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  • Essay / A Sound of Thunder review by Ray Bradbury

    In the short story A Sound of Thunder, author Ray Bradbury's main argument is that decisions that may seem irrelevant at first may end up being be much more serious than expected. In the story, the main character Eckles pays $10,000 to travel back in time and hunt an extinct Tyrannosaurus Rex. While hunting, there is a gravitational path that each character must follow, as deviating from this path can interrupt natural processes and cause irreversible damage to the story. Regardless, Eckles manages to run off the path in a moment of panic while engaged in combat with the dinosaur. Back at the safari headquarters, Eckles notices many changes that weren't there before, such as strange smells in the air, words spelled differently, and a different president. He realizes the damage he has caused just before he is shot. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay This story serves as a warning to humans that the development of something like technology can have serious consequences if not used appropriately. This is an example of the struggle between welcoming and trying to preserve what is human. This shows that small things can really make monumental changes. This is proven by the symbolism appearing throughout the story. The sound of thunder represents Travis' weapon as well as the steps of the T Rex, the elements that cause huge diversions in the story's plot. The butterfly represents independence, which was killed when Eckles' actions affected the story. The plot experienced by the characters is ultimately that of a written destiny. This is the path that must be taken so that they can return to their normal lives. The bullets constitute a disruption not only of the past but also of the future, in one fell swoop. Ray Bradbury maintains the structure of his argument by using literary devices such as irony, personification, simile, figurative language, metaphor, alliteration, and double entender. Bradbury relies on verbal irony. While Eckles is in the Time Safari office, he remarks, "It makes you think that if the election had gone badly yesterday, I might be here now, running from the results." Thank goodness Keith won. He will make a good president... This is ironic, because it later turns out that Keith's opponent, Deutscher, wins the election. Then there is the device of personification, which gives human traits to something that is not human. In line 141, the phrase "time moves aside" is used, giving time, something that is not human, a human-like quality. Another literary device that strengthens Bradbury's argument is figurative language, an example being "They sat in the ancient wilderness." In the distance, the cries of birds below carried by the wind, and the smell of tar and an old salty sea, of damp grass and blood-colored flowers.” Next, Bradbury introduces various metaphors such as "the jungle was the whole world forever and ever", "...soaring pterodactyls with cavernous gray wings, gigantic bats of delirium and night fever" and "death seeds, the green death…”. Finally, the use of alliteration draws the reader's attention with the similar connotations and rhythm of the words "...glittering green and gold and...". Finally, one of the most powerful literary devices used is the double entender, that is, a wording that is interpreted in two different ways, for example "a sound of.