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A Sound of Thunder

by Ray Bradbury

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Student Question

What causes Eckels' transformation in "A Sound of Thunder"?

Quick answer:

Eckels' transformation in "A Sound of Thunder" is caused by his terrifying encounter with a Tyrannosaurus Rex and the accidental alteration of history by stepping on a butterfly. Initially naive and excited about time travel, Eckels panics during the hunt and changes history, leading to a dystopian present. This experience makes him a contrite and serious individual who regrets his actions.

Expert Answers

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Eckels experiences a change after coming face-to-face with a terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex and accidentally altering the course of human history by stepping on a prehistoric butterfly. At the beginning of the story, Eckels is a naive, cavalier individual, who is excited about traveling back in time to hunt a dinosaur. Eckels does not take Travis's warnings about the chaos theory seriously and believes that hunting a dinosaur will be fun and easy. After traveling sixty million years back in time, though, Eckels discovers that confronting a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex is an extremely terrifying experience. Once Eckels witnesses the dinosaur, he panics and runs off the hovering Path as he sprints toward the Time Machine. Unfortunately, Eckels accidentally kills a prehistoric butterfly while running through the forest, which dramatically alters the course of human history. Once Eckels returns to the present, he discovers that President Deutscher has won the election, and America has transformed into a dystopia. This stunning revelation significantly impacts Eckels's outlook on life. Eckels transforms into a contrite, serious individual who understands the consequences of his actions and regrets going on the Time Safari.

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