even shoot the dinosaur. The fact that he admits he miscalculated demonstrates that he didn’t think about his situation carefully. Another example of this idea is shown when Eckles, scared to death by the appearance of the dinosaur, says,” Get me out of here…it was never like this before. I was sure I’d come out alive”(210). At this moment in the story, it’s clear that Eckles is panicking and believe that the dinosaur will kill him. This is shown by the way he says that he thought that he’d come out alive. Bradbury’s use of this type of results demonstrates the consequences the characters received from being careless. Bradbury also suggests that Eckles’ careless attitude leads him to make irresponsible mistakes. One example of this is shown when he falls over from the path, “Eckles, not looking back, walked blindly to the edge of the path, his gun limp in his arms, stepped off the Path, and walked, not knowing it, in the jungle” (211). This passage indicates that Eckles’ carelessness caused him not to pay attention. This is shown by the way