Rocket Boys

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Summary: What forces shape identity?
Review: In his autobiography, October Sky, Homer H. Hickam, Jr. uses a wide variety of literary elements to describe the forces that have shaped his identity. The surrounding environment, people he was around, and events of his life were three main forces that developed the fourteen-year-old Rocket Boy into a 38-year-old NASA engineer. Hickam's development of the setting, characters, conflicts, and resolution exposes worlds of detail about the extensive process in which his identity was carefully molded together.
Hickam was born and raised in Coalwood, West Virginia in the mid-1900s, used as the setting and the first identity-shaping force for the novel. Coalwood, home to over two thousand residents, was built for the sole purpose of extracting the millions of tons of rich bituminous coal that lay beneath it. Similar to the town's mineworkers, the white houses of Coalwood, owned by the coal company, constantly get tinted gray from blowing coal dust. While the town plunges further into the darkness of disappearance, the village parents strive to make sure that their children get out of Coalwood forever. And as the age of space exploration continues, Hickam quickly becomes intrigued by the news of both successes and failures of satellite launches. With the Russian Sputnik satellite already in space and the American scientists at Cape Canaveral struggling to have a successful satellite launch, Hickam dreamed of journeying to the moon. With the inspiration of Dr. Wernher von Braun and the help of the town citizens, Hickam and his team of Rocket Boys prepare to launch themselves out of the dying town of Coalwood through their success of rocketry.
Hickam used characterization to illustrate several significant people who greatly influenced his character including Elsie Hickam, Miss Riley, and the Rocket Boys. Elsie, his mother, a strong supporter of Sonny from the start, was determined to send him out of Coalwood and away from the dangers of mining. As the Rocket Boys continued their research, Elsie provided equipment such as pots, spoons, and even a water heater. Miss Riley, the 11th grade chemistry teacher at Big Creek High School, encouraged Hickam to continue his work with rocket science, providing him with knowledge of how different substances react with one another. She and Miss Bryson, the school librarian, ordered Principles of Guided Missile Design just for Sonny. The Rocket Boys, consisting of Billy, O'Dell, Quentin, Roy Lee, Sherman, and Sonny each had their own job as a member of the BCMA, or Big Creek Missile Agency. Billy, the runner, kept his eye out for the location of the rocket and went chasing in pursuit of it once the rocket landed. O'Dell and Roy Lee, the transporters, provided transportation to and from Cape Coalwood, the Rocket Boys' launch site. Quentin, the scientist, decided how to calculate the height of the rocket and eventually used a formula to do so. Sherman, the writer, scribbled down notes about the flight of each rocket. Sonny, the launcher and man in charge, ignited the rocket and took care of rocket production. With the encouragement and aid of the people near him, Hickam became a strong-minded individual capable of achieving anything.
Hickam's uniqueness wasn't displayed by the conflicts or events that he faced, but by the way he resolved them. Three major situations that changed Sonny forever were criticism and embarrassment, Mr. Bykovski's death, and learning algebra. At first when the BCMA started to launch rockets up on mountains near the mine, the rockets only flew up several feet. After consideration, they moved their launching to an abandoned slack dump far away from Coalwood. While embarrassed by how high their rockets could fly, the Rocket Boys kept on working harder and harder to accomplish their goal of a missile soaring miles high. Mr. Bykovski, a machinist-welder, built the actual rockets for the boys until he was fired and transferred to coal loading for doing so. The night that the mine ventilation fans were struck by lightning and a bump occurred near the face of the mine, Mr. Bykovski died in the mine. This was not uncommon, for men died in the mine quite frequently, forcing their families to leave their lives in Coalwood behind. Although Sonny felt terrible for the death of Mr. Bykovski, he knew that he had to keep moving on for Mr. Bykovski if not for everyone else cheering him on. Sonny continued with his love for rocket building and to make the missiles even better, he wanted to learn algebra. After persistently begging Mr. Turner, the school principal, for an algebra class and finally getting the chance to learn algebra, he was just as quickly shut out of the class when there was 1 extra student who signed up for the course and he turned out to be the one with the lowest grades. However, Sonny accepted it and he decided to learn algebra on his own by reading his father's algebra book. The steps Sonny has taken to resolve the conflicts in his life prove him to be a relentless, strong, and responsible person.
October Sky is a worthwhile read that spreads hope and inspiration to everyone. While it takes place in a town of decease and demise, it shows that anyone can do anything they set their mind to. Hickam wonderfully uses literary elements to express multiple events that happened in a historical town with a variety of citizens all trying to successfully get their children out of Coalwood. He combines all of these influences to display how his own identity has been patiently formed into the man he is today. At last, Hickam has found his true identity as a NASA engineer where he can continue to journey into the mysteries lying in outer space.

