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Now and then character analysis
Now and then character analysis
Now and then character analysis
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Brady Tucker
Mrs. Schroder
8/25/17
7th Period
In the book Rocket Boys, there were many themes throughout the book, such as coming of age, determination, dreams / goals, family relationships, and man vs. society. I think the most relevant theme of all was determination. Determination can be one of the best things for someone, but also one of the most dangerous things for a person to have. If someone is determined about something to happen, they can and will make it happen no matter the circumstance. This can become a bad thing if someone is determined for the wrong reason or is determined for something to happen to someone or have something bad happen. Determination is the amount of drive someone has to get something done. If someone is extremely determined to get something done or to have something happen,
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Many people can take their determination to great lengths, risking virtually everything they have to achieve something that they want. Some people may find having a lot of determination dumb or stupid. They may think that the reality of risking everything you have for something that you may never get and that may seem unlikely to be able to receive or achieve.
Homer “Sonny” Hickam and his friends show large amounts of determination throughout Rocket Boys and throughout their lives. In Coalwood, most every young man either goes into the military or goes to work in the mines after they finish high school. While there are ways to avoid going to into the mines or into the military, they can be difficult to achieve. Sonny’s older brother, John, is trying to get on one of the more difficult paths out of Coalwood, by trying to perform well enough for his high school
In the novel, October Sky by Homer Hickam, Sonny’s parents have two different views on what Sonny should be when he is older, his dad, Homer Hickam Sr., says a coal miner, but his mom, Elsie Hickam, says he can be anything he wants. Although Sonny’s dad wants him to be a coal miner, Sonny wants to build rockets and him mom understands that, so therefore his mom understands Sonny better than his father. Sonny lives in a coal mining town and most men or boys who live in the town are or are going to become coal miners. It is a tradition in their society. If their father is a coal miner, the boys in the family become coal miners. But, Sonny doesn’t want to become a coal miner. Sputnik inspired him to build rockets. His mother believes that Sonny should be able to be whatever he wants, no matter what his father does.
The mining industry is a very dangerous/hard working job. Homers father expected him to do his job and make him proud, meanwhile homer had other plans. One day at the dinner table homer expressed his feelings with saying, “I want to build a rocket.” his family reacted by laughing at him, which made him determined to accomplish this task, and this leads us to his next sacrifice. Homer had a pretty good social life, but when he was determined to build a rocket he was willing to sacrifice anything. He decides to risk his whole social career to walk up to Quinton, the biggest nerd in school, to ask him for help. Homer’s friends watched him in awe after they had just warned him what a dumb idea this would be, but Homer didn’t care. He wanted to build a rocket and Quinton was the man to ask.
If Sonny did not put towards the effort or have the determination to want to build his rockets, his dreams would not have come true. When the rocket boys first started building rockets, a lot of the town was against them, they were bullied, and Sonny’s own dad was even against him. One of the only people that really pushed Sonny along the path of building a rocket was his mom. On page 52, his mom said “Show him you can do something! Build a rocket!” (52) The “him” in this case was Sonny’s father. His dad did not think that he was going to amount to anything in life, but the determination of Sonny would eventually prove him wrong.
Determination is “The act or an instance of making an important decision and not giving up” (“Determination”). In The Great Gatsby, the main character Jay Gatsby is a succesful business man who will go to extremes to win the heart of the woman of his dreams, Daisy, hoping she would leave her husband for him. Gatsby threw extravagant parties with an abundance of alcohol and a variety of people. People would drive hundreds of miles to attend one of Jay Gatsby’s parties. He would never participate in any of his parties, however, so no one knew him. One may ask: Why would he spend so much money on parties he did not even participate in? The answer is that he would stand on the balcony looking over his unknown party guests hoping Daisy would show up one evening. Gatsby was very determined to get the attention of Daisy, and he believed by throwing these parties he would do so. He was so anxious to see her; he had his neighbor Nick invite her over one afternoon. He had been very nervous and wanted eve...
