All
throughout the story we come across information that reveals the personality
traits of the main character: scientist Klausner. Expand
on this.
He is patient, meticulous, impulsive and smart. He is smart because he makes a scientific hypothesis and he builds his machine all by himself. He is a bit impulsive in the way he asked things to people, like when he asks Mrs. Saunders to cut another flower, he kind of scares she and when he beggs the doctor to heal the tree. He is patient and meticulous in the way he builds the machine.
He is patient, meticulous, impulsive and smart. He is smart because he makes a scientific hypothesis and he builds his machine all by himself. He is a bit impulsive in the way he asked things to people, like when he asks Mrs. Saunders to cut another flower, he kind of scares she and when he beggs the doctor to heal the tree. He is patient and meticulous in the way he builds the machine.
How
would you have reacted if you had been in Mrs. Saunders´position?
If I had been in Mrs. Saunders position, I think I would't get frightened at all. I would just do what he asks me to do, because I don't consider he to be a danger jus because he is crazy. In fact, I think that I would be interested in his theory if he was willing to explain it to me. On the other hand, if he was violent and I considered him a danger, I would just cut the roses so he didn't get mad with me for refusing.
If I had been in Mrs. Saunders position, I think I would't get frightened at all. I would just do what he asks me to do, because I don't consider he to be a danger jus because he is crazy. In fact, I think that I would be interested in his theory if he was willing to explain it to me. On the other hand, if he was violent and I considered him a danger, I would just cut the roses so he didn't get mad with me for refusing.
What
does the ending of the story tell you about Dr. Scott?
At the end the story tells us that Dr Scott heals the tree with iodine after Klausner insists him to do it and that he promises Klausner to visit the tree for taking care of it. This shows us that the doctor feels empathy for Klausner. The story gave me the impression that he was a very patient man and that he had some kind of friendship with Klausner.
Give
your opinion on the story themes:
a-Obsession Is shown in Klausner, who obviously has an obesession with sound. He is convinced that he can be able to make a machine that will serve for hearing sounds the human ear can´t hear. From my point of view, the story suggests that his obsession made him to turn mad, and that that is the reason of why Dr Scott visits him daily.
b-Empathy The doctor feels empathy for Klausner because he knows Klausner is mad. He goes to listen the sound machine of Klausner and shows himself very comprehensive with Klausner and promises him to go and see the tree everyday after giving it iodine.
c-Individuality
vs. Conformity Kausner make sall his investigation by his own and is not willing to tell his theory to anyone - it's his secret.
At the end, he proves his theory to be true, but a branch falls and breaks the only thing that would be useful for proving that his theory was correct. He is comformed having the truth for himelf. He doesn't turn mad because no one else would ever know the truth - for him is enough to know that he knows the truth of the facts.
At the end, he proves his theory to be true, but a branch falls and breaks the only thing that would be useful for proving that his theory was correct. He is comformed having the truth for himelf. He doesn't turn mad because no one else would ever know the truth - for him is enough to know that he knows the truth of the facts.
d-Madness vs.
Sanity At the end of the story we don't know if it was just an obession or if it was real fact the discovery Klausner did in the world of the story and in the mind of the writer.
What I like of this story is that depending on the reader it can be understood as if Klausner imagined everything or as if it was true that the plants "yelled".
Write
a review of this short story.What I like of this story is that depending on the reader it can be understood as if Klausner imagined everything or as if it was true that the plants "yelled".
The Sound Machine is an interesing
short story about a scientist who has the theory that there is are a lot of
amazing sounds - a whole different world of them - the human ear can’t hear. Klausner invents a machine
which is able to capture and transform the sounds which we are not able to hear
for proving his theory. He only told two people about it - Dr. Scott and Mrs. Saunders - but both of them
believe he is crazy. That doesn’t avoids him to continue with his research. This
idea is an obsession for Klausner, at the point is all he thinks about. At the
end he hears the sounds he wanted to hear.
This is a very nice story of Roald Dahl, I think is one of my favourites,
because we never come to know if it is all a product of Klausner’s imagination
or if everything is true. I would recommend the story to anyone, but would also
like to know the interpretation of other readers.
