Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

Close Reading Organizer - A Sound of Thunder

Sample Answers
Directions: Read each summary entry and think about which themes listed in the
Themes Key apply to it, then color in those themes in the Theme Tracker. Next, write a
few sentences of Analysis to explain how the themes you chose apply to each summary
section.

Note: There is not always a definitive set of “correct” answers for which themes should appear in the
Theme Tracker. Answers that differ from the ones we propose below should therefore not automatically
be treated as incorrect, and in fact can serve as great discussion starters.

Themes Key
1 Cause and Effect
2 Authoritarianism, Fascism, and Nostalgia
3 Mortality
4 Environmentalism

Summary Theme Tracker Your Analysis

In the year 2055, Mr. Although he is excited

Eckels enters the office of about the safari, even upon
Time Safari, Inc., a entering the office Mr.
company that offers trips Eckels worries about the
to the past in order to hunt possibility of dying on the
large prehistoric animals— trip. As company policies
including dinosaurs—for lay out, however, there is
the price of ten thousand no certain outcome to these
dollars. Eckels feels trips. The agent’s emphasis
phlegm gather in his throat on uncertainty gives Eckels
as he asks the company pause, but not enough to
1 2 3 4
agent behind the prevent him from seeking
reception desk whether this ultimate achievement
the company guarantees of control over nature. This
he will come back alive. moment establishes the
The agent informs him that importance of following
there are no guarantees instructions, foreshadowing
“except the dinosaurs,” Eckels’s later fatal
and that if Eckels disobeys transgression.
any instructions he will be
fined another ten thousand
dollars.

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Eckels takes a moment to Throughout the story,

admire the Time Machine Eckels demonstrates a
and remember the fascination with mortality
company’s advertisements and the possibility of its
—which, he recalls, tend to reversal. He seeks control
focus on the reversal of life over life and death in the
and death. Eckels muses 1 2 3 4 sense of the hunter’s
that with only “a touch of dominance over nature, but
the hand,” gray hair and also in terms of his
wrinkles could disappear; relationship to his own
everything could “fly back aging and death.
to seed, flee death, rush
down to their beginnings.”

Eckels makes small talk This portion of the story

with the company agent introduces the theme of
while waiting, discussing authoritarianism. The
the recent presidential presidential election
election in the United represents a classic conflict
States. Eckels expresses between American
relief that Keith was democracy and totalitarian
elected rather than regimes. The German name
Deutscher. The official Deutscher hints at
agrees that Keith is the connections with Nazi
best candidate for Germany but many of the
American and democratic values described could also
values, asserting that refer to American views on
Deutscher—“a militarist, 1 2 3 4 Soviet Russia during the
anti-Christ, anti-human, Cold War. The agent’s
anti-intellectual”—would comment that the company
have brought about does not conduct “Escapes”
dictatorship. The agent foreshadows the dark
adds that people have political direction this story
called the company only will take and the
semi-joking that if inevitability of
Deutscher won they’d authoritarianism.
want to go live in 1492;
however, it’s not the
company’s “business to
conduct Escapes,” the
agent adds.

The company agent asks 1 2 3 4 The agent’s statements

Eckels to sign a release, about the danger involved
reminding him that the in the hunt seem almost
dinosaurs he’s going to designed to provoke Eckels
hunt are highly dangerous. into showing his bravery—

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Eckels responds in anger, really, his bravado. His line

but the official explains about a “real” hunter
that the spiel is designed implies that anyone who is
to scare of those not not up for facing such a
looking for “the severest frightening prospect is not
thrill a real hunter could truly a hunter. Further,
ever ask for.” The agent Eckels hesitates and never
mentions that a number of clearly affirms his intent to
clients and safari guides go on the safari, but the
have died on the trips and process seems to move
offers Eckels the chance to forward in the absence of a
tear up his check. Eckels decision. This echoes the
hesitates, his fingers way his actions in the past
twitching, but the agent will start a chain of events
continues the transaction. over which he ultimately
has no control.

The company agent Eckels appears filled with

hands Eckels over to the more than usual foreboding
safari guide Mr. Travis, in this moment. He seems
although it is unclear almost to have no agency,
whether Eckels has as if this adventure is
actually stated that he happening to him rather
would like to continue on than by his own choice. This
the safari. The Time again reflects the story’s
Machine begins to flash 1 2 3 4 broader sense of events
backwards through the being unpredictable and
years as the hunters and largely beyond human
guides test out their control. Further, his stiff and
oxygen and intercoms. pale demeanor is almost
Eckels sits stiff and pale corpse-like, adding to the
alongside Mr. Travis, fellow many associations of
guide Lesperance, and Eckels’ character with
two other hunters. death.

