Rocket Boys

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Summary: What forces shape identity?
Review: Before asking the question "What forces shape Identity?" one must first ask the question "What is identity?" Identity is defined as "the collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known". In other words, identity is one's personality, the characteristics that make you who you are and what you choose to do in life. In October Sky, Homer Hickam Jr.'s identity is shaped by numerous forces, such as his environment, his early experiences, and most importantly, the people in his life.

Homer's surrounding environment helped to shape his identity in many ways. For example, Homer lived in a mining town called Coalwood that was owned entirely by the mining company. Homer woke up in a company bed covered in coal ashes, and rode the company bus to school. Almost everyone raised in Coalwood grew up to be a miner, as conveyed on page 80, when Mr. Dubonnet, the mine union leader, tells Homer, "Anyone raised here (Coalwood) belongs here. You can't belong anywhere else." But Homer was different. His dreams went beyond the reaches of Coalwood. He wanted to become a rocket engineer, and to reach his dream, he had to leave Coalwood, although nobody was sure he would make it. Growing up in such surroundings had a significant effect on his identity. For Homer, the doubts and difficulties of reaching his goal just provided him with a new and greater motivation than before, because he was determined to prove others wrong.

In explaining how Homer's experiences shaped his identity, one must ask where his dream started. Every story has a beginning, as did Homer's. From dream to hobby to career, his adventures with rockets all began with one word - Sputnik. In his back yard, he waited to see the satellite all America was raving about. One look at Sputnik silently screaming across the sky was enough to convince Homer that he wanted to be part of the space race. He was amazed by Sputnik, as conveyed on page 38, when he states that it was "as if (Sputnik) had been God himself in a golden chariot riding overhead." This experience of seeing Sputnik had a huge effect on Homer's identity. After all, is it possible to be amazed at something that never amazed you? If not for Sputnik, Homer may very well have chosen to become a mine engineer, a miner, or anything else.

The final and most important forces that shaped Homer's identity were the people in his life. Two of these people were Homer's parents, although his mother and father had very different opinions of his rocket escapades. While his father had doubts about Homer's future in rocketry and was determined to have him work in the mines, his mother encouraged him. She supported his ideas about leaving Coalwood and joining Wernher von Braun's team of rocket scientists. She also stuck up for him and offered to pay for his college education. One example is when she says, (on page 51),"You and me, we've got to figure out a way to make your dad change his mind about you, see his way clear to send you to college. I've been saving money right along and would probably have enough for you to go."

Homer's friends also played a large role in shaping his identity. Roy Lee, O'Dell, Sherman, Quentin, and Billy were almost always supportive of Homer and his dream. Together, this group called themselves the BCMA (Big Creek Missile Agency). They stuck up for each other in more ways than one can imagine. Whenever Homer was feeling discouraged, sad, or angry, his friends would be there to support and cheer him up. They were also very forgiving of Homer's mistakes, and only asked for an apology and an attempt to set things right in return for their forgiveness. As one can imagine, these friends thus had a very large effect on his identity.

The friends and family members most closely connected with Homer were not the only individuals who shaped his identity. At the heart of his dream was a man he had never even met. With only a photo and a signature to make him real, Wernher von Braun inspired Homer in ways that not even the best of friends could. With this inspiration, von Braun helped to make Homer's dream real when it seemed so far away.

However, the one person who shaped Homer's identity more than anyone else was Homer's teacher, Mrs. Riley. Mrs. Riley was much more than a teacher; she was a good friend and someone whom he could talk with when no one else seemed to listen. She provided Homer with support and recognition for what he was capable of doing in life. She never once doubted him or his dream, and the impact that she had on Homer's identity as well as his confidence, knowledge, and success is unimaginable. One can argue that Homer might have given up on his dream if it weren't for Mrs. Riley's support. Homer probably would not have learned what he did about math or rockets, or gotten to the science fair in the first place. For example, after she had just given him a book on rockets, she stated, (page 232) "It may take a while, but I believe you can learn the things that are in this book. Then, maybe Quentin and I will finally convince you to join the science fair".

In conclusion, throughout his life, Homer's intelligence and abilities were put to many tests and challenges, but his environment, early experiences and people surrounding him had a profound effect on his identity and maturity. From his early adventures, Homer became not only famous and successful as a rocket engineer, but matured from a boy with a dream that seemed so far away, to a man with the memories of a time where anything seemed possible. October Sky is a great story that anyone, young or old, is sure to enjoy.

