Sound of Thunder Study Guide

How are they able to identify the animals to shoot?

They are marked with red paint by Lesperance.

Who is the protagonist?

Eckels.

How much does it cost to go back in time?

Ten thousand dollars.

What do they want to do back in time?

Hunt and kill a dinosaur on a guided safari.

What is the guide's name?

Travis

What is the primary setting of A Sound of Thunder?

A prehistoric jungle 60 million years in the past.

What does Eckels want to hunt?

A Tyrannosaurus Rex.

What tells us the story was written in 1952?

References to political fears, dictatorship, and Cold War-era attitudes.

What is the most important warning the hunters receive?

Do not leave the Path or disturb anything in the past.

Why would killing even the smallest creature be a problem?

It could change the future through a chain reaction of events.

Why can't you see yourself when you go back in time?

Time avoids paradoxes by preventing people from meeting themselves.

Why did Safari Inc. pick that dinosaur? How was it to die?

It was going to die naturally when a tree fell on it, so killing it wouldn't change history.

In order to kill a dinosaur, what must the hunters do?

Shoot it in the eyes and brain, staying on the Path.

Why did Eckels choose not to kill the dinosaur?

He panicked and was terrified by its size and power.

Why was Travis willing to kill Eckels?

Eckels endangered the timeline by stepping off the Path.

What does Travis force

Eckels to do?

Remove the bullets from the dinosaur's body.

The change in election results suggests that...

Small actions in the past can drastically change the future.

What does Eckels find on the bottom of his shoe?

A dead butterfly

Who shoots Eckels?

Travis

What phrase symbolizes the ripple effect?

“A sound of thunder”