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A Sound of Thunder

by Ray Bradbury

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Student Question

What would some people do if Deutscher won the election in "A Sound of Thunder"?

Quick answer:

In "A Sound of Thunder," some people expressed a desire to escape to the past if Deutscher won the election due to fears of his dictatorial rule. Deutscher was described as a militarist and anti-intellectual, prompting concerns about living under his leadership. Although Keith won, ensuring a more compassionate government, the anxiety surrounding Deutscher's potential victory led individuals to consider using Time Safari, Inc. to escape his regime.

Expert Answers

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The year is 2055. Time Safari, Inc. is a business that uses a time machine to take people back to the past in order to hunt animals that are now extinct. It uses some preventive measures to insure that its actions will not impact the future: that is, the time its travelers return to. When the story opens, an American presidential election had just been held the previous day. It was Keith v. Deutscher. Keith would make a reasonable, compassionate leader. Deutscher would rule like a dictator. He was “an anti-everything man … a militarist, anti-Christ, anti-human, anti-intellectual.” Fortunately, Keith had won the election, and everyone was celebrating. The office clerk told Eckels that during the campaign, people who were worried about Deutscher winning had called to ask if they could be taken back to the past, if the election didn’t go Keith’s way. They were afraid of living in a Deutscher-run country. “It’s not our business to conduct Escapes,” the clerk said.

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