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Summary: Bryant Logan
Review: The memoir: October Sky is about a teenage boy, Homer Hickam, Jr. growing, and maturing into the adult world of the 1950's in the United States. Homer encounters many problems, but with his father's determination and his mother's intelligence, he always finds a way to solve them. These problems, along with the population of Coalwood help shape young Homer's hopes, dreams, values, and identity.
Homer was inspired to start creating rockets when the Russians launched the first satellite, Sputnik, into space. He was sitting on the porch one night with some of the neighbors in his yard. He saw it and described the event as, "A bright little ball, moving majestically across the narrow star field between the ridgelines. I stared at it with no less rapt attention than if it had been God Himself in a golden chariot riding overhead. It soared with what seemed to me inexorable and dangerous purpose, as if there were no power in the universe that could stop it. All my life, everything important that had ever happened had always happened somewhere else. But Sputnik was right there in from of my eyes in my backyard in Coalwood, McDowell County, West Virginia, U.S.A."(p. 32-paragraph 5). This is the shifting point of Homer's life from adolescence into adulthood.
Throughout the book, Homer speaks of his dad as a serious, dedicated man. He lives for the dust of the coal the Coalwood coal mine produces. Homer envied the love his father had for everything but him. Homer Sr. would leave to go to work late into the night when someone had called him on the "black phone". His father went to every one of his older brother, Jim's football games, but resisted coming to just one of Homer's rocket launches at Cape Coalwood. This encouraged Homer to do something great, something honorable, so that his father, one day would be proud of him. This is one of the forces that shaped Homer's identity.
Another significant person in Homer's life that helped make him what he grew up to become was his mother, Elsie Hickam. She was a very intelligent woman. She noticed that Homer had an interest in rockets and outer space. During this time in the United States, the study of aeronautics was something that was not very well understood. From these interests she knew that her son could get out of Coalwood. She saw her husband going to the mine every day, and she noticed that the man she loved was so attached to the Coalwood mine that he would die along with the town some day. She would not allow this for Homer. She pushed him to pursuit his dreams, but also punished him for doing something without thinking it through. This force in his life helped make him the dedicated, but thorough person he later became.
One person that greatly help to shape Homer's identity was Mr. Brykovski. He built Homer's first rockets (Auks I-IV) and taught him how to solder. He soldered a washer onto the end of aluminum tubing while Homer watched. Because of this helping hand that Mr. Brykovski did for Homer, Mr. Brykovski ended up having to work in the mine. Though he and his wife didn't mind, Homer felt guilty from the fact that his asking Mr. Brykovski to help him build a rocket got him put into the mine, where eventually he got killed in an accident. After this event, he spoke to Mrs. Brykovski and she said to him that the one thing that would have made him happy was to keep launching rockets. As she was leaving Coalwood, Homer confronted her and said how sorry he was. She interrupted and said that Mr. Brykovski loved him, and she forgave him, and that Ike would love for Homer to keep firing off rockets. This shows Homer's compassion towards others, and willingness to take blame for problems that he caused.
An event in Homer's life was when the BCMA (Big Creek Missile Association) decided to enter the science fair. This event truly tested how much the Rocket Boys wanted to succeed. Homer was picked to represent Big Creek High School. Though this ruined Quentin's hopes of getting a college scholarship, him and the other members of the BCMA supported Homer every step of the way. When the rocket parts got stolen, he thought of a plan and it fell through. All went well at the National Science Fair and Big Creek High won first place for the BCMA's display of "A Study of Amateur Rocketry Techniques". This event shows how Homer has always naturally been the leader, and can have grace under pressure.
The memoir, October Sky, is about a teenage boy that struggles to succeed his dreams of getting rockets into outer space. Though this task is proven to be difficult, Homer always prevails, coming face to face with any challengec stepping in his way. Throughout the book, these trials and tribulations prove homer to be a mature adult, ready to conquer the world. This book is a worth-while book for any and all people. It truly shows that you can do anything, if you set your mind to it.

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Summary: What forces shape identity?
Review: In the memoir October Sky, Homer Hickam Jr. describes his own life during his high school years. On his way to graduation, many different forces molded his identity. Three of these forces helped him the most in becoming a mature, smart, and benevolent young man: Sputnik, his parents, and the Big Creek Missile Agency (BCMA). They pushed him through good times and bad times, school, and the changes that took place all over Coalwood, to make himself stop and think about who he really was.

When the Russian satellite Sputnik streaked across West Virginia, Sonny realized that it was the most magnificent thing he had ever seen in his life. He "stared at it with no less rapt attention than if it had been God Himself in a golden chariot riding overhead." From that point on, he dreamed of launching rockets into space. In October Sky, Sputnik symbolizes Sonny's wonder of what horizons await mankind in outer space. Even the setting around Sonny is brought into his imagination when he thinks about the moon. On the night of Sputnik's passage over Coalwood, Sonny sees the hoot-owl shift miners, trudging up the path to the mine as astronauts, returning to a station on the moon after a day of walking on it. But on that very same night, he remembered that he was not on Wernher von Braun's elite team, he was just a boy in Coalwood. And that was not good enough for him. Sonny desired to travel beyond Coalwood and work with Dr. von Braun down at Cape Canaveral.

Homer Hickam Sr. played a huge role in the shaping of Sonny's identity. All of his life, Sonny was insignificant to his father's eyes. Jim, being a football star, attracted much more attention than Sonny did. The only thing Homer Sr. ever believed Sonny could grow up to be was a mining engineer. But Sonny knew his own life lay far outside of mining. The conflict between Sonny and his father over Sonny's future was an iron fist on both sides. Homer Sr.'s plan for Sonny's future made Sonny strive to excel in the classroom and in rocketry.

