As stated by Sonny Hickam, “A rocket won’t fly unless somebody lights the fuse” (419). In the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia, everyday life is completely dependent on the coal mine that seems to consume all its citizens. The book October Sky by Homer Hickam, Jr. is a memoir that centers itself on a family of four making their way through life in the mining town. The family consists of Homer Hickam, the father who is the superintendent of the mine; Jim Hickam; the older brother; Sonny Hickam, the main protagonist; and Elsie Hickam, the compassionate mother. While Homer and Jim’s minds seem to be planted in Coalwood, Sonny’s head is high above the clouds with great ambitions of building rockets to reach space. Every fire needs its oxygen
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As stated earlier, the mass majority of Coalwood’s citizens are completely consumed by the mine. While nearly everyone is focused on their day to day routines, Sonny begins to grow aspirations of life outside the dull customs. Elsie notices his interest in rocketry early on and makes it her mission to push him towards a successful life away from the small town. After her son fails at his first attempt of making a rocket and destroys her rose-garden fence, Elsie approaches him and inquires if he thinks he could build a rocket (49). She then goes on to state, “…you’ve got to show your dad you’re smarter than he thinks. I believe you can build a rocket. He doesn’t. I want to show him that I’m right and he’s wrong” (52). Even though Sonny is going to be discouraged by his father, Elsie makes it clear that she trusts in him and his ambitions. To further accentuate this, she defends him and his group of friends when Homer becomes irritated by Sonny’s rocket tests. While he wants his son to cease playing with rocketry completely, she encourages him to continue and disregard Homer’s resistance (85). She understands that he could earn a future through his discoveries and mistakes. To express her support towards his dreams even more, Elsie writes his idol, Dr. Wernher von Braun, a letter about Sonny and what he is doing. Dr. Wernher von Braun receives the letter and responds with an autographed photo of which she gives her son
As stated earlier, the mass majority of Coalwood’s citizens are completely consumed by the mine. While nearly everyone is focused on their day to day routines, Sonny begins to grow aspirations of life outside the dull customs. Elsie notices his interest in rocketry early on and makes it her mission to push him towards a successful life away from the small town. After her son fails at his first attempt of making a rocket and destroys her rose-garden fence, Elsie approaches him and inquires if he thinks he could build a rocket (49). She then goes on to state, “…you’ve got to show your dad you’re smarter than he thinks. I believe you can build a rocket. He doesn’t. I want to show him that I’m right and he’s wrong” (52). Even though Sonny is going to be discouraged by his father, Elsie makes it clear that she trusts in him and his ambitions. To further accentuate this, she defends him and his group of friends when Homer becomes irritated by Sonny’s rocket tests. While he wants his son to cease playing with rocketry completely, she encourages him to continue and disregard Homer’s resistance (85). She understands that he could earn a future through his discoveries and mistakes. To express her support towards his dreams even more, Elsie writes his idol, Dr. Wernher von Braun, a letter about Sonny and what he is doing. Dr. Wernher von Braun receives the letter and responds with an autographed photo of which she gives her son