Rating:
Summary: What Forces Shape Idenity?
Review: It is portrayed through the book, October Sky that Homer's (the main character) identity was influenced by the people he grew up with, and events that took place. In this review it will be discussed of how people, events, and the time Homer lived in shaped his identity. Also, it will be described of what literary elements the author used to convey the forces that shaped Homer's development of identity.
The people that probably had the largest impact on Homer were his parents. They were in a constant quarrel of how Homer and his brother Jim lived their lives. Jim already had a future in front of him because of his great talent to play football. Homer's father was very proud of Jim and made that obvious by going to all of his games and was going to make sure that he played college ball. Homer, however was unsure of his future and felt unworthy, this was because of his father's lack of attention or praise. "Mom suggested to Dad... that it might be good to boast on me once in a while .. dad thought and then wondered aloud, quite honestly. 'What about?' Homer's mother however, saw something in Homer. She wanted him to be something, better than a miner, outside of Coalwood. Because of his parents he was inspired to dream and do something better.
Another very important person who came into his life was Dr. von Braun, a scientist in charge of building rockets and satellites in Cape Canaveral. Homer heard a lot about the scientist because of the space race between the U.S. and Russia. This man's work intrigued Homer very much, the thought of building rockets sounded so exciting. After watching Dr.von Braun on television, Homer finally knew what he wanted to do with his life, he wanted to build rockets.
Finding support and friends to help him build rockets was not very difficult. Homer's mother was a great supporter "I believe you can build a rocket. He (his father) doesn't. I want you to show him I'm right and he's wrong." Right away Homer's friends supported him and were very eager to build rockets. However, their first attempt to build a rocket was a failure, they had no idea of what their were doing. Although their first attempt was a failure, these friends would prove to be faithful to Homer, without them Homer would have never been able to build rockets, they greatly help shape who Homer would become.
Shortly after their incident Homer finally knew who might be able to help him. The class genius, Quentin, as suspected, Quentin knew everything about rockets and was willing to help Homer. Together they would build rockets that would hopefully give them the knowledge to one day work with Dr. von Braun.
There was also another friend of Homer's who showed great amounts of loyalty and helped him build his rockets, his name was Mr. Bykovski, a machinist at the mine. This was very brave of Mr. Bykovski to help Homer because he put his job at risk, he was not supposed to do any work outside the mine. Mr. Byovski was indeed caught due to a careless mistake made by Homer, one of his rockets hit the mine. Mr. Bykovski was not fired, however but sent to the mine. Homer felt so bad; but Mr. Bykovski said "You want to thank me?.. Make these fly. Show your dad what you and I did together." Mr. Bykovski had proven himself a loyal friend to Homer, and encouraged Homer to never give up.
Next to his mother, Miss Riley, Homer's chemistry teacher, was a great supporter, and confidence builder, she never let Homer get full of himself "When I got arrogant because of my rocket successes, or in trouble, or my failures, she kept me on an even keel with just a few words of appropriate admonishment or encouragement." Miss Riley was the person who encouraged Homer to learn as much as he could and to be all he could be. Miss Riley was also able to persuade Homer to enter his rockets into the science fair. She helped him prepare in any in any way she could, until she got sick. It was up to Homer to win the fair for Coalwood and Miss Riley. After many weeks of preparation, Homer won the science fair, not only did he win the school science fair but the nationals. If it weren't for Miss Riley, Homer would've never learned as much about rockets, and would have never won the fair.
The author shows the forces that shape the main character's development of identity through: the setting, symbolism, and through one of the biggest struggles/conflict that Homer went through. Homer was greatly influenced by society and his father to be a miner. At the time he lived in the coal mining industry was very popular especially in West Virginia, which caused Homer to think that like his father, he would be a miner.
The thought of never leaving Coalwood troubled Homer, this was a major conflict. A resolution is found when he is inspired by a scientist- Dr. von Braun to build rockets, Homer hopes to on day go and work for him. Although this will take time and patience Homer is finally seeing himself outside of Coalwood. His rockets symbolized his way out of Coalwood.
In conclusion, Homer's identity was greatly influenced by the people he grew up with, , and the important events that took place. His father, and mother, his teacher, friends, Mr. Bykovski, Dr. von Braun, the space race and the science fair, were the people and events that had the largest impact on Homer's life. I believe this book is a worthwhile piece of literature to read. It offers a good theme which anyone could take advice from -To never give up, and that is exactly what the this book is about, a story of a boy who followed his ambitions and never gave up.