Sonny's mother also played an important role in shaping Sonny's identity. She never stopped encouraging Sonny to "get out of Coalwood." Whenever Sonny's father said anything negative about Sonny's love of rockets and space, his mother reassured him that he could do whatever he was trying to do. For example, when Sonny's father questioned Sonny's ability to build a rocket after he blew up the rose-garden fence, Elsie told Sonny that she believed he could build a rocket. She told him that his father did not think he could build one and that she wanted him to show his father that she was right and he was wrong. The support that Sonny's mother gave him aided him greatly when times were bad.

The formation of the BCMA had a positive impact on Sonny's life. The companionship that existed between the Rocket Boys gave Sonny a connection with his best friends and his love of rockets. Each of the other members exhibited qualities that were of great value to Sonny: Sherman's unbiding loyalty, O'Dell's resourcefulness, Roy Lee's charming sense of humor (especially surrounding the mysterious aspect of girls), Billy's jet legs and "eagle eyes," and most of all Quentin's difference from everybody else at school because of his enormous brain. Quentin never got down after a failure at Cape Coalwood, saying that their failure only added to their "body of knowledge." All of the boys gave Sonny a tremendous amount of support and encouragement when he was going to the National Science Fair, even though he was the only Rocket Boy who could go.

The identity of Homer Hickam Jr. was shaped by some of the most important things in his lfe. Sputnik, his parents, and the BCMA all played their part in helping him mature mentally, socially, and emotionally. The forces that shaped Homer's identity are the crucial backbone of his amazing life. October Sky is definitely a must-read for any and all who wish to learn about the importance of everyone and everything in treasuring life.

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Summary: October Sky, a memoir
Review: October Sky is a memoir of Homer Hickam Jr. (Sonny), and his journey through life. A main theme in the novel consisted of the characters forming their identities and how each differed from the others. Each person found their identity in separate ways. Other's influence and obstacles that had to be overcome played a main part in this.
Interaction with others and their beliefs often affected the characters' identities. Being faced with other's opinions strongly changed their personalities. What others wanted of them, believed they should do, and what they encouraged them to do, also changed the characters' identities.
Sonny is a prime exemplar of this theme. Throughout the novel, he was often faced with other's opinions about life. His father believed that it would be best for Sonny to become a mining engineer and to work in the mine like him. He was willing to put Sonny through college, but only if he would work in the mine. Sonny's true desire for the future, however, was to become a rocket engineer. His father discouraged this aspiration because he felt is was a foolish decision. He would have much rather had Sonny work in the mine since that was the way he was brought up. Sonny's father however, was willing to let his other son, Jim, become a football player. Jim had played football all through high school, and was confident he would receive a scholarship. Even if he had not received one, Sonny's father would have been willing to pay for Jim's college tuition. Sonny did not think that this was just, since his father would not pay for what he sought to do. This thought made Sonny work even harder on his rocketry, to prove to his father that he should and would become a rocket engineer with or without his father's consent. From this experience, Sonny became a more determined person unwilling to give up his dreams and aspirations.
Sonny's mother, however, encouraged him to continue working on his rocketry. She felt that he should go to college to become what he wanted, not what his father believed he should do. This support helped Sonny to concentrate on his future of becoming a rocket engineer and to disregard his father's viewpoint concerning the idea. This conflict between Sonny's mother's beliefs and his father's beliefs, helps to express that other's opinions play a large role in the forming of one's identity.
Obstacles that one is faced with can also help to form their identity. The past and physical and mental limitations are all obstacles that help to build one's identity. Sonny was continually faced with many obstacles that he was forced to overcome. The past of his family often hindered his future. Sonny's father wanted to stay in the mining town, even though he knew that it was becoming unnecessary for the country. He had always worked hard to accomplish his goals and felt he could use this to his advantage in the mine, and wanted Sonny to do the same. Sonny had to overcome this family obstacle to reassure himself that it would be better for him to fulfill his aspiration of becoming a rocket engineer rather than to please his father by staying and working in the mine.
Physical limitations also often hindered Sonny and the Big Creek Missile Agency's progression of their rockets. The BCMA did not have a lot of money to purchase supplies for the rockets, so they had to find other ways to gain them. O'Dell would often search for supplies and Sonny would bargain and trade for ones that they needed. The boys became resourceful in finding supplies for the rockets.
Space and location for the rocket launches was another obstacle that often slowed the BCMA's progress. Their first launch site was Sonny's backyard. This quickly proved to be too small to accommodate the rockets, when he blew up his mother's rose garden fence. Their second launch site was an old slack dump that was located 200 feet from the mine. This became a problem since it was located on the mine company's property, and when they launched Auk IV it hit Sonny's father's office in the mine. This got the BCMA in trouble with the mine company, and the town people became angry about the noise from the launches. The third launch site was Pine Knob's bald spot. This was located off of the company property, however people still complained about the noise. Sonny's father finally helped him by showing him another spot of land. It soon became known as Cape Coalwood, after Cape Canaveral in Florida. It was out of sight and sound from the town and was off of company property, pleasing everyone.
Mental and emotional personal limitations also posed obstacles for Sonny. Each character had their own feelings about situations and what they felt should be done. Often these conflicted with each other creating multiple problems. All of the conflicts and problems that were obstacles in the novel helped to make Sonny and the BCMA boys unwilling to give up their aspirations and dreams for the future due to setbacks in the present.
The formation of one's identity is a progressive process, not all occurring at a single instance. As one continues through life, they use experiences they have been faced with to develop and build upon their identity, making it an ever-changing part of them. Achieving one's dreams, having continuing hope and enthusiasm for the future and looking for more in life are all important messages that this novel exemplifies. October Sky is a worthwhile read since it illustrates how personal triumph and even failure can help to build one's identity.