Eckels nervously 1 2 3 4 Eckels continues to display

contemplates the rifles his nervousness about the
they all hold, tightly deadly potential of the
gripping his own gun. He prehistoric environment. He
asks Travis if the guns can seeks control over the
“get a dinosaur cold.” situation. Travis’s response
Travis responds underscores the fact that,
equivocally, noting that even given the number of
some dinosaurs have two precautions the safari
brains and are too risky to company takes, outcomes
hunt. He counsels Eckels are not entirely certain.
to shoot for the eyes and

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into the brain.

Eventually, the flashing of Through the height of

day and night outside human technology, the
comes to a halt, the sun hunters find themselves in
standing still in the sky. the midst of a vast and wild
The fog gathered around 1 2 3 4 natural environment. The
the machine clears to stillness of this moment is
reveal a prehistoric anticipatory, building
wilderness. interest in the action yet to
come.

Travis begins a speech Travis’s speech serves to

emphasizing that the illustrate just how pristine
travelers are now far, far in this wilderness is,
the past, listing the untouched by the march of
historical figures who have human history. His
not yet been born. He reminders to the hunters
exhorts the hunters to stay are a part of Time Safari,
on the metal Path that Inc.’s efforts to control the
hovers over the ground in 1 2 3 4 outcome of their hunts and
order to prevent stepping to protect the natural
on any important plant or environment from
animal and disturbing the interference.
natural environment. He
reminds the hunters that
there is a huge fine for
anyone who fails to obey
the rules.

Eckels expresses his 1 2 3 4 Travis demonstrates a firm

confusion at the rules, grasp of the idea that small
prompting Travis to changes may snowball into
launch into a long huge unintended
explanation. The guide consequences. Eckels,
details a long list of meanwhile, remains fixated
potential blunders and on what he perceives as the
their effects, such as disproportionate
stepping on one mouse relationship between tiny
and disrupting an entire organisms and the broad
future food chain. Crushing arc of human history. “A
even the smallest life Sound of Thunder” puts
form, he explains, could Eckels’s and Travis’s
disrupt ecological balance competing theories to the
and change the future, not test.
just of nature, but of
human society. Eckels

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

takes a somewhat
adversarial role during this
exchange, constantly
questioning the
connections that Travis
draws between cause and
effect.

Seemingly grasping the Time Safari Inc.’s

rules at last, Eckels asks precautions seem both
which animals are okay to extreme—multiple trips
shoot. Lesperance back in time to find one
explains that the party can dinosaur—and insufficient.
safely shoot the specific After all, they may be
animal he has previously picking a creature destined
marked for them, because to die, but who is to say
he has already traveled that shooting the dinosaur
back in time to find a will not cause it to fall
creature that would have slightly differently, and land
died of some accident on an insect or a flower that
1 2 3 4
within minutes after the would otherwise have
hunt regardless. Hearing played a crucial role in
this, Eckels reasons that history? This suggests the
Lesperance must know company’s hubris in its
about the success or belief that it can entirely
failure of the expedition. control the conditions of the
The guide explains that safari. Eckels once again
there is no way to know finds himself wishing for
because one cannot meet certainty and baffled by the
oneself while traveling safari leaders’ simultaneous
through time. precision and lack of
pertinent information.

Eckels messes about with 1 2 3 4 In the lead up to the

his gun a bit while waiting encounter with the
and Travis scolds him not dinosaur, Eckels acts
to aim at anything but the excited, almost playful. He
dinosaur. Lesperance marvels at the strange
signals that the T. rex will circumstances. Travis, on
soon approach. Eckels the other hand, braces for a
begins to muse on the serious encounter. The T.
incongruity of a moment rex’s approach, heralded by
when neither the new a booming sound like
president nor any of the thunder, brings a very real
people celebrating exist possibility of death into the
yet. Soon the forest goes narrative. This “sound of
quiet, and the T. rex thunder,” appearing twice

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

approaches with a sound in the story, becomes a

of thunder. Eckels is symbol of mortality and the
transfixed when he comes inevitability of death.
face to face with the
creature. Observing its
massive, machine-like
body, he proclaims it
impossible to kill and
wishes to retreat.

Travis tries to silence Eckels, as a big game

Eckels, then directs him to hunter, seems to have
wait in the Time Machine fancied himself as brave,
and promises to refund even fearless. He realizes in
half his fee. Eckels, looking at the fearsome T.
recoiling in horror from the rex that he cannot face true
creature’s metallic, insect- uncertainty as to whether
crusted hide, proclaims, “It he will live; he only enjoys
was never like this before. hunting when he has clear
I was always sure I’d come control over his prey, and
through alive.” the story insists that human
Lesperance reiterates the beings overestimate their
1 2 3 4
instructions to wait in the power at their own peril.
machine. Instead, dazed The dinosaur seems almost
and unable to follow beyond life, its body both
directions, Eckels wanders machine-like and
off the path while the reminiscent of
guides and the other two decomposition. In trying to
hunters shoot at the avoid death, Eckels makes
dinosaur bearing down on the fatal mistake of
them. Despite the interfering with the
fearsome sight it presents, prehistoric wilderness. His
the T. rex falls dead, and error will change the course
the jungle is silent. of history.

