Erika Kohlhoff
Pre AP English
Similarities and Difference between Two Stories
Two stories that seem completely different can also be so similar too! There is danger in
a jungle, monsters, near death experiences, and rescues. All this information can be fit into just
two stories. One; “A Sound of Thunder”, written by Ray Bradbury and “Being Prey”; written by
Val Plumwood. One is an autobiography, and the other is a science fiction. They are so
different, but so alike especially according to conflict, setting, and resolution. Can you imagine
what these stories are about? There are twists, and it is a thrill! These stories are the kind that
make you be on the edge of your seat. You will enjoy this!
Both settings have a deadly predator trying to kill the characters.
The jungles in the stories were dangerous, and contained deadly predators. In “A Sound
of Thunder”, the setting was dangerous because there were hungry dinosaurs all around trying
to kill the main characters. For example, “…and from the great breathing cage of the upper
body, those two delicate arms dangles out front, arms with hands which might pick up and
examine men like toys, while the snake neck coiled (Bradbury pg. 84).” Just from this passage
alone, proves that the jungle (which the dinosaurs were in) is not safe and is quite dangerous.
Also, the jungle has not been touched, or “messed with”, which basically means that no one has
done anything that might change the jungle except put a path through that did not touch
anything and they have red paint on the dinosaur. The guides did not make it safer for the
hunters, but it is just like the jungles long ago, that were infested with dinosaurs. For example,
"The jungle was high and the jungle was broad and the jungle was the entire world forever and
forever. Sounds like music and sounds like flying tents filled the sky, and those were
Erika Kohlhoff
Pre AP English
pterodactyls soaring with cavernous gray wings, gigantic bats of delirium and night fever
(Bradbury pg. 84).”) The jungle is full of predators, and prey; and in this case the hunters
happened to be the prey for the T-Rex. Also, the jungles, in both stories, the jungles were full
of plants and animals. You could easily get lost in them, and you wouldn’t know what you
would run into yet. The characters in both stories were not prepared to face the monsters that
they did. In “Being Prey”, there was a setting that the character wasn’t familiar with. It also
happened to be raining. Also, there were many rives, some shallow, and banks, and plants. For
example, “…hours of searching the maze of shallow channels in the swamp…(Plumwood pg.
91)” and also, “…the muddy waters of the East Alligator River gliding silently only 100 yards
away(Plumwood pg. 92).” The mood that the author tried to portray is a type of eerie mood,
allowing the reader to predict that something might happen. There are conflicts in each story
that could lead to death or severe injury. The conflicts are alike, but still different at the same
time.
Next, in each story, the conflicts are similar too. In the story, “A Sound of Thunder”, the
external conflict is that the dangerous T-Rex is trying to kill the hunters. An external conflict
example from “A Sound of Thunder” is, “The Monster, at the first motion, lined forward with a
terrible scream (Bradbury pg. 85).” This is an external conflict because the “Monster”, or the
dinosaur, is trying to kill the hunters. There is an internal conflict too. The definition of an
internal conflict is, “The struggle occurring within a character’s mind. Things such as things the
character vies for, but can’t quite reach.” In “A Sound of Thunder”, the internal conflict is in
Eckels, and he is battling his fear and nervousness when he realizes how massive and dangerous
the T-Rex is. He gets scared and feels helpless, and an example of an internal conflict, from the
Erika Kohlhoff
Pre AP English
story is, “’Get me out of here’, said Eckels. ‘It was never like this before. I was always sure I
would come through alive. I had good guides, good safaris and safety. This time, I figured wrong
(Bradbury pg. 85).” Now, at this point in the story, Eckels tries to go back into the time machine
to be “free” of danger, but it ends up that he steps off the antigravity path, the dinosaur sees
the hunters, tries to kill them, but they killed it first.” In “Being Prey”, the conflict is that Val
Plumwood, who is actually the author, and the main character in the story, sees a floating log.
Turns out, it is an alligator and apparently she looks like dinner. The crocodile grabs her and
puts her in a death roll, trying to tire her out, with her struggling to survive. That is one example
of a conflict in the story, her fight to get away from the crocodile. An example of this in the
story is, “Few of those who have experienced the crocodile’s death roll have lived to describe it
(Plumwood pg. 93).” Val Plumwood, (the main character) is also having a conflict of trying to
get back to her home and the hospital because her leg is ripped apart and she feels like she’s
going to die. For example, “What I could see was bad enough. The left thigh hung open, with
bits of fat, tendon, and muscle showing, and a sick, numb feeling suffused my entire body. I
tore up some clothing to bind the wounds and made a tourniquet for my bleeding thigh, then
staggered on, still elated from my escape (Plumwood pg. 94).” Another example of an internal
conflict in “Being Prey” is that the main character is having fears about the crocodile attack and
getting back home. She thinks she is going to die, but thankfully in the end, she lived.
There is also a similar, but still different resolution. Usually when people think of a
resolution, they think of a good ending; a happily ever after ending. Unfortunately, that is not
always true. In these two stories, that is not the case.
Erika Kohlhoff
Pre AP English
Lastly, there is a resolution, as there is in every story. The resolutions are different in
both stories, but are so similar too. In “A Sound of Thunder”, the resolution is that everybody
gets back to “home” on the time machine, and when they get back, everything seems normal.
But when Eckels finds a dead butterfly stuck in his shoe; supposedly from when he stepped off
the antigravity path, they realize that things have changed. That is when Eckels’ hunting guide
shoots him, and the story ends. When the story ends, the reader is led to think that Eckels got
killed or seriously injured. For example, in the story, it says, “Embedded in the mud, glistening
green and gold and black. Was a butterfly. Very beautiful and very dead.” (Bradbury pg. 88) And
also, “He heard Travis breath loud in the room; he heard Travis shift his rifle, click the safety
catch, and raise the weapon. There was a sound of thunder (Bradbury pg. 88).” In the story,
“Being Prey”, the resolute is that the main character eventually finds gets back home, and is
sent to a hospital for extremely bad injuries from the crocodile, but she is ok. These two
resolutions are similar because, in the end, they are injured, and/or died. Also, everybody gets
home, and the main characters know to always follow directions, otherwise, things might get a
little complicated.
There are also similar themes in the two readings.
In “Being Prey”, and “A Sound of Thunder”, there are a couple of themes. For one
theme, it is “A small thing can make a little difference.” For example, in the end of “A Sound of
Thunder, Eckels found a dead butterfly stuck in his shoe, but even that seems like a small and
meaningful thing, it changed the entire past, present, and future; ultimately getting him shot. In
“Being Prey”, that theme also can be used because a few small turns can turn into a massive
crocodile attack, almost causing death. Another theme that could be used is, “Always follow
Erika Kohlhoff
Pre AP English
directions”. This refers to “A Sound of Thunder” because Travis, (the guide) told Eckels not to go
off of the antigravity path, but, Eckels, in his panic, did. This caused the dinosaur to see the
hunters, and it could have killed them. Also, as was said before; stepping off the path made
Eckels step on a little butterfly, causing the entire future to change. Lastly, this theme also
refers to “Being Prey”, because Val Plumwood didn’t listen to her guide’s directions, then went
the wrong way, causing her to be almost killed in a crocodile attack.
Since there is a dangerous monster, fear of survival, and a deadly jungle full of
predators, the two stories are closely similar with text support following. The two stories,
“Being Prey”, and “A Sound of Thunder”, written by Ray Bradbury and Val Plumwood, have
twists, and scary, but interesting things. These would be considered having great thrills, and a
good read!