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Summary: Playing the Cards that Shape Identity
Review: If life were a game of cards, it would appear that, in the book "Rocket Boys," Homer Hickam, Jr. was dealt a losing hand. His brother, Jim, was the school's star athlete. Jim had his father's support and admiration. Most importantly, Jim could get a scholarship from football, and get out of Coalwood. Homer, was not so lucky, it appeared as if he would never earn his father's approval or escape the death trap of working in the coalmine.

The forces that shape identity are as numerous as cards in a deck. It is the unique combination of forces that make each person an individual. As the cards are dealt, the forces change and the identity shaped. The forces can be said to fall into four categories or suits: dream, hopes and heroes represented as diamonds; uncontrollable and natural events as clubs; barriers and opposing forces as spades; and family and friends as hearts.

On October 4, 1957, Russians launched Sputnik into space. The Americans were scrambling to successfully launch a rocket into space. Dr. Warner von Braun was on a team of scientists working to build and launch a rocket. This is when Homer's identity begins to take shape. He was inspired to build a rocket. He was dealt a winning card, in the suit of diamonds. Homer now had a hero. He had dreams of working with Dr. von Braun, a reason to work toward his deepest hope, and a way out of Coalwood. Perhaps he could impress his father as well. Without inspiration, Homer never would have tried building rockets or discovered his true potential. The suit of diamonds was important in shaping his identity because without dreams, Homer would have settled for living in Coalwood, and without an idol, he would have given up when times got tough.

Once Homer felt he had a purpose, cards in the suit of clubs were dealt into his hand. Unexpected and uncontrollable events occur at anytime. Nature constantly creates obstacles. Nature was often cruel to Homer. Although the sight of mountains made him feel at home, his near death experience when he was caught in a blizzard of mountain snow would make the reader think otherwise. He collapsed half way home; he was wet, freezing, and exhausted. This time Homer received a card of hearts with his card of clubs. Homer probably would have died if it were not for Geneva Eggers. She took him in and gave him food, dry clothes, and a warm place to rest. This experience taught Homer that kindness is a wonderful virtue. Money and image are not as important as what is inside a person. Geneva saved Homer's life, and she also became Homer's friend.

Another card of clubs was dealt with Mr. Hickam's illness. Homer's father often coughed due to a common miner's disease. The black spot on his lung was about the size of a dime, but such a small spot was still a serious problem. The author used his father's sickness to stress the importance and the motivation to get out of Coalwood. It also taught Homer that the strongest people can become weak, and the bravest people get scared. The suit of clubs did not help Homer win the game, but made the game interesting. It shaped his identity with maturity, which gave him an edge in the game.

Homer's identity was also shaped by cards in the suit of spades representing opposing forces or barriers caused by people. He had to overcome barriers that would postpone him from building a successful rocket and from winning the science fair. An economic downturn was causing union unrest at the mine. As the mine foreman, people in Coalwood blamed Homer's dad. Homer realized that people would hate him because of his father. Homer's best friend and confidante through tough times was his cat, Daisy Mae. However, she was ruthlessly murdered in a car "accident" by one of Mr. Hickam's enemies. The death of Daisy Mae made Homer realize that revenge is not best.

Another identity shaping incident occurred when Jim brought Homer's high school crush, Dorothy, to a dance. Homer felt betrayed by his brother and by Dorothy. Homer felt heartbreak for the first time and realized that not only strangers can make life tough, family and friends can also. Homer showed strength of character as he demonstrated that he understood that he could not have everything he wanted. Sometimes a card will be dealt the does not seem to be worthwhile, but raises the score at the end of the game.

Just as Homer thought he was going to lose the game, he found the cards that he had in his hand the whole time, the perfect cards to win the game. These identity-shaping cards were in the suit of hearts. Friends, and family fall into this suit. Homer's mother was always there for him, giving him inspiration and supporting his actions. She helped him greatly, encouraging him and standing up to Mr. Hickam about Homer activities. She always thought that Homer was special. She shaped his identity by reminding him to choose his own path and with the promise of the Elsie Hickam Scholarship. She wanted to be sure that his future was not in Coalwood.

Miss Riley, his teacher also encouraged him constantly and was proud of Homer no matter what he did. In addition to her support, she gave him a tangible gift that would forever change his life, a book about rockets and fuels. The book was full of formulas and pointers. Without this book, the BMCA may have never launched a rocket that surpassed a mile and truly earn the name "Rocket Boys."

