A Sound Of Thunder Symbolism Analysis

The most powerful symbol in “A Sound Of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury is the butterfly because it symbolizes the butterfly effect. The butterfly is so important because it tells you what could possibly happen by over exaggerating a little bit, with the butterfly getting killed, so you know how severe the consequences could be. In the story the character Travis likes to over exaggerate about the butterfly effect in the text. For example, in the text it says, “Well, what about the foxes that'll need those mice to survive? For want of ten mice, a fox dies. For want of ten foxes a lion starves. For want of a lion, all manner of insects, vultures, infinite billions of lifeforms are thrown into chaos and destruction. Eventually it all boils down to this:

The colors, white, gray, blue, orange, in the wall, in the furniture, in the sky beyond the window, were . . . were . . . . And there was a feel. His flesh twitched. His hands twitched. He stood drinking the oddness with the pores of his body. Somewhere, someone must have been screaming one of those whistles that only a dog can hear. His body screamed silence in return. Beyond this room, beyond this wall, beyond this man who was not quite the same man seated at this desk that was not quite the same desk . . . lay an entire world of streets and people. What sort of world it was now, there was no telling. He could feel them moving there, beyond the walls, almost, like so many chess pieces blown in a dry wind ....But the immediate thing was the sign painted on the office wall, the same sign he had read earlier today on first entering. Somehow, the sign had changed.” Which proves that the butterfly is the most powerful symbol, because it symbolizes the butterfly effect. Also it proves why the butterfly effect is so important, because if you act carelessly, then severe consequences could