A sound of Thunder Review

Martin Svensson Nv08

The plot It begins in 2055. A hunter named Eckels goes on a trip of a lifetime. He finds out that a company called Time Safari INC can take you back in time and hunt prehistoric animals. A great hunter like Eckels cant say no to an opportunity like this one. Eckels decides to go back in time and shoot a Trex, the greatest predator in history. A guide named Travis and his assistant Lesperance are in charge of the hunt. Besides Eckels there are two other hunters on the trip, Billings and Kramer. When they were waiting for departure they talked about the recent presidential election, which the good guy Kieth had won over the dictator Deutscher. When everything was set they entered the time machine and went back in time. As time flew by Travis told them the rules. They had to obey Travis and Lesperance in every matter and stick to the anti-gravity path. They werent allowed to do anything that could affect history or the future.

Lesperance had marked the animal which should be shot before the trip was made. He chose an animal that would die even if they wouldnt shoot it. They stuck to the path and waited for the marked T-rex. The dinosaur arrived and Eckels was terrified. He forgot about the rules and went through the jungle back to the time machine. The others in the hunting party took down the T-rex and went back to the time machine. They travelled home hoping nothing would have changed because of Eckels doing. Back home everything seemed normal, until they noticed that everything was spelled differently and that Deutscher had won the election. The story ends with Travis shooting Eckels because he had a dead butterfly on his shoes.

The Theme I think that the author wants to point out the Butterfly effect. The theory of the butterfly effect means that even the smallest of things can make huge changes, especially through the ages. This is what he describes in his short story even if it isnt spoken of. In the story he only tells us what things that have been made to avoid it, not what it is. Therefore I like to think that the message is a hunch that someday the butterfly effect will be for real.

I also think that it isnt a coincidence that Eckels asked Travis if he would come back alive and then got killed when they got back. It points to the fact that its not always the obvious danger that kills us, its the hidden danger that we couldnt foresee.