As the cards representing the four main forces that shaped Homer's identity were put into play, it was encouraging to see the results. "October Sky" (Rocket Boys) is definitely worth reading because it shows that no matter the hand you are dealt, you can still win the game.

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Summary: What forces shape identity?
Review: What forces shape identity? In the book October Sky, written by Homer H. Hickam, Jr., the forces that influenced Homer "Sonny" Hickam's identity were the experiences, people, and events that occurred during his time in Coalwood, West Virginia.

Sonny lived in a small mining town in West Virginia, where any news spread around the town in a matter of hours. Sonny was an average kid living in Coalwood, until the day he saw the Russian satellite, Sputnik, soar across the sky above his hometown. From that moment, he was fascinated with rockets and how to build them.

Seeing Sputnik fly overhead was probably the most influential event that ever took place in Sonny's life. "I guess its fair to say there were two distinct phases to my life in West Virginia: everything that happened before October 5, 1957 (when Sputnik was launched) and everything that happened afterward." (Pg 18). As a direct result of Sputnik, he began hearing more about Dr. Wernher Von Braun, who soon became his idol. Sonny began to build rockets in the hopes of someday being able to work at Cape Canaveral with Dr. Von Braun. Dr. Von Braun's example served as a motivation for Sonny when his rockets failed. Sonny saw how Von Braun learned from his mistakes, and tried to do the same. The launching of Sputnik and the ensuing space race were most likely the sole reasons Sonny Hickam decided to build rockets and later become a rocket scientist. These events affected who became during his last three years in Coalwood and for the rest of his life.

Sonny's parents also influenced the development of his identity, although in very different ways. Elsie Hickam, Sonny's mom, supported Sonny's rocket building from the start. She supported him throughout his entire rocket building years in Coalwood, even after such events as when Sonny blew up her fence. She kept Sonny motivated by saying things like "Don't blow yourself up" (Pg 415) and "I-am-counting-on-you" (Pg 52). If it hadn't been for her, he may never have seriously thought about building rockets, and he never would have become a Coalwood Rocketboy.

Although Homer H. Hickam, Sr., Sonny's dad, did not give Sonny as much emotional support as his mother had, Sonny's rocket building would not have been possible without him. Sonny's father supplied him with materials, without which he couldn't have built his rockets. Homer, Sr. taught Sonny some very important lessons, in addition to giving him the materials. Sonny learned about bravery, dedication to your work, and doing your best at a job because you are not always the only one affected by the outcome. A repeating theme shown between these two characters is a father's neglect turning into a son's desire for attention. This may have been a factor in Sonny's initial start into rocketry. Sonny's parents, Elsie and Homer Hickam, Sr., both helped him in his journey of self-discovery by helping him on his way to building rockets.

Sonny started the BCMA (Big Creek Missile Agency), but the brain behind the outfit was Quentin. Without Quentin, Sonny would never have known how to build or make fuel for rockets. Quentin was the one who originally knew how to make the rocket fuel, and usually spotted possible candidates for new types of fuel. "Sonny, I think we've got our next rocket propellant" (Pg 262). Along with being a huge influence on the actual rocket building itself, he emphasized to Sonny that he should learn trigonometry and calculus so they could do more complex things with the rockets. Quentin was a good friend and colleague, and he most definitely left an imprint on Sonny. Sonny adopted some of Quentin's more organized work ethics, which would make him a more organized person in his work.

Sonny's other friends, from friendships that preceded the BCMA, helped him to remember who he was. Roy Lee, Sherman, and O'Dell reminded Sonny that he was still just a kid and years away from being a rocket scientist in Cape Canaveral. "I hadn't realized how lonely and miserable I'd become until I went down into the wilds of Big Branch. There, with nobody around but Roy Lee, Sherman, and O'Dell, I could be just another boy again." (Pg 307). Without them to remind him of his current youth, Sonny may have been a completely different person.

The death of Mr. Ike Bykovski taught Sonny some very important lessons, which undoubtedly stayed with him for the rest of his life. Mr. Bykovski had been the first machinist to help Sonny build his rockets, but was sent to the mines as a result. The author used storytelling to explain how and why the Bykovski's cared for Sonny as though he were their own son. When Mr. Bykovski was killed in the mines, Sonny blamed his own selfishness for asking him to build his rockets. As this happened, he stopped doing everything, including rocketry; Sonny was unaware that this was also very selfish. By not building rockets, he was taking away one of the few pleasures the people of the town had, including the one thing Ike Bykovski would have wanted him to continue. When Sonny found this out, he stopped feeling sorry for himself; he realized that being selfish only hurts others, even when it doesn't seem like selfishness. This single event had a big influence on who Sonny was to become, teaching him a very valuable lesson.

As you read this book, you will see how the things that happen to you and the people around you affect who you are and will become. This book is a worthwhile read for anyone who has ever had a dream. The reader can easily relate to the characters in the story, and the lessons learned in the story can be applied to everyday life. This book makes the reader feel like doing something extraordinary. This is a great book that can and should be enjoyed by people of all ages.

