A Sound of Thunder Flashcards
annihilate
to reduce to nothing, to destroy, to eradicate
expendable
not strictly necessary; dispensable
infinitesimally
to an incalculably small degree
primeval
belonging to the 1st ages
resilient
able to endure adversity w/out cracking
revoke
to cancel/invalidate by w/drawing or reversing
sheathed
put into a sheath/scabbard/holster
subliminal
belo the threshold of conscious perception, especially if still ableto produce a response
taint
to contaminate/corrupt with an external agent, either physically/morally
undulate
to cause to move in a wavelike motion
correlate
to establish a mutual or reciprocal relation between
malfunctioning
failing to function properly
paradox
a counterintuitive conclusion or outcome
stagnating
ceasing motion, activity, or progress
foreshadowing
a writer’s use of hint/clues in early scenes to suggest events that will occur later
describe what is foreshadowed in the story
“Does this safari guarantee I come back alive” and all the talk of probably death foreshadows death, or at least near death.
The talk abt Deutscher foreshadows something to do with him
“we don’t want anyone going who’ll panic at the first shot” foreshadows that someone(most likely Eckels) will panic
Eckels’ nervousness before the hunt began also foreshadows a panic attack from him
simile
the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind
used to make a description more emphatic or vivid
uses “like” or “as”
simile example
“sheathed over in a gleam of pebbled skin like the mail of a terrible warrior”
“like a sleepwalker”
“like so many chess pieces blown in a dry wind”
“like a gigantic bonfire burning all of Time”
“like golden salamanders”
“like Chinese boxes”
metaphor
a word/phrase is applied to an obj/action to which it is not literally applicable
metaphor example
“time was a film run backward”
“gigantic bats of delirium & night fever”
“a great evil god”
“each lower leg was a piston”
protagonist
the main character of the story
Eckels
antagonist
the character/force the protagonist struggles against & must overcome
time
setting
the time, place, physical details & circumstances in which a situation occurs
around A.D.2055 in the Time Safari office
all times in time machine
around 67-65 million years ago, toward the end of the Mesozoic Era in what is now western North America, at the time an island continent identified as Laramidia
back around A.D. 2055 in the subtly changed but still very different office
mood
the atmosphere that pervades a literary work with the intention of evoking a certain emotion/feeling from the audience
mood during time of the actual safari?
very tense & strained
versimilitude
the sense that what one reads is “real”, or at least realistic & believable
any detail that adds to the story’s believability
vivid imagery
takes place in the future where time machines and other such technology is highly possible
the guns
how the animals came to feed on the dead dinosaur
Eckel’s reaction to the T-rex
aiming for the eyes instead of just anywhere
How would you characterize the business practices of Time Safari Inc.?
They seem very dangerous and barely illegal. Time Safari Inc. is quite shady. There are also not that many precautions taken(could have put railings on the sides of the Path) and other such precautions.
They also seem very unformal (manner of speech)
What are the penalties for disobeying the company’s rules?
“There’s a stiff penalty of another ten thousand dollars, plus possible government action, on your return.”
What might the convo abt the persidential election results foreshadow?
It foreshadows a change in who wins the election.
Name 2 details that you learned in the exposition of the story.
The Time Safari can take you anywhere in the past.
Keith beat Beutscher in the race for presidency.
Deutscher is very militaristic and controlling.
Based on desc, what kind of person is Eckels?
Eckels seems very frightened and anxious about what is to come. Earlier on however, he was almost bluffing, talking about shooting “his” dinosaur and acting very indignant when the desk man tried to warn him of the dangers. This scene just proves that he is a bluff and no more.
what might Travis’ warming to the hunters foreshadow? How does this warning create suspense?
His warning foreshadows danger, definitiely, but also sever bodily harm & possibly even death. This creates suspense by making the readers want to know if they will all make it through successfully or not.
In line 99, Travis says, “We don’t belong here in the past.” Why? Is he correct?
He says this because just one little, tiny change we make in the past could cause an enormous chain reaction that would change everything as we know it.
He is correct in saying that we do not belong in the past, because as humans, we already dwell in the past much too often. We must learn to move past our mistakes, etc. and move on.
Scientifically speaking, what might the effects of introducing the visitors’ bacteria have on the ancient atmosphere?
The organisms on the planet at that time did not have immune systems prepared to fight these new, modern bacteria and probably would have died.
If, however, many organisms had not died, just one death would probably have caused a huge change in the future (as shown in the story).
How might the possible change in “social temperament” be reflected in a country?
Citizens might rebel against their leaders or countries might go to war with each other for valuable, scarce resources.
As Eckels moves thru the prehistoric jungle, he is recalling events that occurred in the future. How is this sequence different from the usual order in a story?
Instead of just going from farthest past to farthest future, Eckels is mixing past, present, and future together and alternating them.
What is Travis annoyed with Eckels for? Why do u think that Eckels keeps speaking despite Travis’ warnings to remai silent? What advice would u give Eckels at this point?
Travis is probably annoyed because Eckels signed himself up for this and acted as if he could take it, but when the time for action came, he promptly turned into a coward, thereby also jeopardizing everyone else’s lives as well.
Eckels keeps talking because he is scared silly and so shocked that he is almost deaf and blind to anything other than the T-Rex.
I would politely remind him that this is his own fault and that he can either suck it up and get over himself or be eaten by a large lizard.
How does Bradbury characterize the dinosaur? State what 2 desc’s r most effective
he uses very vivid imagery & lots of similes & metaphors.
I would say that the 2 most effective desc’s are “a thousand pounds of white bone, sunk in thick ropes of muscle, sheathed over in a gleam of pebbled skin” and “the Monster twitched its jeweler’s hands down to fondle at the men, to twist them in half, to crush them like berries, to cram them into its teeth and its screaming throat”
is Travis’ punishment reasonable? why/why not?
No. I think he gave Eckels the better deal. It would’ve been much worse for Eckels if he had been forced to live with his actions and the consequences that came with them.
With which character do u identify most - Travis or Eckels - and why?
I identify more with Travis because although working for a Time Safari was probably not the smartest idea, at least he understood what he was getting himself into, knew his boundaries, and could keep a clear head. Eckels was just a hot mess, and I was just as annoyed with him as Travis was.
Does Eckels’ reaction upset you?
Yes. As I said before, he knew what he was signing up for and he should’ve either been prepared or not signed up at all. Dinosaurs aren’t just toys that you can turn off when you’re done with. He needs to face the consequences of his mistakes.
Do you think that Travis overreacts?
No. Desperate times call for swift action.
What important discovery does
Eckels make when he reads the sign?
Why do u think that it horrifies him so?
The English language has been drastically changed.
It is so horrifying because it signals great, possibly catastrophic changes in the world. It slams the truth that Eckels was trying so hard not to see right into his face.
What is the “sound of thunder” at the end of the story?
It is the gunshot of Travis shooting Eckels.
What message or theme does Bradbury convey thru this story?
Everyone must face the consequences of their actions.
Even little things can change the world.