Rating:
Summary: What Forces Shaped Homer's Idenity?
Review: It is portrayed through the book, October Sky that Homer's (the main character) identity was influenced by the people he grew up with, and the important events that took place. In this review it will be discussed of how people, events, and the time Homer lived in shaped his identity. Also, it will be described of what literary elements the author used to convey the forces that shaped Homer's development of identity.
The people that probably had the largest impact on Homer were his parents. They were in a constant quarrel of how Homer and his brother Jim lived their lives. Jim already had a future in front of him because of his great talent to play football. Homer's father was very proud of Jim and made that obvious by going to all of his games and was going to make sure that he played college ball. Homer, however was unsure of his future and felt unworthy, this was because of his father's lack of attention or praise. "Mom suggested to Dad... that it might be good to boast on me once in a while .. dad thought and then wondered aloud, quite honestly. 'What about?' Homer's mother however, saw something in Homer. She wanted him to be something, better than a miner, outside of Coalwood. Because of his mother he was inspired to dream and do something better.
Another very important person who came into his life was Dr. von Braun, a scientist in charge of building rockets and satellites in Cape Canaveral. Homer heard a lot about the scientist because of the space race between the U.S. and Russia. This man's work intrigued Homer very much, the thought of building rockets sounded so exciting. After watching Dr.von Braun on television, Homer finally knew what he wanted to do with his life, he wanted to build rockets.
Finding support and friends to help him build rockets was not very difficult. Homer's mother was a great supporter "I believe you can build a rocket. He (his father) doesn't. I want you to show him I'm right and he's wrong." Right away Homer's friends supported him and were very eager to build rockets. However, their first attempt to build a rocket was a failure, they had no idea of what their were doing. Although their first attempt was a failure, these friends would prove to be faithful to Homer, without them Homer would have never been able to build rockets.
Shortly after their incident Homer finally knew who might be able to help him. The class genius, Quentin, as suspected, Quentin knew everything about rockets and was willing to help Homer. Together they would build rockets that would hopefully give them the knowledge to one day work with Dr. von Braun.
There was also another friend of Homer's who showed great amounts of loyalty and helped him build his rockets, his name was Mr. Bykovski, a machinist at the mine. This was very brave of Mr. Bykovski to help Homer because he put his job at risk, he was not supposed to do any work outside the mine. Mr. Byovski was indeed caught due to a careless mistake made by Homer, one of his rockets hit the mine. Mr. Bykovski was not fired, however but sent to the mine. Homer felt so bad; but Mr. Bykovski said "You want to thank me?.. Make these fly. Show your dad what you and I did together." Mr. Bykovski had proven himself a loyal friend to Homer, he had helped him get a little closer to fulfilling his dreams.
Next to his mother, Miss Riley, Homer's chemistry teacher, was a great supporter, and confidence builder, she never let Homer get full of himself "When I got arrogant because of my rocket successes, or in trouble, or my failures, she kept me on an even keel with just a few words of appropriate admonishment or encouragement." Miss Riley was the person who encouraged Homer to learn as much as he could and to be all he could be. Miss Riley was also able to persuade Homer to enter his rockets into the science fair. She helped him prepare in any in any way she could, until she got sick. It was up to Homer to win the fair for Coalwood and Miss Riley. After many weeks of preparation, Homer won the science fair, not only did he win the school science fair but the nationals. If it weren't for Miss Riley, Homer would've never learned as much about rockets, and would have never won the fair.
The author shows the forces that shape the main character's development of identity through: the setting, symbolism, and through one of the biggest struggles/conflict that Homer went through. Homer was greatly influenced by society and his father to be a miner. At the time he lived in the coal mining industry was very popular especially in West Virginia, which caused Homer to think that like his father, he would be a miner.
The thought of never leaving Coalwood troubled Homer, this was a major conflict. A resolution is found when he is inspired by a scientist- Dr. von Braun to build rockets, Homer hopes to on day go and work for him. Although this will take time and patience Homer is finally seeing himself outside of Coalwood. His rockets symbolized his way out of Coalwood.
In conclusion, Homer's identity was greatly influenced by the people he grew up with, , and the important events that took place. His father, and mother, his teacher, friends, Mr. Bykovski, Dr. von Braun, the space race and the science fair, were the people and events that had the largest impact on Homer's life. I believe this book is a worthwhile piece of literature to read. It offers a good theme which anyone could take advice from -To never give up, and that is exactly what the this book is about, a story of a boy who followed his ambitions and never gave up.

