simply put, what would the theme/author's message or moral be of "A Sound of Thunder?" Thanks!

Another question posed by a teacher to baffle and bedevil students. Songbrd 77, you may report to your teacher that "A Sound of Thunder" is simply an "entertainment", as most short stories are, and thus has no moral or message. An "entertainment" relies on plot twists, on the unexpected, or on clever resolutions, for its effects. Its purpose is to delight us with its own cleverness or sleight-of-hand. This is all the author means to do. He is not passing a message. Most of O. Henry is "entertainment". Being an entertainment does not make a story lesser or unworthy. A writer whom I will praise till I die, John Collier, wrote "entertainments". Look him up.
An entertainment can have a moral subtext or shading, or an amoral subtext or shading, or it can be thrillingly wicked. This is part of the 'flavor'. It can be beautifully written, as "A Sound of Thunder" is, and that contributes to our enjoyment. But beautiful writing does not constitute in itself a moral or a message.

Live long & prosper
h.rousseau

Without disagreeing, I would suggest that the message is that small things can evolve into large consequences that are often beyond our ability to forecast. A NT scripture says that out of small things, great things can be brought to pass. In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the idea that small actions can have large and typically unanticipated consequences.

thanks to both of your for your replies. actually i'm the teacher posing the question. it's my first year and my first experience with the story. i agreed with the second reply, but was having a hard time putting it into words and was wondering if i was even correct. i agree that it deals with the idea that things we view as small and insignificant can actually have consequences much larger. i thought it also dealt with the idea of fate. but maybe that goes a little too deep? but simply, the idea of cause and effect. thanks again!

Bradbury writes in metaphors, in part to make points that can be drawn from his stories without dictating specific ideas or being heavy-handed. While he is VERY entertaining (and that is plenty to justify his work), I believe he has things to say about man and our universe. I believe he says them through his stories, novels and poetry.