Most stories, whether true or fictional, focus on a conflict. The narrative in “Thunder and Enlightenment” is no exception. Behind Ram’s question about the exam is a difference between the students’ cultural beliefs about thunder and the scientific explanation of this phenomenon. The real conflict, though, takes place inside the teacher’s mind as he struggles to choose the best answer to Ram’s question. This conflict gets resolved in a surprising way, and that resolution is a key to the essay’s theme―its larger message about cultural differences.
Answer the questions below to help you explore and understand the theme expressed in “Thunder and Enlightenment.”
Who experiences “enlightenment” in response to Ram’s question? What key insight is gained by this person?
Toward the end of the essay, the author says, “There was no ambivalence in their faces.” What does he mean, and why is this detail important?
What theme―what big and important idea―is developed in this essay?
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The author experiences enlightenment when he realizes that his students don’t have to reject their cultural beliefs about thunder and lightning to understand or accept the scientific explanation alongside it. This insight helps the author decide how to answer Ram’s question. |
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The lack of ambivalence in the students’ faces tells the teacher that they do not feel conflicted about the answer to the question. The cultural and scientific belief systems can coexist “easily” in their minds. |
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The theme of the essay might be stated like this: People’s cultural beliefs, including their stories about the natural world, can be honored alongside a scientific view. |
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