Rating:
Summary: What forces shape identity?
Review: In Homer Hickam Jr.'s October Sky, it is proven that the forces that shape identity are the ambitions someone has, the hardships they endure in their life, and the support they are given by the people close to them. Ambitions such as Sonny's dream to work for Dr. von Braun can teach people to be strong and determined which are excellent characteristics of identity. Hardships sculpt a person's identity by teaching them how to deal with emotions such as anger, disappointment, sadness, and fear. Coping with feelings that hardships bring make a person wiser and emotionally stronger which are desirable traits to have. When someone is given support (emotionally, financially, physically, etc.) they are encouraged to trust and respect others they meet in their life. Sonny was given support by his parents and the entire town which strengthened his character. These traits add nobility and dignity to one's identity. Someone develops identity when they are young. The characteristics one develops when they are young determines their identity for the rest of their life.
Ambitions drive people, which gives their identity positive qualities. When Sonny's dream of working with rockets at Cape Canaveral inspired him to fly small amateur rockets, he developed resourcefulness. His ambitions helped him to deal with the problems he would have leaving Coalwood. Sonny needed a way to leave the town and not end up in the mine. Sonny's ambitions inspired him to launch rockets and convince his parents to send him to college. This resourcefulness Sonny's ambitions gave him added to Sonny's identity. He was now a person who could think through difficult situations and was a better person because of it.
Hardships shape identity in a way similar to ambitions. However, someone's identity needs perseverance. Sonny's hardships such as the death of Mr. Bykovski and Miss Riley's illness taught him to be brave. Sonny's experience with death left him empty. "I felt: nothing" Sonny says to the reader. Feeling nothing did more good for him than the empty feelings hurt him. He learned to persevere through situations he could do nothing to help. Miss Riley's cancer was an example. Though Sonny could make her feel better with his rockets and his awards, he knew it wouldn't do enough to save her life. This perseverance gave Sonny qualities that made him wiser and stronger. His identity grew more apparent with these qualities.
Support from the people around someone help shape their identity in great but unobvious ways. Support shows love. When someone is loved they are encouraged to do anything they have a dream of doing. For Sonny and the Rocket Boys this dream was to launch rockets. Sonny got his encouragement from his mother, Miss Riley, Mr. and Mrs. Bykovski, Reverend Richard and many others. However he sought support from the one person who wouldn't give him much. His father. Homer is quoted saying "Company property is for company business, not for launching rockets." Homer gave his son little support until he saw what Sonny, Roy Lee, Quentin and the other boys could do. Towards the end of Sonny's life in Coalwood, Homer finally gave him the love and support he sought for so long. This changed Sonny. He now felt he could do anything if his father finally gave him support. Homer and Elsie weren't the only ones Sonny got support from though. Jake Mosby was a large part of Sonny's new found identity. Jake was a person Sonny thought would do anything once or twice. "I'd give my right arm to be like you , to take pleasure from life." Sonny says. Jake gave Sonny the courage to go to Indianapolis and to deal with Miss Riley's sickness. It was Sonny's best friends, the Rocket Boys, that gave him the real encouragement to deal with the problems and challenges he faced though. Roy Lee in particular was a true friend to Sonny. He told Sonny to not let rocket building control him. He taught Sonny that dreams are important but family and friends come first. The support Sonny received was an invaluable part of Sonny's identity development. Without the knowledge and courage his friends and family gave him, Sonny's identity would be incomplete and some essential elements of identity would be left out of his life.
Sonny's identity was shaped by the death of friends, the tragedies of failure, the love of friends, and the will to make a dream come true. Homer H. Hickam Jr.'s book October Sky shows all of this by telling of Sonny's teen years. Hickam tells us these lessons in a powerful moving story. This was a worthwhile book to read, but did have parts that could make readers lose interest in the story. Despite the few flaws, October Sky by Homer H. Hickam Jr. is a captivating and interesting story. This book should be given a 9 out of 10 as a rating. Readers will enjoy the story of the Rocket Boys.

