Compare And Contrast A Sound Of Nethergrave

661 Words3 Pages

Thesis: Ray Bradbury's A Sound of Thunder greatly surpassed Nethergrave, by Gloria Skurzynski. It was more effective, especially in characterization. Additionally, the theme of one small occurrence resulting in momentous change isn't solely limited to the genre of sci-fi. This idea can be observed in other situations as well.

Paragraph 1: Each story can be placed in the science fiction genre on account of the plot revolving around advanced scientific possibilities. Usually with these scientific achievements come new environments, and societies. A Sound of Thunder occurred in the year 2055, where big game hunters could use a time machine to travel to the age of dinosaurs and put their skill to the test. Nethergrave started off like an average …show more content…

Why? Because he seemed like a real person, not just an archetype, and he was also more realistic and relateable. Jeremy felt like the generic “teen who wallows in his own self pity, and social awkwardness” trope, and he wasn't developed any further than that. And he wasn't even able to develop further. I'm fully aware that some characters are ment to like and dislike, but if I start disliking the character I should feel sympathy for, that's just poor writing. On the contrary, look at the development of Henry Fleming. He started off similarly to Jeremy, but he faced his problems and experienced growth. I do prefer Eckels as a more dimensional character, that I can sympathize with. Eckels had hunted a variety of animals in his past exploits, which most likely gave him confidence in his abilities. Once he joined the dinosaur hunt, he grew steadily uneasy. In a moment of panic, he stepped off the path. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong, but desperately tried to make amends so he wouldn't be left behind. When Eckels got back, he noticed in horror that many aspects of the world changed, all because he crushed a butterfly. Throughout the story, Eckels showcased a variety of emotion, and was overall a more relateable …show more content…

The butterfly crushed by Eckels' boot changed the course of history, with different people in different places, the election's outcome changed, and many other events. This could be demonstrated as a theory known as the “butterfly effect”. That idea is presented by an incident that happened around 2004. Employees at a factory in Denmark dropped a box that contained fireworks, causing expensive damage and even killing a person. This was because the drop lit an entire warehouse of fireworks through friction. The simple event of dropping a box lead to significant event. Nethergrave's theme relates; that though running away from your problems is an easy way out, it may not be the best. This idea wasn't badly executed, but the turning point felt kind of abrupt and without exposition. My sheer distaste for Jeremy as a character didn't help

Open Document