October Sky tells about an uneducated town, a contentious population, and a boy who dreams of achieving aeronautical flight. The plot follows Sonny and his path of scientific accomplishment. Most of his peers and leaders are opposed to the idea of having a scientist amongst them, simply because it is unheard of. Against all odds, Sonny and his BCMA push on and attain victory. The recurring theme of this novel is that success does not come with ease. Sonny’s rocket-building journey was not effortless, but it would have been worse for him if it was.
Sonny’s future is forever altered at the National Science Fair. Having been guided by his encouraging teacher, he makes it to the highest competing level in the country. A boy from the small, undeveloped
…show more content…
The funding is spent on the football team, and their glory is praised locally. Science, however, was not as endorsed.“Even though Big Creek gave Miss Riley little in the way of lab equipment… she was inventive” (Hickam 177). Just like Miss Riley, the dream-chasing Rocket Boys do everything they can with what little they have. The Rocket Boys have every right to blame their failures on their unequal opportunities, but they don’t. Sonny, who is notorious for bad grades in math, takes it upon himself to learn trigonometry. His math teacher discourages him by bringing up his past failures, “‘... you had trouble understanding algebra. And if you didn’t understand algebra, Mr. Hickam, you’re lost, lost for all time!’”(Hickam 167). Sonny soon evicts these words from his mind, and immediately studies the frightening math book that contains the secrets to rocket flight, working towards achieving breaking the barrier between earth and …show more content…
The BCMA was at a loss for a safe concoction that would fly their rockets into space, and were stuck on the possibility of a dangerous fuel. After witnessing the awe-inspiring aviation of the Cape Canaveral machine, Sonny knows that the risk must be taken. His attitude takes on a youthful confidence, as he dreams, “...I was convinced we would go there. Not just mankind, but us, the boys on that roof” (Hickam 154). The examples of great scientists like Dr. Von Braun motivate Sonny to conquer to unfamiliar world of trigonometry, persuade scholars to take interest in him, and invent the unthought of. As Sonny watches the flight of Sputnik, he thinks, “It (the satellite) soared with what seemed to me inexorable and dangerous purpose, as if there were no power in the universe that could stop it” (Hickam 32). This is the moment that Sonny becomes truly enraptured with outer space flight, and becomes even more determined to achieve it. Despite the restraining limits born to a Coalwood dreamer, Sonny continues on towards
October/ Octubre by Patssi Valdez (1995: fig.1) gives the viewer an inside look into this brightly colored world similar to magical realism as we stare at a table with item and a window view that looks outside at swirls of frosty cold air. This large scale acrylic painting on canvas measures to 78 1/16" x 26 3/8" x 1". At first glance we, the audience, are faced looking at a table with blue patterned table cloth and three objects on top; a book of Sor Juana, a golden pear, and a potted plant holding two yellow tiger lilies. At the bottom foreground of the painting, we can see a red and blue circular rug underneath the table with a pair of pointed black shoes, suggesting that this is a female’s home. The background of this painting, depicts
During the late 1950’s the space race began. This was a race to see who could achieve the most space firsts, between the USA and Russia. Sonny, O’Dell, Sherman, Roy Lee and Quentin live in Coalwood, West Virginia.The space race inspired these boys, who decide to call themselves the Rocket Boys, to make their own rockets. The BCMA (Big Creek Missile Agency) was born when Sonny called a meeting with his friends in his room and discussed how he wanted to build rockets. With the help from the a man at the town’s machine shop, Mr.Bykovski, the BCMA built its first rocket, called Auk I. The rocket was named after an extinct bird that was unable to fly. Auk I was equipped with a wooden bullet shaped nose cone, an aluminum tubing body, fins, and a soldered washer at the bottom. The boys mixed together black powder and postage stamp glue to act as fuel for their rocket. The rocket flew up 6ft, and then fell back down. The rocket boys later found out that the reason their rocket stopped flying was because the solder melted. The BCMA was happy with the result from the rocket, because it was their first ever rocket to fly.
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.
Tom Wolfe writes in the book “The Right Stuff” about early jet pilots that demonstrated extreme bravery, and behaviorisms that enabled them to be part of a furtive group of individuals. It has been said that these men usually assemble in groups among themselves in a way that solicited the men to be a part of a privileged membership. It is these pilots with proven courage, and abilities that will go forward testing the next barrier: space. These tried and tested men have willingly placed themselves in danger day in and day out, yearning for the spot up the ladder to the top of the pyramid. It was not just a job for these pilots to break the sound barrier and beyond, but rather an obsession to become the next man at the top.
The story, Sonny’s Blue, is about two brothers who are discovering their self-identities while conflicting each other. Even though the title is “Sonny’s Blues”, the story is not only about Sonny’s growth but also about Sonny’s older brother’s growth. The brothers are each other’s antipode. The narrator is an algebra teacher who has a stable life and family. The narrator struggles but does not do anything to defy his obstacles.