In the novel, October Sky, it is a story about a boy who has a dream to make rockets and not just be a coal miner. After graduating high school, the boys of Coalwood would normally go into the career of coal mining or be lucky enough to get a football scholarship. Sonny had no interest in coal mining and was not athletic; both of those choices were out of the picture for him. He is the son of Homer, a coal miner, and Elsie Hickam. He also has an older brother named Jim who was an amazing football player. Sonny and his five friends wanted to be something other than coal miners. They formed a group called the Big Creek Missile Agency aka the BCMA. The six of them worked very hard to learn calculus, test different types of fuels, and get a textbook about rockets for the school, to make the best rocket. Sonny was a product of the setting he made, he broke free from the Coalwood setting, and he was successful doing it.
Determination- Determination means the quality of being determined to do or achieve something. Many stories are about determination. This story proves determination in the biggest way. In the panyee football club movie the team shows determination and hard work by making their own pitch, not having support, and most of all entering the semi final. The panyee football ball is about a group of boys that have always looked up to players that play football. When the boys were younger, one of them had an idea to play. The boys lived in a floating village which caused them a hard time to form a team.
Rocket Boys is a story of perseverance, hard work, and determination, but most of all, it is a story of family. Rocket Boys shows the often fragile relationships between blood family, the bonds built between close friends, and the ability to choose your own family. You do not choose who is related to you, but you can choose who is family to you.
A poem by Shashikant Nishant Sharma titled “Determination for Success” reads, “Nothing is impossible if you wish/every hurdle can be moved if you push” (Sharma). The author states that anyone can accomplish anything as long as you believe in yourself. Through boldness and determination, one can persevere through any hardship. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet, Shakespeare gives his audience a picture of his ideal woman, conveying his admiration for boldness, determination, and beauty.
A better example of determination would the creation of facebook. I’ve been reading an article titled only “Facebook” detailing the many challenges Mark Zuckerberg had to navigate past to see facebook come to the public with being sued or worse. Now net worth is estimated at $19 billion (according to the same article from Britannica). All this due to his
Being determined is a trait you may want to take on. In the story Thank you M’am by Langston Hughes, the main character Roger is determined character because he is determined to be grateful He is determined to earn respect. He is determined to get more money.
Self-determination theory is one that assumes all humans are born with an innate drive to better oneself, basically becoming self-actualized, which is referred to as full-functioning. In self-determination theory, or SDT, full-functioning is characterized as “being aware and mindful, acting autonomously…, and pursuing and attaining intrinsic life goals” (Deci, Ryan, and, Guay 2013). SDT describes three autonomous behaviors: intrinsically motivated, extrinsically motivated, and emotionally motivated. SDT also describes three psychological basic needs of every human: the needs for competency, autonomy, and relatedness. The need for competency causes people to try tasks slightly tougher than they can currently manage, in order to improve upon
A determination is a driving force that helps people through rough times in their lives. Without determination, people would no longer strive for their goals. Throughout the short story, ‘Then Later, His Ghost,’ Sarah Hall shows how strength and determination can get you through these tough times. This theme is made clear through the severe setting the characters are faced with and her use of symbolism.
My strong determination and tenacious will power are demonstrated on a daily basis. It is displayed in every aspect of my life. Strong determination is displayed in my school, in just the sole basis of me coming back to school and wanting to do better in my life. It’s also displayed in home life, in ways like creating the best possible environment for me along with my family.
At times we may doubt our dreams, we wonder if our dreams could one day truly become a reality. We encounter a numberless amount of challenges throughout our lifetimes, many we have no say in the outcome, but many that we do. We have two choices when faced with adversity; we can either turn our backs and quit or stand up and fight back. This is what it comes down to ultimately, how far we’re willing to go to fulfill our dreams. Successful individuals don’t get discouraged from achieving greatness. They pave their own path to success by keeping their dreams in mind and taking the necessary risks to achieve their
Persistence. Persistence in the face of opposition. It is easy to be passionate when life and business is good. You will have the perfect mindset and attitude. However, what happens when the perfection stops and the hardships set in. Will you drive forward, with the same passion and commitment? The winners do. The successful entrepreneurs do. Persistence is the ingrained mindset of success. It truly does separate those that succeed from those that fail. Your persistence is what separates those that dream to achieve and those that achieve. Never give