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Summary: Forces that Shape Identity
Review: Identity is shaped by the forces we all have in our lives. Homer Hickman Junior describes his journey to his true identity in his autobiography October Sky. Throughout the book, there are instances in which one or more of the characters cause him to rethink what his true identity is.
Many people took part in the events in which shaped the main character's identity. Some of which were family, friends, and the elders in his life. But not all of the forces were people, because one of the big ones was environment. In homer's case, his environment was Coalwood.
The people that had the most influence on him were his family. His mother especially, was one of the major forces. When there was the problem in the mine, and his father went to help, his mother told him to stay at home. He ended up going against her wishes and getting himself slapped. He also learns of a part of his identity that he hadn't realized described him in the first place. "When she came out of the shadows, her eyes shot holes in me. I started to say something to her, probably some cowardly plea for understanding, but before I could she slapped me as hard as she could in the face. I rocked from it, my cheek burning and tears welling in my eyes from the surprise of it as much as the pain. Her face was twisted with anger. ' I told you not to come up here,' she said." He then proceeded to tell her that he came because he was worried about his father. To which she replied, " No, you weren't," she hissed. "You don't worry about anybody but yourself. That's the was you've always been-selfish!" He had never realized before that, that he was in fact selfish. From that point on, he always tried to watch his actions to make sure he didn't come off that way.
Homer's father was one of the other major forces that contributed to his identity. Homer had to get used to his father paying more attention and being more involved in his older brother, Jim's, life. When Jim's football team was told that they would not be able to participate in the championships, Mr. Hickam went to work, and even hired a lawyer to try to get Jim's team back in the big game. He always seemed to want to take part in Jim's life. That always left Homer jealous in many ways. He would try to impress his father, but after a while he stopped trying because he started to think that he would never actually be able to impress his father. At the end his father really is proud of him, and it seemed as if it was just what Homer needed from his dad. In the end Homer's father ends up being one of the most important forces in his son's life.
In the book, Homer Hickam, uses many literary elements to describe his journey to his identity. The whole book is a sort of flashback. Homer takes you back in time to tell you his story. He uses that technique wonderfully to describe his journey. The other major techniques are plot and foreshadowing. They are just a few of the many different types of literary elements used in this book.
The basic plot in this book is a boy discovering who he really is. He takes you through his journey of self-discovery. Throughout the book, the plot is presented to you in his story. Since the book is based around Homer on his path to self-discovery, there are points at which he learns to stop worrying about the little things and focus on the big picture. There is a great example of this when Homer decides to stop worrying about his social status and ask Quentin for help with the rockets. " Quentin was the class joke...Although everybody, including me, made fun of him, I was pretty certain he was some sort of genius..." "I figured if there was anybody who might know how to build a rocket, it was Quentin. The next morning before classes, I sat down beside him in the auditorium..." when Homer did this it showed that he could stop worrying about social status, and accept people for who they are. In the plot this was one of the first major events, on Homer's path to self-discovery.
Foreshadowing was one of the most widely used literary techniques in the book. The best example of this is the beginning. Almost the whole first chapter is insight into the rest of the book. It gives you information that occurs and will happen later in the book. Some examples of this are "Until I began to build and launch rockets, I didn't know my hometown was at war with itself over its children and that my parents were locker in a kind of bloodless combat over how my brother and I would live our lives..." "...there was always tension between the miners and the company, mostly about pay..." This literary technique is used many more times throughout the book, and is definitely one of the more frequently used literary techniques.
This book is definitely a worthwhile read. It will keep you absorbed in the story throughout the whole book. For anyone who enjoys a heartfelt, feel good book, this one's for you. It has all the elements of a great novel, and what gives it the extra oomph is the realization that it's a true story, and all the events actually occurred. This is one of those books that you will be unable to put down, and will enjoy all the way through. You will laugh and sometimes cry during this book, but when you're finished, you will not regret spending the time to read it.

