Dragons, witches, princesses, and knights. These are the imaginary friends in so many children's lives. For young adults, those fairy tale characters give way to darker characters and more realistic situations. However, what do they all have in common? They all live in stories. Two stories that are interesting are The Giver by Lois Lowry and "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury. Jonas in The Giver celebrates his Ceremony of the Twelves, and accepts a job that requires feeling more emotional pain than anyone had ever experienced before. Eckels in "A Sound of Thunder" wants to hunt down and kill a T. Rex, facing challenges he was not prepared for. While some obvious similarities are present, both authors approach these stories specifically with …show more content…
The Giver had a slightly more cheerful tone while "A Sound of Thunder" had a more serious tone. When Jonas saw the good memories, like the one of the family next to the fire, it made him happy, a feeling he had never truly felt. "The family in the memory seemed a little more-' He faltered, not able to find the word he wanted. 'A little more complete' The Giver suggested. Jonas nodded. 'I liked the feeling of love'" (Lowry). He liked the feeling of love that being around the family had given him. He liked the warmth. The feeling of love makes him happy, and even though the story carries a dark tone sometimes, parts like these give the story a loving, cheerful mood. Alternatively, "A Sound of Thunder" has a serious sort of feel to it. They get straight to the point, and it casts a shadow over the story. When Eckels was paying for the trip and talking to the guy at the desk he was worried about his life assurance "'Don't I get some kind of document promising that I will come back alive?' 'We promise nothing,' said the official, 'except the dinosaurs'" (Bradbury). The evidence that tells him they cannot guarantee that he will come back to the future alive shows a straightforward nature right from the get-go. The rest of the story follows a right-to-the-point path and makes the stories plot more serious. This gives both stories different tones, along with their