Comparing "A Sound Of Thunder" and "The Monkeys Paw".

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Emily Shimell                GCSE English Coursework

Comparing “A Sound Of Thunder” and “The Monkeys Paw”

In this essay, I am comparing two stories, “A Sound Of Thunder” and “The Monkeys Paw”. Ray Bradbury wrote “A Sound Of Thunder” in 1952 and “The Monkeys Paw” was written in the late 19th century by WW. Jacobs. “A Sound Of Thunder” is set in 2055 and is in the science fiction genre. You can tell this because it is not fictional and is set in the future. It makes us think about future possibilities and even though it is not true at the time it is written, there is a possibility that it could happen in the future. You can tell that “The Monkeys Paw” is set in the future genre because it is made to give you a slight chill down your spine, and is about possibilities of things going wrong. It is set in an isolated position and the weather is bad, giving a tense and isolated feeling.

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The first contrast which can be seen is at the beginning of each story. The beginning of “The Monkeys Paw” uses very descriptive language such as

Without, the night was cold and wet, the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly

This is the opening line to A Monkeys Paw whereas the opening paragraph in “A Sound Of Thunder” uses no description, and talks about the sign on the wall,

Time Safari Inc

Safaris to any year in the past

You name the animal, we take you there

You shoot it

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