Literary Analysis &

Close Reading Assignment

Climax most exciting/suspenseful moment

Resolution problems are resolved

Complications new problems arise

Basic Situation/Exposition conflict is introduced

*

Falling Action Winding down

The Butterfly Effect

Did you know that each of these

shows and /or movies has been

influenced by the story we are about

to read? Can you guess how?

The Butterfly Effect

The phrase refers to the idea that a

butterfly's wings might create tiny

changes in the atmosphere that may

ultimately alter the path of a

tornado or delay, accelerate or even

prevent the occurrence of a tornado

in another location. The flapping

wing represents a small change in

the initial condition of the system,

which causes a chain of events

leading to large-scale alterations of

events. Had the butterfly not

flapped its wings, the trajectory of

the system might have been vastly

different.

The Butterfly Effect

To understand the concept first let’s

start with something we already know

like the domino effect.

1) As the world runs out of oil gas prices

will rise.

2) When this happens prices for

specialized items of import and

export (coffee) will eventually rise.

3) Food prices will then rise

4) The price of products that require oil

to make them will also rise. (8 & ½

gallons of oil in each car tire)!

The “Butterfly Effect” is similar, except

that we cannot see what causes what.

We know that small things can effect

entire systems.

A Sound of Thunder

The idea that one butterfly could

eventually have a far-reaching ripple

effect on subsequent historic events

seems first to have appeared in “A

Sound of Thunder”, a 1952 short

story by Ray Bradbury about time

travel.

The “Butterfly Effect” is now a

common clichéd plot device;

however, Bradbury was the first to

use the idea in fiction.

Can you give any examples in stories

when changing the past even if only in

the smallest way alters the course of

the future?

Literary Device Catalog

ASOT LIT. Devices Catalog

(p. 505) Imagery = “oiled

striding legs”

Simile = “fence of teeth like

daggers”

Metaphor = “Each lower leg

was a piston”

Bradbury’s simile comparing a

TREX’s teeth to a fence of

daggers is effective writing

because it allows the reader to

get a sense of how much danger

the narrator is in.

Objectives: Students will practice

identifying and critiquing literary

elements in “A Sound of Thunder.”

Students will improve their writing

style through transferring what they

have learned in the note taking

processes to writing a short

descriptive paragraph.

Requirements:

While reading, you must document 2

examples of literary devices per

page in your journals. Pick one of

the two literary device examples you

wrote down and in a sentence

explain why you think it is effective

/good writing.

Literary Device Review

Imagery –(sights, sounds, smells, tastes, & feelings)

Simile – A comparison using “like” or “as”

Metaphor – – A comparison of two unalike things not using

“like” or “as.” Ex. “Juliet is the sun”

Onomatopoeia –– When words sound like what they mean. Ex.

Boom! Pow!

Personification – Giving human characteristics to something

not human. Ex. The wind screamed

Literary Device Class Practice

Notice the ways Bradbury describes his time machine. (p.___) Find 3

similes or metaphors that help us to better imagine the essence of this

machine?

(p. ___) What effect does the figurative language have on the mood of

the story?

Special Note:

In German the name (Deutscher) means “German.” This story was

written right after WWII when Hitler’s Germany was considered the

ultimate example of evil, not only because of the holocaust, but in a

political sense because they were so different from us. They had long

had a dictatorship while we have had a democracy.

Critical Thinking

What is the purpose of the antigravity path?

(p.___) How then are they allowed to hunt if they can’t step on the

grass? If they do not want to kill a mouse, then why a TREX? Isn’t

this also problematic?

What does the theme of this story seem to be so far? Make some

predictions as to what might happen.

Elements of Style

(Very Important!)

Bradbury is extremely proud

and with good cause of his

description of the Tyrannasaur.

Bradbury about this section

has stated, “I say to the

audience ‘ I’m going to stop

you here okay?...and you

know what I’m going to do?

I’m going to describe a

dinosaur as it has never been

described. Now watch this.’

And then I sit down and write

a prose poem about this

wonderful creature that comes

gliding out the jungle.”

What effect do the literary devices

have on the reader? How do they

give us insight as to what the

narrator would be feeling?

Critical Thinking

(p. ___) How serious of a problem is it that Eckels jumps off the

path? Why does he do it?

(p. ___) – rather grotesque – in what detail does the author describe

the final moments of the beast? Is this good writing? Why or why

not?

(p. ___) – Why is Travis angry at Eckles? Is this thematic?

The Grand Finale

The story concludes with an

eerie, twilight zone type of

ending not only for Eckles,

but for the reader.

How does Bradbury use his

theme to shock his reader in

the end of this story?

Tyme SefarI Inc. Sefaris tu any yeer en the past.

Yu naim the animall.

Wee taektuthair.

Yu shoot it.

Writing Assignment

Observe with care the specific literary devices you paid

attention to while reading this story. Remember what

made you select these devices and why you thought these

were effective. Now you are going to emulate Bradbury’s

style in a page length piece of fiction of your own.

Writing prompt: Choose a specific place and time to

travel back to on a safari. First, have your narrator

introduce the time and place. After you set the scene,

have your narrator encounter a specific creature, or event

and describe it by using at least 5 literary devices.

* A Sound of Thunder Mini Quiz

____1) The resolution of the story can be defined as

A. When new problems arise

B. the most exciting/suspenseful moment

C. problems are resolved

D. conflict is introduced

2) Describe in your own words the rising action of A Sound of

Thunder.

3) Which country does Deutscher’s last name come from?

4) Other than the death of Eckles, what is another way the author

scares the reader into an agreement with the moral of his story.

5) Give one literary device or description the author uses to create

his T-rex. Why is this good writing?

Climax most exciting/suspenseful moment

Resolution problems are resolved

Complications new problems arise

Basic Situation/Exposition conflict is introduced

*

Falling Action Winding down

Complete a plot Diagram

For this story

*

Examples

Somebody Wants But So

Harry Potter

wants to

learn about

his parents,

be happy,

and make

friends

but he must

protect

himself from

the dangers

he faces at

Hogwarts

so he learns how to use

his powers for good and

to protect himself and

his friends

Write a paragraph about “A Sound of Thunder” using the Somebody, Wants,

But, So model.

*

somebody = who - the individual/character

wants = what

but =

=complications/problems/conflict

so = solution/outcome

Examples

Somebody Wants But So

Peter Parker

wants to learn

about his parents,

and…

A Sound of Thunder

(Eckles)