The Use Of Technology In Ray Bradbury's 'Sound Of Thunder'

Despite the apparent advantages of living with advanced technology, in “Sound of Thunder," Bradbury criticizes society to show that people are destroying themselves with uncontrolled technology.

First, Bradbury explains the apparent advantages of living with advanced technology. He uses the setting of future society to display more developed technology; which means the readers can discover stronger or perhaps more serious effects of technology. The readers are introduced with the utility of technology when Eckels is excited about “a real time machine”(Bradbury 1). In the society where Eckels is living, humans are able to travel across time instead of being inevitable to get out of this present moment. Through this form of technology, what Bradbury

It is certain that Eckels and his group become desperate to use technology. This is clearly stated when Travis doesn’t allow Eckels to come “back to this machine”(Bradbury 8) with “his rifle pointed”(Bradbury 8)at him for the punishment. If one doesn’t allow a person to do something for punishment, it means that that something is valuable. Same logic applies in the story, if Travis doesn’t allow Eckels to enter the time machine for his punishment, that makes the time machine valuable; they must be desperate to win it. From this situation, the readers can find that humans need that technology. In fact, they must have it. Despite humans are the inventors of the time machine, they cannot be independent from it, instead they become so reliant to it; technology becomes valuable. Ordinarily, as the technology advances, it becomes more common; it becomes easier to get them; it is less valuable. However, in “Sound of Thunder”, time machine which symbolizes technology becomes so significant. Ironically, even though technology develops, it becomes more valuable. As mentioned, what Bradbury is trying to accentuate is this value. He is predicting that there’s going to be a time when this increasing value of technology goes over the value of human. He warns that because of that value, there’s going to be a moment when humans will kill each other because of technology: this can be seen when there is “a sound of thunder”(Bradbury 10) from the gun pointed to Eckels. Bradbury wants the readers to think differently than everyone else who are increasing technology’s value. Bradbury lets the readers think which one is higher: humans’ value or technology’s value. Moreover, he makes the humans realize that humans should increase their value to face technology. For example, maintaining good relationships, spending some time without