The hunters and guides 1 2 3 4 The T. rex’s death is horribly

are all profoundly effected gruesome, leaving even the
by the creature’s bloody less squeamish safari goers
end, some cursing and shaken. Travis appears
others vomiting in disgust. hardened and unconcerned
Travis returns to find with Eckels’s panic attack.
Eckels shivering on the This scene poses an implicit
floor of the Time Machine. critique of trophy hunting,
He retrieves supplies for both in terms of the horrors
the other hunters to clean it brings and for the ways
the creature’s blood off that it hardens people. The
themselves as they men who paid to go on this

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

observe the carcass. The trip leave with not even a

body settles into the souvenir, nothing but the
stillness of death like “a bloody memory of an
wrecked locomotive or a incomprehensibly large
steam shovel at quitting creature destroyed.
time.” Lesperance offers
two hunters who shot at
the dinosaur a chance to
pose for a photo,
explaining that they
cannot take any trophies
with them. They decline,
and all return to the Time
Machine to find Eckels still
huddled on the floor.

Eckels finally says, “I’m Even Travis, who seems to

sorry.” Travis, realizing understand the dangers of
that Eckels wandered off time travel and the
the path, yells and him unpredictability of cause
and threatens to leave him and effect better than
behind. He is incensed that anyone, is primarily
Eckels would violate the concerned about the
rules and put the business bottom line. Although not
at risk of fines or even spelled out, it seems that
being shut down by the leaving Eckels in the past
government. He eventually (perhaps claiming that he
1 2 3 4
orders Eckels to retrieve was eaten by a dinosaur)
the bullets from the might be a way around
dinosaur carcass. government reprimands for
Lesperance scolds Travis the company. Only as an
for this, telling him that it afterthought does he
was unnecessary, but mention the potential
Travis is unconvinced. He environmental and
rants about the historical damage.
uncertainty of what parts
of the future Eckels might
have changed.

When Eckels returns, 1 2 3 4 Neither Lesperance nor

covered in blood, they Eckels want to believe that
leave for the future. a small error like stepping
Lesperance suggests the off the path could lead to
punishment was any major changes. Travis is
unnecessary, but Travis skeptical of this optimism,
claims that it will prevent and he maintains his anger
Eckels from hunting “game over Eckels’s lapse in

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

like this” in the future. judgment.

Travis threatens Eckels,
who protests his
innocence, sure that his
brief lapse could not have
changed anything.

When they arrive, Travis Travis is eager to get rid of

observes the office with Eckels, but Eckels finds
suspicion. Assured by the himself jarred out of hopeful
company agent that optimism by the realization
everything is alright, he that this is not quite the
orders Eckels to leave and same future that he left
never come back. Eckels, behind. His senses all tell
however, lingers for a him there are small, almost
moment, noticing that the intangible differences in the
1 2 3 4
atmosphere and small atmosphere, while the sign
things about the office confirms that human
have changed. The air culture has changed as
smells different; the colors well. Apparently, his
are ever so slightly off; venture off the path has
and, most tellingly, the changed something after
sign over the desk is all.
written with a different
spelling system.

Eckels slumps down into a 1 2 3 4 The butterfly represents

chair and, examining his chaos. It is the tiny, delicate
boots, finds that he has element that nonetheless
crushed a small butterfly. changes everything. Its
Its green and gold wings green and gold coloration
glisten as his mind races recalls the T. rex, setting up
with thoughts of dominoes, parallel instances of
wondering how something environmental destruction.
so small could change the Even this tiny casualty of
future. Panicking, he asks negligence can have a huge
the company agent effect—in this case, it has
about the election results brought about the very
and learns that Deutscher authoritarianism that Eckels
has now won. joked about escaping. This
passage contains many
interlocking ideas, including
the perils of carelessness
with nature, the ever-
present threat of fascism,
the unpredictability of
consequences, and the

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

unseen value of every life.

After a few moments of Eckels’s desire to go back

pleading to go back and fix and fix what he has broken
things, Eckels waits in is too little, too late. All that
silence, eyes closed. He is left is retribution. The
hears Travis take a sound of thunder in this
breath, raise his rifle, and passage, echoing the sound
release the safety on his 1 2 3 4 of the T. rex bearing down
gun. The story ends with a on the hunting party, likely
sound of thunder. represents a gunshot, with
Travis killing Eckels to
punish him for his mistake
—and to destroy the
evidence.