Turn Over a New Leaf
Origin of, "Turn Over a New Leaf"
The chaos theory states that one event in time can cause a ripple effect, changing the outcome of the future indefinitely. In the story, when Eckels travels off the path during the safari, he steps on a butterfly. Although it may not seem important, this small event is the beginning of a chain reaction, causing a huge line of events. In this large timespan, the future will change completely, in ways which cannot be fathomed. For this reason, Travis stressed the importance of not straying off the path, emphasizing how it could completely change the world they knew. Once they had reached 2055, the world appeared the same at first glance. However, after observing his surroundings, Eckels noticed major differences, realizing the mistake he had made. The sign advertising Time Safari had changed, mysteriously spelled completely wrong. Along with this odd change, their president was now Deutscher, the nonsensical militarist, instead of Keith. As Eckels notices this catastrophe, he pleads for forgiveness, wanting to go back in time and change their bleak future. However, Eckels suffers for his actions, shot by Travis, with a sound of thunder.
“A Sound of Thunder” can be related to the philosophy of the meaning of life. This is because in the story, Eckels' small action changes the entire outcome of the future, just as in life, one action can change our future and the future of others. This is seen in the story, when Eckles reaches the present, noticing that world which was familiar to him, had drastically changed. Because of his actions, a chain reaction was created over millions of years, causing an indefinite number of changes in the future. This is an example of the Chaos Theory, because his one small action (stepping on the butterfly), caused unsurmountable change, altering his life forever.
As proven in the story, in life, many small actions can lead to great consequences. I have experienced this many times throughout my life, in both good and bad ways. When I was little, I felt I would always be in the wrong place at the wrong time, reprimanded for the actions of others because of my accidental presence. This small event would cause me to get in trouble in the future, eventually making me to forget about the effect of my actions. For some time as I got older, I would begin to cause more trouble in the class, believing that I would get caught either way. However, this action led to more chaos, reaching to heights where it impacted every aspect of my life, completely changing my personality for the worse. At this point, I had realized my mistake, and knew that I must initiate a change. I began to stray away from trouble, remembering how one event lead to such chaos, and regained focus in life. By doing so, I turned over a new leaf, becoming more engaged in what I enjoyed to do. I believe my experiences exemplify the point the story tries to make, stating the importance of knowing the repercussions of your actions. Since one small action can completely change the shape of your life, it is crucial to remain focused on your goals, in order to achieve greatness in the future.