SURVIVOR: A Sound of Thunder

Question 1: How does the character search for solace, purpose, and/or redemption in this story?
In "A Sound of Thunder" Eckels is not looking for a purpose or solace. Throughout the story Eckels is looking to have fun on a trip of a lifetime. He is going hunting with a company that can take you back to the prehistoric era with the dinosaurs. He was very excited about hunting a 60 million year old animal. But when the time came to shoot and kill the enormous animal, Eckels freaked out. By the end of the story Eckels was searching for redemption from Travis. Eckels had stepped off the path, exactly what Travis told him not to do, and Eckels ended up stepping on and killing a butterfly. The butterfly affect affected the present day world for Eckels, Travis, and the other men who went on the hunting trip. When Eckels, Travis, and the others realized that spelling had changed and the dictator was elected president they realized what had happened. Everyone was infuriated, especially Travis. Eckels was then wanting redemption and to change what happened, but Travis shot him before he could redeem himself.

Question 2: How does the character's experience reflect the historical period in which his/her story is told?
The character's experience's reflect the time period because the author states it is in the future, 2055, and the techology. If the author had not mentioned the year in which the character's are living in you could predict that it is the future because we do not have time travel today and have not had time travel in the past. There are many technologic advances that conclude the story is taking place in the future. During the story, the characters use a time travel machine to go into the past during the Jurassic period, when dinosaurs flurished. The characters that went in to the Jurassic period were two hunt guides, Eckels, and two other hunters. The dinosaurs tell you that it is the Jurassic period because dinosaurs are extinct and the hunt guides have a time traveling machine. Another clue about the Jurassic era is that there are forests with many insects, animals, vegetation, and dinosaurs.

Question 3: How does the character's experience in the story symbolize the theme of survival and the human spirit?
Eckels' experience in the short story does not really symbolize survival, but his effort of surviving. Eckels thought he could save himself in the presence of the T-Rex by hiding and running away to the time maching, but by hiding and moving he created more danger for not only his self, but for the four other men he was on the hunting trip with. While Eckels was in a state of confusion and in a daze he stepped off the path. The other four men Eckels had fled were left to kill the T-Rex on their own. They killed it, but it was a shocking and hard situation. After Travis was infuriated enough at Eckels and found him in the time machine with dirt everywhere and got even more infuriated. Travis was very harsh towards Eckels, but wanted to get home. When they got back to 2055 Eckels noticed something different about the somewhat familiar home of the time traveling company and then noticed he had stepped on a butterfly and changed what had happened in the future. This affect is known as the butterfly affect. Eckels had mad a choice that he could not change and was upset with what had happened, but Travis could not bare with what Eckels had done so Travis killed Eckels.