In “A Sound of Thunder,” Ray Bradbury predominantly employs indirect characterization to reveal the complexities of the main character, Eckels, showcasing his evolution from overconfidence to fear as he faces the consequences of his choices.
The Power of Small Choices in “A Sound of Thunder”
Even our smallest choices are so powerful that they can lead to huge consequences. In “A Sound of Thunder”, by Ray Bradbury, people can travel back in time to hunt dinosaurs, but they must be careful not to change anything. One mistake, like stepping off the path, could change history forever. Bradbury uses characterization and conflict to show that even the smallest actions can have big, unpredictable effects.
Bradbury uses mostly indirect characterizations in the story, where we learn about the characters though their words, thoughts, and actions. The main character, Eckels, is indirectly characterized as very confident when he says, “This makes Africa seem like Illinois” (Bradbury, 6), it shows that he thinks time travel and hunting dinosaurs will be easy and fun. He also questions authority and has no respect for following the rules, when he keeps questioning why they must stay on the path, and then he still steps off the path. But later, when he sees the T-rex, everything changes, we see that he is really a coward. “Get me out of here,” said Eckels. “I was always sure I’d come through alive. I had good guides, good safaris, and safety” (Bradbury, 14). This quote shows how Eckels becomes terrified and tries to back out. His sudden fear reveals that he didn’t fully understand the seriousness of his actions, and this change in behavior highlights how unprepared he was for the dangers of time travel. Bradbury uses these changes to show that Eckels’s confidence is shallow and that he doesn’t respect the power of what he is doing.
The main conflict in the story is Eckels’s internal struggle with confidence, fear, regret, and the realization that he made a terrible mistake. At first, Eckels is confident and showy when he “waved a check for ten thousand dollars to the man behind the desk” (Bradbury,4). Eckles wants to believe the time-traveling hunt will be thrilling and easy, but inside he is also very nervous and unsure of himself which shows when he is traveling to the dinosaurs, “Eckels swayed on the padded seat, his face pale, his jaw stiff. He felt the trembling in his arms, and he looked down and found his hands tight on the new rifle” (Bradbury, 6). Then once he sees the terrifying T-rex, he panics and tries to quit. He says, “It can’t be killed”, showing his fear and disbelief (Bradbury, 14). After the hunt, he doesn’t take responsibility for his actions, he says to the guide “I’m innocent. I’ve done nothing.” His internal conflict is about accepting what he has done—stepping off the path and possibly changing the future. Bradbury uses this struggle to show how important it is to think before making decisions, especially when the consequences can’t be undone.
The theme of “A Sound of Thunder” is that small actions can have huge and dangerous consequences, even when we don’t realize it at first. When Eckels sees that he has caused the world to change he tries to have a second chance. “Eckels moaned. He dropped onto his knees. He scrabbled at the golden butterfly with shaking fingers. ‘Can’t we,’ he pleaded to the world, to himself, to the officials, to the Machine, ‘can’t we take it back, can’t we make it alive again? Can’t we start over” (Bradbury, 20)? This quote shows that Eckels realizes the full impact of his mistake when he steps off the path. He now understands that even one small action, like killing a butterfly, can completely change the future. The theme is shown through the way Eckels’s mistake affects everything, from the small changes in the environment to the larger consequences of history. Bradbury uses this idea to remind us that our choices, even the ones we think are small or unimportant, can have lasting and unpredictable effects on the world around us.
Bradbury uses characterization and conflict to show that even the smallest action can have big, unpredictable consequences. By showing how Eckels changes from confident to afraid, and how his inner struggle grows after he makes a mistake, the story teaches an important lesson.
In today’s world, this theme still matters because our choices like what we say, how we treat others, or how we take care of the planet can affect the future in ways we don’t always see. The story reminds us to think carefully before we act because even a small decision can change everything.
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Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray. The Golden Apples of the Sun. Doubleday, 1953.
Claim/ Topic Sentence on
Characterization: What type of characterization does the author use?
HINT: Direct Characterization: TELLS the reader what the character is like through description.
HINT: Indirect Characterization: SHOWS the reader what the character is like through action, dialogue, & thoughts.
1 answer