"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury

We are starting our first science fiction short story, "A Sound of Thunder." We will be focusing on vocabulary, style, and mood as we read.

LITERARY FOCUS: STYLE AND MOOD

A writer’s diction, or word choice, greatly defines a work’s style. Style is also determined by sentence length and complexity. A story that is written in brief simple sentences, for example, is different in style from a story written in long complex sentences.

The use (or non-use) of imagery and figurative language also has an effect on style. In the story you’re about to read, Ray Bradbury uses vivid imagery and figurative language to create a style that is as lush as its prehistoric setting. Mood, like style, is also created by diction, sentence length, imagery, and figurative language. A story’s mood, or atmosphere, can be described using adjectives like scary, calm, and mysterious.

• As you read “A Sound of Thunder,” notice how Bradbury's choice of words, imagery, and figurative language creates a unique style.

• As Bradbury describes the ancient jungle, think about the words you’d use to describe the story’s mood.

vocabulary

Let's familiarize ourselves with these words before we start to read.

annihilate v.: destroy; wipe out.

If we continue to destroy the region's forests, we may also annihilate the wildlife that lives there.

expendable adj.: worth sacrificing to gain an objective.

The officers regretted the loss but considered the ground troops expendable.

depression n.: major economic downturn. (Depression also means “sadness.”)

A depression hit the country, resulting in widespread unemployment and homelessness.

paradox n.: something that has or seems to have contradictory qualities.

The paradox is that sometimes we are loneliest when we are in a crowd of people.

delirium n.: extreme mental disturbance, often accompanied by hallucinations (seeing things that are not there).

In his delirium, he imagined he was seeing giant insects.

resilient adj.: able to return to its original shape quickly after being stretched or compressed; elastic.

This resilient fabric springs back to its original shape no matter how you stretch it.

remit v.: return payment.

The company will remit, or return, full payment if the consumers are not satisfied.

revoke v.: cancel; withdraw.

They can revoke your club membership if you fail to attend meetings.

primeval adj.: primitive; of the earliest times.

In the prehistoric world, giant lizards crashed through the primeval forest.

subliminal adj.: below the level of awareness.

Unaware of the movie’s subliminal message to buy food, the audience flocked to buy snacks.

Use this quizlet link to study!!