Rating:
Summary: What forces shape identity?
Review: The book October Sky by Homer Hickam Jr. illustrates the various forces that help shape an individuals identity. These forces are people, events, and environment. This book is an autobiography in which the author tells the story through setting, conflict, and symbolism. In this book, Sonny Hickam pursues his dream to become an engineer at NASA.

Sonny's family had a major role in shaping Sonny's identity. Sonny's mom (Elise) encouraged him to build a successful rocket and to get out of Coalwood and into a good college. Elise inspired Sonny after the first failure by saying "To get out of here, you've got to show your dad that you're smarter than he thinks. I believe you can build a rocket. He doesn't. I want to show him I'm right and he's wrong. Is that to much to ask?" Elise always inspired Sonny to follow his dream and become a rocket engineer. Sonny's father (Homer) was the exact opposite. Homer did want Sonny to become an engineer, but not a rocket engineer. Homer wanted Sonny to be a mining engineer. Homer only wanted Sonny to stay in Coalwood and to follow in his footsteps as a coal miner. Homer never believed Sonny could build a rocket. This conflict inspired Sonny to prove his father wrong and to build a rocket. After Sonny built his first rocket, Homer said, "Sonny built a rocket? He doesn't even know how to put the sprocket chain back on the bike when it slips off."

Mrs. Riley was another person who had a major role in shaping Sonny's identity. She gave Sonny his rocket book and she supported him through all of his failures. She also convinced him to enter in the science fair and then helped him prepare for it. Mrs. Riley also helped out and ordered Sonny his rocket book. Sonny thanked Mrs. Riley and she told him "All I've done is given you a book. You have to have the courage to learn what is inside." This book eventually helped Sonny and his friends design rockets and calculate how high they flew.

One of the main events that caused Sonny to want to build rockets was seeing Sputnik. Seeing Sputnik inspired Sonny to build rockets and it gave him the dream of becoming a NASA engineer. When he saw Sputnik soar across the sky, Sonny found a new cause in life and he decided that he wanted to be a part of the space race. As described in one of the early chapters of the book, Sonny thought that Sputnik was beautiful, majestically soaring among the heavens.

Another event that shaped Sonny's life was the creation of the BCMA (Big Creek Missile Agency). The BCMA was made up of Sonny's friends Roy Lee, Sherman, O'Dell, Quentin, and Billy. The BCMA was the official name of the rocket boys club. Through the BCMA Cape Coalwood was created and rockets AUKS I-XXXI were launched. The rockets that the BCMA created symbolized Sonnys desire to get out of Coalwood and to be free to do what he wants. The BCMA helped shape Sonny's identity by allowing him a way to pursue his dream. Without the BCMA and his close friends, Sonny may have never gotten a rocket off the ground.

Sonny's hometown wasn't known for its science courses, it was known for the exact opposite. All that Big Creek High School was known for was its football. Education wasn't as important as football or coal mining. This setting gave Sonny a disadvantage because he didn't have the right materials to learn about science and math for his rockets. When he first announced his plans, a lot of people thought that Sonny was crazy.

Sonny fought against many disadvantages, one being that he grew up in a town where coal mining came first and education came second. Also, thanks to his mom and Mrs. Riley, Sonny got the support he needed to put rockets in the air. In the end, Sonny followed his dream and became a NASA engineer. This is a great book with a story that you won't forget. Everyone should read this book because it's a classic that you don't want to miss!

