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Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" is momentous and inquisitive, tackling concepts such as the effect of technology on environmentalism and authoritarianism. Bradbury uses grandiose imagery and larger-than-life concepts such as time travel to create the narrative. Both in the year 2055 and 60 million years ago, Bradbury's language is teeming with similes and metaphors. The devices are particularly verdant when Bradbury illustrates the majesty of the Tyrannosaurus and the vibrancy of the jungle:
The jungle was silent. After the avalanche, a green peace. After the nightmare, morning.
In the midst of the beauty that time travel affords, the story asks questions about the possibilities of the future, whether innovative or dangerous. Bradbury weaves all of these issues into the expedition to hunt down the most notorious monster of all time.
In the story, Eckels himself asks questions about the logistics and risks of time travel, which perpetuates the inquisitive style of writing. The moments that foreshadow the catastrophic and ironic ending further build up the story's inquisitiveness. The futuristic setting also forces the reader to wonder what the world will look like in their own future: Will authoritarianism be the primary form of government? Will technologies like the Time Machine exist?
Related Themes:
