“A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury tells a futuristic story, set in a place where technology and society have advanced not only to the creation of time travel, but also to its use for entertainment purposes. Humanity can “essentially” travel to any point in history and “essentially” return safely. However, there is a theme of cause and affection throughout the story. Even the smallest change from the past can alter the course of the future. As dangerous as it is, for the sake of the plot, the company uses time travel recklessly. The main character, Eckels, frequents a company, "Time Safari Inc.", which offers a guided prehistoric hunting trip. The company, as well as the government, appears to understand the dangers of altering the past, as evidenced by the precautions, rules and warnings provided to travelers. But Ray Bradbury expresses the increasingly powerful technology that humans cannot fully understand. There is a connection between past, present and future, which means that every action, no matter how small, has consequences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The company offering time travel experiences, Time Safari, Inc., initially appears to understand the dangers of altering the past, as is evidenced by the precautions and warnings provided to prospective travelers. The company emphasizes that it does not guarantee any particular outcome, not even the safe return of its customers. Before leaving, Eckels must sign a liability release, which the company agent explains in terms of danger during the safari: "Those dinosaurs are hungry." The company also created anti-gravity courses to prevent safari-goers from interacting with the world around them, and pre-selected dinosaurs that would still die naturally within minutes of being shot by time-traveling hunters. Travis, Eckels' guide, explains the theory behind the many safety precautions the company takes to ensure minimal effects on the past of their safaris. At such a great distance in the past, he says, small changes could accrue over time and have a huge impact on human civilization. Things that seem small to Mr. Eckels because they have little impact on ordinary human life, such as stepping on a mouse or a plant, could mean much more when the time scale of their consequences is millions of years. However, there are penalties in place for the possibility that someone might go off the path, suggesting that the company's precautions are not as safe as they should be, given its supposed appreciation of the danger of altering the past. Although the company can account for some causes that could lead to changes in the past, and therefore in the present and future, it overestimates its ability to control events and neglects the ever-present element of chance. For example, when the dinosaur scares Eckels, he doesn't have the presence of mind to follow the instructions and return to the time machine. Instead, it wanders off the trail, and the safari guides don't notice until the damage has already been done. Bradbury therefore seems to present a kind of naivety on the part of humanity; the company paradoxically articulates the immense danger of changing the past in any way, but also foolishly believes in its own ability to safeguard itself from such changes. Mr. Travis admits: “Perhaps time cannot be changed by us […] We don't know. We're guessing. The precautions taken by Time,, 14(1), 37-43.