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Summary: October Sky - better than the movie!
Review: October Sky is an autobiography with significant demonstration of personal change and growth. The main character and author Homer "Sonny" Hickam Jr., has a remarkable change of identity. Through the course of the book, Homer goes from being an average teenager with no hopes or dreams for the future, to a successful, award winning young rocket scientist. There are many forces in Sonny's life that help to shape him into what he becomes. The very important people in his life that help shape his identity include his parents and young science teacher Miss Riley. Sonny also has very well described experiences, like viewing the satellite Sputnik soar over his hometown, help change his personality. Readers can understand the feelings, relationships, experiences and transformations of Sonny Hickam through first hand knowledge.
From the day Sonny was born, he was bombarded with the opinions of others about his possibilities and who he really was. Hickam shares a story of when he visited his grandfather "Poppy". Poppy notices that Sonny is just like Homer (Sonny's dad). Sonny's mother disagrees and tells him "No you're not, no you're not". She always belived that Sonny could be more that just a miner with no real value. Sonny's father however, believed differently than his mother. Essentially his father thought of Sonny as a worthless child, with mining the only achievement possible because of his competence. As Hickam implies, for a large amount of his childhood, he agreed with the opinion of his father. He didn't think much of himself or his future. Soon however, the opinion of his father would serve as a motivation for change. Sonny's mother tells him of her faith in him and of his obligation to himself. She says, " 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 you to show him I'm right and he's wrong". From this point, Sonny saw a little bit more potential. Miss Riley the science teacher also supported him with her belief in his capabilities. The reader can follow Sonny as he has new experiences and forms a new identity.
October Sky illustrates great change in Sonny Hickam not only through the beliefs of others but through life experiences. One experience that shaped Sonny's identity was seeing the satellite Sputnik fly over his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia. This experience is beautifully described. Hickam says, " it soared with what seemed to me inexorable and dangerous purpose, as if there were no power in the universe that could stop it". Seeing this marvelous sight did many things for Sonny. It put him in complete awe and opened his eyes to human possibilities. He wanted to be a part of these great feats. Hickam foreshadows the change and experiences to come when he says "And I wasn't on von Braun's team. I was a boy in Coalwood, West Virginia. All of a sudden, that wasn't good enough". Sputnik helped Sonny to formulate a goal for his future and a hobby that would carry him through high school. Homer Hickam used many literary techniques in his book in order to get important life experiences such as Sputnik through to his readers. He also uses his wonderful writing skills to make it possible for the reader to follow the transformations of his identity. Homer Hickam uses excellent adjectives to awaken the reader's senses and make his story come to life. When his story comes to life, as does the character of Sonny Hickam and his change of identity.
In order to transform his identity, Sonny needs many people and materials. These needs and Sonny's determination to attain them is also a cause for change. Readers experience as he alters his ways so that he may build a successful rocket and prove to himself, his dad and others that he has potential for greatness. One need that powerfully helps with Sonny Hickam's growth of character is the need for knowledge. Sonny realizes that he needs someone who really knows what they are doing in order to build a successful rocket. The only person who can do so is Quentin, an incredibly intelligent and dedicated social outcast. Although people say cruel things about his time spent with Quentin, Sonny learns to care less about what others think and more about what he thinks. Hickam does a great job making this experience clear to readers. Sonny gets what he needs and forms a friendship with who Roy Lee calls "that moron Quentin". Events such as this, make October Sky true-to-life and intriguing.
Homer Hickam created a phenomenal story filled with emotion and realistic personal change. He has the ability to blend literary elements such as theme, conflict and characterization to make an excellent story. Hickam also uses wonderful descriptive techniques such as simile and metaphor to make his autobiography really come to life. Characters such as Quentin, Miss Riley and Mr. and Mrs. Hickam are well developed and their role in the change of Sonny's identity is very powerful. Experiences that shaped the identity of Sonny Hickam are so well written that it leaves the reader feeling like they were with him through it all. October Sky is a worthwhile read for teens or adults. It is filled with beneficial lessons. The themes of this extraordinary story are thought provoking and valuable. It is a real life story that makes a reader think about what life is and what they need to do to improve it. It is a rewarding story filled with fear, joy, sadness, new perspectives and intense personal change. Hickam has created a book that all would enjoy.

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Summary: what forces shape identity of a character
Review: There are many reasons a person/character turns out to be who they are. In the book October Sky we see how both support and adversity contribute differently to success and the shaping of the main character's (Homer H. Hickam Jr.) identity. We see how both people (friends, family, community) and events (global, local) made him into the man he became. Events like launching sputnik into space, Ike Bykovski dying, and winning the science fair and people like Mr. and Mrs. Hickam, Miss Riley, and his school friends "The Rocket boys" where the key aspects that helped shape Homer Hickams' character
Homer's Parents were very important to him. His dad being an overworked, stoic, and very driven man taught Homer how to strive for the things he wanted and deal with certain situations with pressure. When he saw his dad at the mines in big situations, they acted as lessons to him, and how his dad was stubborn taught him to keep going for something you really want. His mom on the other hand being pretty much the exact opposite of his father taught him life lessons by the way she stuck up for him a lot around his family. Whenever he got into trouble his mom would always surprise him by the way she reacted. "The Rocket Boys" were with him through his whole teen years, their loyalty and friendship having an impact on him. They were his back up which helped him become strong. And at least one of them was always with him during a big situation. They were his best friends, and they were always there for him. Miss Riley was Homer's motivation through and through. She was his school teacher who taught him never to give up. She brought his ambition back when he had none left. She taught Homer to teach himself things when he really needed it. Miss Riley was always there for him. The life changing event was when Sputnik launched into space and Homer saw it in the sky. This is what got his whole love for space and rockets started. Without that, he might have just ended up in the coal mines. But when he saw Sputnik streak across the sky it seemed to Homer that anything was possible.
When Ike Bykovski died in the mine, it put a halt to Homer's rocket building dreams. This showed him how things happen that you think is your fault. Homer thought that he was responsible for Ike death because when Ike welded a rocket for him on company time, his dad put Ike in the mine. But after he got his confidence back it helped him with his ability to cope with hard times.

