I partially agree that Eckels' panic is justified due to the threatening presentation of the Monster, but we may argue that the description is over-exaggerated and Eckels' fear is due to a lack of strength and training
We can see that Eckels is terrified when he says 'It can't be killed!,"We were fools to come!" The use of short sentences appear blunt and monosyllabic, which suggests his fear as if he isn't able to make syntacically normal sentences and so resorts to one clause phrases.
This highlights how overwhelming the Monster is to the Monster.
The dialogue that follows when Eckels calls it a "Nightmare" suggests that he is petrified as he believes that this interaction with the Monster wont end well.
However, we may not be able to justify his panicked frenzy through the contrast to the other character, Trevor, who tells him to 'shut up'. Perhaps this conveys that he isn't fit for the mission, which makes his fear unjustified as he seems to be the only one that feels this way.
Moreover, we could see a justification to his fear as the Monster is portrayed as threatening. The writer uses sibilance in 'crusted with slime, steamed' to highlight how the Monster's acts have sinister undertones to them, which makes us believe Eckels is right to panic.
However, we many argue that the Monster is not a real sense of threat as 'It exhaled'. The verb 'exhaled' suggests that the Monster is tired, meaning that it isn't fully able to function properly and harm the group, which could suggest that Eckels doesn't need to panic as the Monster is terrified.
We could argue that his sense of fear is childish.
Next, a simile is used to describe the monster when its 'armoured flesh glittered like a thousand green coins.' This suggests that it's prepared for battle, highlighting how it only has violent thoughts, which makes it seem like a real threat to the group.
We can see that Eckels' fear is childlike through the repetition of 'good.' Perhaps this fear is brought about by a lack of knowledge and the fact he relies upon others.
This is why he may see the T-Rex as more of a danger then it actually is.
Next, we can see that the T-Rex creates a dangerous atmosphere as it 'lunged forward with a terrible scream." This suggests that it aims to elicit fear and make the people feel vulnerable, which conveys a callous outlook on the Monster.
Alternatively, the 'scream' could be seen as a cry for help due to its act of 'lunging.' This may suggest that the Monster is scared and feels lost.
This is emphasised as it 'covered one hundred yards in six seconds.' While it sounds dangerous, these irrational acts may be built on a feeling of fear, which not only undermines the Monster's description of being terrifying, but conveys that Eckels doesn't need to feel scared at all.
Next, the writer uses violent and chaotic imagery as the Monster 'engulfed [bullets] in the stench of slime and old blood.' This suggests how its unstoppable and how human attacks render useless as the Monster is able to deal with them with ease.
However, the imagery of the 'stench of slime and old blook' could evoke an image of sickness and suggest that it is no real threat at all, but may feel vulnerable itself.
This is conveyed again as the 'roar' is one of fear and pain.
Next, the writer makes use of graphic sounds in the penultimate paragraph to set the scene that follows.
Here, alliteration is used again in 'sound' and 'shriek', which conveys that all the Monster is doing is crying for help or a stop to his pain. The idea of the 'rifles' cracking 'again' may suggest that the Monster is less of a threat then they think and that they acted with instincts, which could highlight that the Monster doesn't deserve the pain.
Next we get a sense of the Monster's lack of aggression as it's described as having a 'jeweller's hand.' Symbolically, the idea of the 'jewel' connotes wealth and value, which may convey that there's more to the Monster than what the group of people think of him. Furthermore, the verb 'twitched' conveys a sense of agitation, which may suggest that the people are more of a threat.
However the writer then portrays the gruesome acts of the Monster through the imagery of the men being turned 'in half', which suggests that the Monster may be looking like that it is in a sense of defeat, but it may be an allusion.
Alternatively, the use of the simile 'to crush them like berries' seems hyperbolic, which suggests that the group of people make the Monster out to be more than a threat than it actually is, which justifies their actions to them.
The Monster's appearance is also undermined as 'Its boulder-stone eyes levelled with the men.' This suggests that it isnt't as overwhelming as they thought it out to be, but it actually is similar to the people themselves, to an extent.
The image of 'boulder-stone' symbolises strength, which not only conveys that the Monster cannot be killed but that it is no real threat as they are interacting with it in a sentimental way with meeting eyes, which may convey that the impression of strength and wrath is not a threat, but something that is a inherent characteristic of the Monster.
The idea that the Monster isn't a real threat is conveyed in the last line 'Like a stone idol, like a mountain avalanche, Tryannosaurus fell.' This contrasts to the earlier depiction of the Monster, which may make us see the violent depictions as untrustworthy and the Monster as no real threat due to how easy it was for the people to kill it. The idea of it being an 'idol' may suggest it didn't deserve to be killed , but should've been appreciated by the people and been more understood.
In conclusion, we may argue that Eckels' fear may be unjustified as the Monster may have no sense of threat to the people.
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