Setting
Based on the information from the story, what is the setting?
The story takes place in the future.
What animal is Eckels hunting?
Dinosaur; T-Rex
Eckles is afraid of the dinosaur. What do the tour guides tell him to do since he is so afraid?
They tell him to go back to the time machine.
In the story, Travis explains the effects of stepping off the path and killing a mouse. What is the final effect Travis mentions?
There may not be a United States.
Annihilate
to destroy; wipe out
Who were the two candidates running for president of the United States? Who won the election?
Keith and Deutscher; Keith won the election
How could you describe the types of trips provided by Time Safari, Inc.?
The company provides very dangerous trips to its customers.
How does Eckles act once they get to the past and he is given a rifle?
He is nervous.
What was the main effect from Eckels killing the butterfly?
It set off a chain reaction that led to Keith losing.
Resilient
able to return to original shape; elastic
Compare and contrast the “Time Safari” signs. Why is the original sign different from the altered sign?
The original is correct English, while the altered sign is misspelled. The contrast highlights the effect Eckel's actions had on the future.
What does Travis want Eckels to do as punishment?
He wants Eckels to dig the bullets out of the dead dinosaur.
What causes Eckels to step off the path?
He is in a daze.
What does Travis mean when he says he is not sure whether "messing around in time can make a big roar or a little rustle in history?"
He doesn't know if a change in the past will make a small or big change to the future.
Expendable
worth sacrificing to gain an objective
Why do the travelers wear sterilized clothing and oxygen helmets?
So they do not introduce any bacteria or germs into the past that can alter the future.
What effect might Eckels stepping off the path have?
It may change the future in some way.
Why do you think the two hunters, Billings and Kramer, do not want to take "trophy pictures?"
They are too horrified at what they have done to want to record it.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Why does Eckles compare people to chess pieces?
They are helpless to determine their own fate.
Subliminal
below the level of awareness
Why are the only animals that are about to die anyway chosen for hunting?
They die anyway, so it will not change the future.
At the end of the story, what is the "sound of thunder" in the last line?
It was the gunfire.
What two things does Travis fear might happen because Eckels stepped off the path?
He has changed the future and that he has ruined the company's reputation.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
What is the purpose of the Path and why is "Path" capitalized?
The path is to keep anyone from touching/changing the past. "Path" is capitalized because it represents authority or destiny.
Delirium
extreme mental disturbance, often including hallucinations