Another event was when Homer Hickam Jr. won the national science fair. It was a great time for him because he had accomplished more than he thought he could. This opened doors for Homer which helped him get to where he is today. All these people and events played a very important part in Homer's life. These are the forces that shaped his identity. The author's ways of pointing out the changes in Homers identity was through literary techniques. He used techniques like conflict and setting to show how arguments between people shaped Homer. The author used story telling of Homers past to reveal how small experiences had effects on him. When the author used descriptive techniques on the way Homer felt on a particular note it emphasized how that situation changed him. And there was almost always a theme to each of his "adventures" (like the time they needed pure alcohol for there rocket fuel and when they got it, they got drunk and he had to face his mother when he was drunk.) he got into, and the author did a fine job of showing that theme. These techniques were an effective way of revealing how those people and events shaped Homer.
Everyone who contributed to shaping Homer H. Hickam Jr. had a different way of doing it. Usually it was either a positive way or a negative way. Through both support and adversity Homer did succeed. The book October Sky is a very well written book of a story about a boy becoming a man. It was about him trying to find himself and following his own dream. This book didn't really have any dull moments and kept you wanting to read more. A very easy book to get into and in certain parts even relate too. So this book was a worthwhile read and enjoyable. Something I would recommend to others.

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Summary: From Boy With A Dream to Man Accomplishing His Goals
Review: In the book October Sky, Homer Hickam describes how he changed from a boy with a dream to a man achieving his goals. He accomplished this transformation with the help of the important people that contributed to shaping his identity.

As Homer was just entering high school, a vital occurrence happened that would alter his future. On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union successfully launched an unmanned space-craft named Sputnik. When Homer Hickam saw it pass over his West Virginia home he knew that he wanted to build rockets. He quickly gathered as much information as possible and assembled his team of rocket scientists, a group of 5 high school kids from Coalwood West Virginia.

In the years from 1957-1969 the "space race" was at its peak. In the book, after successful launches or new discoveries, Homer says that he felt as if he himself was part of the space race. The space race shaped Homer's identity since it made him want to pursue his goals even more.

One of the few, but probably the most important people who shaped Homer's identity was his mom Elsie. "Sonny" as she liked to call him was the younger of two children parented by Elsie and Homer Hickam. Jim, Sonny's older brother was always his father's favorite because he was a good athlete where Sonny was not. Through seeing this, his mother gave Sonny as mush encouragement as she could. Throughout the entire story, usually after Sonny blows something up or does something wrong, his father usually tells him that there will be no more rocket building for Sonny. When Elsie finds out about this she always goes and yells at Sonny's father enough to make him change his mind. After arguing with Homer, Elsie will turn to Sonny and tell him, "Sonny, I am counting on you, prove your father wrong and build a rocket" as if telling him "I'm not fighting for you for no reason, I wouldn't waste my time if I thought you couldn't do it."

Another person who greatly shapes Sonny's identity is his father Homer. He taught Sonny to be a hard worker and to always achieve his goals. When ever "The Rocket Boys" needed some materials they would mysteriously appear right where Homer said they would be. Although Homer didn't mean to he sometimes taught Sonny some important life lessons. Homer's loyalty to the mine seemed to pass down to homer in his loyalty to his friends and family and his dream.

Mrs. Riley, one of Sonny's high school teachers, was also an important influence to Sonny because she was like a second mother to him. Mrs. Riley was the person who gave Sonny the encouragement he needed to keep building his rockets when things went wrong and to go to the science fair. She seemed to show an eternal amount of faith in the rocket boys. More than once she showed them a new method that they could use for fuel when they were done experimenting with the old method. She also spent her own money on a rocket book that gave detailed methods on better designs for their rockets.

Additional people who contributed to the identity of Sonny Hickam were his fellow students and more importantly, his friends, the rocket boys. The rocket boys included, Sonny, Sherman, O'Dell, Roy Lee, Quentin, Jim and later Billy. Of these I think the person who had the most effect on Sonny was Quentin. He taught Sonny to work hard, don't give up, and he also taught Sonny trial and error and many other science "tools" that Sonny could use during experiments. He taught Sonny the importance of changing one thing at a time so that he could know the problem instead of doing many more tests. He also taught Sonny that he can learn more from his mistakes and that sometimes failure is needed in order to prevail.

Near the end of the book, Sonny finally decided to enter the science fair. Without the colossal encouragement from his teacher Mrs. Riley, Sonny never would have. Although Sonny entered the names of all the rocket boys on the entry form, only one boy was allowed to represent them. Sonny was chosen by the boys to represent because he made the most effort to make the project a success. Although you would expect the boys to be resentful, they gave Sonny loads of encouragement and assured him that they did not make the wrong decision. I think that the load of faith and support of the boys is enough to show that they shaped Sonny's identity for the positive.

The novel October Sky, by Homer Hickam, is a breathtaking story about a boy who overcomes many obstacles to achieve his dreams. Sonny's identity developed from a juvenile child to a mature young adult. The overall story is perplexing and jaw-dropping. The adventure continually enhanced as the novel progressed. The story shows that if you try hard and put your mind to it, there aren't many things you can't accomplish. The complexity is astounding; the ways that Homer Hickam gives such details made me feel as though Coalwood was alive in the story. The book changed from some pages with words on it to a window, a window into Coalwood. It is a great read for people of all ages. Once you start reading, you won't want to put the book down.