a sound
of thunder
YOur Name
Mrs. Shockey
Period 4
by Ray Bradbury
FLAP1
Literary Elements Packet
STORY SUMMARY/PLOT ELEMENTSFLAP2
MORAL & ETHICal COMPASS FLAP3
FLAP4
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
FLAP5
THEMES
FLAP6
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
A
PLOT SUMMARY AND
IMPORTANT CHOICES.
FOCUS ON CAUSE & EFFECT.
B SETTING
Describe the two settings of the story:
a) Prehistoric Earth
b) America 2 (beginning, end)
PROTAGONIST • ANTAGONIST
a) Choose a character to be the protagonist and explain why.
b) Then argue who would be the antagonist for the protagonist you
chose, and why.
TITLE
1) What is the connection
between the title and the story?
2) What are the 3 examples of
the “sound of thunder”?
CONFLICT
man v. man
man v. self
man v. nature
man v. society
STORY SUMMARY/PLOT elements
E
LI
Eckels: denies responsibility
L
The author uses his story to demonstrate:
PROTECTS
ILT
UE
CR
LISH
FOO
Eckels’s biggest fault is making a foolish, reckless
decision that has a massive impact, and then thinking
that money can fix it, or that it won’t really matter.
GOOD
Travis represents the protector
ER
E T
SE EA D
GR OO
G
Moral compass: CLAIM: The use of technology
without moral conviction means that people
embrace powerful/ potential destructive technology
without principles that guide their behavior.
GU
WRONG
Eckels represents the dangers of not following the rules
and refusing to take responsibility for his actions.Eckels
denies that his actions could possibly affect the future
world.
The author uses his story to demonstrate:
N
G O
U
IL
T
Y
N
DE
BLA
ME
ID
AVO
break
laws
Ethical compass: CLAIM: Accidents happen when
people do not think that set rules apply to them.
A
SP CT
ON RE
SI BL
Y
RE
T
ES NS
ON O
H TI
AC
RIGHT
follow
laws
SP
ON
SI
BL
E
Travis: aware of
consequences
KILLS
Eckels represents the fool
BAD
MORAL AND ETHICAL COMPASS
SYMBOLS
IMAGERY
THE PATH
SIGHT
BUTTERFLY
TOUCH
SOUND
T-REX
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
BULLETS
personification:
metaphor/simile
TIME MACHINE
foreshadowing
irony
SIGN
mood
Figurative Language
THEMES: write on 4 of these themes
1. The importance of events & actions.
2. Technology can go too far.
3. Effect of careless behavior.
4. Everything has a purpose: causality.
5. Humans should not play with nature.
6. Following instructions is crucial.
7. The wealthy may feel immune to established rules and
expected behaviors.
8. Our responsibility to the past, present and future.
9. Modern society with destroy the fragile ecosystem.
10. Actions have consequences.
1. State the theme in your answer.
2. Use quotes from the story and examples.
3. Write AT LEAST six sentences for each.
4. Make a good argument.
1 2
3 4
Themes
Answer the following questions using complete sentences. ALL require more than one sentence.
1. What is a paradox? Explain the paradox of time travel.
2. What can teenagers learn about the importance of cause and effect relationships in these places:
ENGLISH MEETS
SCIENCE
Explain the BUTTERFLY
EFFECT and how it relates
to this story.
a) science, b) sports, c) education, d) politics, e) human relationships.
3. Discuss mood and suspense in the story. How does the author Bradbury increase the reader’s
sense of doom and tension in the story?
4. Discuss both Travis’ and Eckels’ intentions, motivations, actions, claims and justifications.
5. The idea of causality is that everything has a cause, and if a person can trace the causes of an action, then one might be better able to understand the situation and the cause. What does Bradbury
seem to be arguing is the CAUSE of the downfall of man and the impact of technology?
6. What do you think the people at the time of the story thought was MORALLY ACCEPTABLE
about technology?
Essential Questions
Explain the
GRANDFATHER
PARADOX and how it
relates to this story.