Being Prey Short Story Analysis

Ever thought that your actions could lead to fatal mistakes in life? In the stories “Being Prey” and “Sound of Thunder,” Val and Eckels make some pretty big faults that results in huge penalties that affect them and others as well. The elements that are in both stories are setting, theme and plot. So, the elements in these selections compare or contrast with each other in different ways.

First off, in “Sound of Thunder” and the story “Being Prey” the authors choose a similar setting which is an environment where reptiles/predators thrive and prey on other animals. For example, in “Sound of Thunder,” “Into the green wilderness, over the steaming swamp, among giant ferns,” (pg.81). In addition, in “Being Prey,” “Kakadu’s paperback wetlands are

The theme of “Sound of Thunder” is “The actions you take without thinking can lead to consequences in the future” but in “Being Prey” the theme is “Being ignorant of your surroundings/experiences will bring along fateful outcomes.” According to the textual evidence in “Sound of Thunder,” “Eckels!” He took a few steps…The monster, at the first motion, lunged forward with a terrible scream…Eckels, not looking back…stepped off the Path and walked…What sort of world it was now…Embedded in the mud, glistening green and gold and black, was a butterfly, very beautiful and very dead…It couldn’t change things…Could it,” (pgs.85 and 88). After that, in “Being Prey,” I would be safe from crocodiles in the canoe-I had been told-but swimming or wading at the water’s edge was dangerous…I was standing in one of the most the most dangerous places on earth…Then I was seized between the legs in a red-hot pincer grip and whirled into the suffocating wet darkness,” (pgs.91-93). As a result, the text evidence shows that the themes are different because in “Sound of Thunder” Eckels without thinking and running away from the T-Rex, he stepped off the path, which killed a sort of butterfly that changed the future dramatically, and he was eventually killed for his actions. However, in “Being Prey” when Val ignored many advices/her surroundings. She ends up coming face to face with a crocodile who attacks and

On the other hand, in “Being Prey” Val survived the crocodile attack and learns from the mistakes she makes. For instance, in “Sound of Thunder,” Can’t we take it back…Can’t we- “He did not move…he waited…he heard Travis shift his rifle, click the safety catch, and raise the weapon. There was a sound of thunder,” (pg.88). Lastly, in “Being Prey,” “In the end, I was found in time and survived…The glow has slowly faded, but some of that new gratitude for life endures,” (pg.95). These quotes confirm that the plots in both selections are different because even though that Eckels had learned from his mistakes, he was still murdered by Travis. However, Val survived her attack and realizes she needs to heed warnings/her surroundings from now on, but she is glad/lucky to be