In the book, Half The Sky, author’s Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn bring to light the oppression of women in the developing world. Anecdotal stories, filled with sadness, anger and hope, collected after years of reporting, depict just a few examples of this global struggle for women. At the end of their book organizations are listed, in alphabetical order, in hopes of creating a starting point for people to further support women in developing countries. With so many organization doing great work to empower women it becomes difficult to decide where money should be distributed. As a grant manager it is important to take a closer look at each of the organizations and their work to better assess where the money should go. However, the
When Sonny was attending high school, he found himself trapped in the world of drugs and violence in Harlem. He is a young man of color who is trying to find himself in the world. He was not quite an adult, but certainly not a child anymore. His dreams and desires of becoming a musician was quickly overturned by his brother, the unidentified narrator. This led him to feel constrained and lacking courage.
Richard vividly narrates incidents that led to his alienation from Sonny. Through a childhood memory, the author exhibits how Richard's practical nature separates them early on. At fourteen, Sonny imaginatively speaks of traveling to India, an idea his brother scoffs at (416). "I think he sort of looked down on me for that," Richard says. The older brother's rejection of Sonny's music damages th...
The narrator is teaching algebra to boys very much like he and Sonny had been, full of potential but threatened by the drugs and violence of the urban ghetto, their futures limited by segregation and discrimination. The narrator describes the boys he teaches, to whom he likens Sonny and himself as boys, in the following way:
The narrator whose name is unknown finds out that his brother Sonny was incarcerated for the use of and dealing heroin, raised in a society where being afraid of fear is constantly affecting both of their life’s in turmoil. “He was frightening me a little” (Baldwin 19). Fear shaped the older brother in becoming an Algebra teacher, endeavoring to save his younger brother from a lifestyle of street habits, influence specifically on drug abuse. According to the narrator, he expects Sonny to follow his footsteps in finishing an education because “If you don’t finish school now, you’re going to be sorry later that you didn’t” (Baldwin 20), in addition the narrator describes the life of Sonny “weird and disordered” (Baldwin 21). The narrator uses his fear to form a communication with his brother, however Sonny’s decision of freedom in becoming a professional musician, and escaping misfortunate moments is not in communion. Thus, Sonny feels neglected by his older brother’s expectations and judgments based on his own future. “I think people ...
This is quite evident after the demise of their mother whereby the narrator intends to know as the eldest brother what Sonny intends to do in life before returning to war. He contends, “I’m going to be a musician (Baldwin 133).” This does not go well with the narrator who deems other people can embrace that life’s path but not his brother, hence brewing a discrepancy and misunderstanding amid them. It is through Sonny’s choice of pursuing jazz that unveils numerous flaws that characterizes their relationship with the narrator who insist of him completing the school first but eventually admits reluctantly. The extent of confusion and misunderstanding his Sonny is evident how the narrator can hardly imagine him in life he will be hanging in nightclubs in the company of others whom he refers as “good-time-people” (Baldwin 134). Probably, it is Sonny’s choice of jazz career that leads to long durations of silence among them without keeping in touch because the narrator feels his younger brother opted to embracing wrong life. In addition, the instilled notion of how reckless “good-time-people” (134) were by his father yielded to him fighting with Sonny for leading a loose life (Baldwin
His development of the characters seems to focus on one main character at a time, shifting from one to another. Sonny, who the story is about, is a troubled young man, who is also very private and some would say he’s a bit of a dreamer in a sense. At an early age he becomes addicted to heroin. He is also an aspiring musician who tends to keeps all of his problems bottled up throughout the story—except when he plays his music. Music for him is a freeing outlet. The narrator, also known as Sonny’s older brother is compared to Sonny and the many young men of Harlem. He served in the military in his earlier years and then became a successful, hardworking math teacher. Grace, the narrator’s daughter, dies of polio while her Uncle Sonny is in prison. Her death was the reason that the narrator takes the time out to write to his brother Sonny. Her death becomes an act of grace, resul...
Jess Aarons is an eleven-year-old boy living in a rural area in the South who loves to run. He dreams of being the fastest boy in the fifth grade when school starts up in the fall, feeling that this will for once give him a chance to stand in the spotlight among his five sisters, and might win him the attention of his preoccupied father. Jess is quite insecure/unsure in his identity. He loves to paint and draw, but he knows very well that this labels him a "sissy" in the eyes of most of the world, particularly his father. In addition, his family is stretched so tight by poverty that he has little chance to really explore his own identity during this crucial period of childhood. He has therefore built up the importance of winning in his mind, feeling that here, at least, is something that he is good at which won't win him an undesired label of "sissy" or "girl" in the eyes of his father or schoolmates, and which will allow him to shine in his own right. He practices each morning, always dreaming of his
From there the local setting shifts to a high school classroom, where the narrator reflects on the news and reminds himself what Sonny has done. In the third and
Smith, Patrick. "The Untold Story of the Concorde Disaster." Ask The Pilot. Aerophilia Enterprises, 9 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. .