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Summary: October Sky What forces shape identity?
Review: There are many different things that can help to form a person's identity. Some of the most significant forces in October Sky were the people around Homer Hickam Jr. (Sonny), where he lives and what was going on in the world around him.
Sonny was growing up in a coal-mining town called Coalwood. Coalwood was located in the mountains of West Virginia. Almost everyone who lived there had someone working in the mine. Sonny's father was the mine superintendent. His father expected him to grow up and work in the mine also. His mother however had other ideas she didn't want him to ever set foot in what she called the "deathtrap". The people in mining towns became numb to the deaths in the mine because they occurred frequently. The people going into the mine also knew the possibilities of being killed. Sonny grew up with this and didn't think to much of it. Coalwood was a company town. The houses, the store, the church, the doctor, the dentist, the hotel and the mine were all owned and run by the steel company. Sonny's father was a company man and would do anything for the company.
Events such as the Russians launching Sputnik into space also helped to shape Sonny's identity. After listening to reports of sputnik on the radio he became interested in space. Sonny and his friends Sherman, O'Dell, Roy Lee, Quentin and Billy formed the Big Creek Missile Agency. (BCMA) These boys helped to shape Sonny's identity because they were there to help him build his rockets. They were part of everything from blowing up his mother's garden fence to making rocket candy and then launching a rocket about 6 miles in the air.
Out of all the forces that helped to shape Homer Hickam Jr's identity the most significant were the people around him. His mother always believed in him and was determined to find a way for Sonny to get out of Coalwood and away from the mine. She invested some money and saved it up and created the "Elise Hickam Scholarship" so Sonny could go to college. She supported his interests in space by letting him use her pot and pans and cooking supplies to make rocket fuel. Her only guideline was that sonny not blow himself up. He had other positive support from the boys of the BCMA, and his science teacher Ms. Riley who got them into the local science fairs and helped them to go on to the National science Fair in Indianapolis. When high school football was suspended for a year the people turned to support the rocket boys. Rather then having all of their attention focused on football it was on the rocket boys and their successes at Cape Coalwood. With all the positive support he was also getting some negative support. His father didn't think he was capable of building a rocket. Sonny's father never seemed to pay attention to what he was doing. He didn't seem to be proud of him the way he was proud of his brother Jim's accomplishments on the football field. Even though he didn't necessarily believe in what Sonny was doing it didn't stop him from helping him. Supplies Sonny needed would mysteriously appear on the back porch after he had asked for them from his father and been turned down. There was another person who helped to shape who Sonny is without even knowing it. Dr. Wernher von Braun a scientist at Cape Canaveral in Florida was leading the US into the Space Race. The BCMA modeled Cape Coalwood after Cape Canaveral and Sonny followed everything Dr. von Braun and his crew did. Sonny's father did change his mind on Sonny becoming more then a miner he wanted Sonny to become mining engineer and follow in his footsteps rather then becoming a rocket engineer.
All these things helped to shape Homer Hickam Jr. into the person he is today and helped him to achieve his dream and become a NASA engineer.
I think that October Sky is worth reading. I think Homer Hickman Jr. did a great job in portraying what it was like to live in a mining town deep in the mountains of West Virginia and how he delt with growing up in a place like Coalwood. He showed how he over came the obstacles put in front of him like not being able to take algebra or dealing with the company telling him to stop launching rockets and the biggest obstacle his father on his way to achieve his dream of becoming a NASA engineer. This book demonstrates how working hard and not giving up when someone says you can't do something can result in achieving your goals.

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Summary: What Forces Shape Identity?
Review: There are many forces that shape identity. Homer Hickam described in his autobiography some of the forces that shaped his identity. The forces he described were his family, friends, and role model, his hometown setting and his triumphs and failures.
In this story Homer Hickam, along with his friends of the BCMA, Big Creek Missile Agency, strive to build highflying rockets in their small mining town of West Virginia during the Cold War.
One of the greatest forces that can affect a person's identity is the people around you and the people you want to be like.
One of the most important people to help inspire Sonny was his mother. Elsie Hickam was determined to get her youngest son to college so that he could leave Coalwood, and she would give him all of her savings to do it. She did not want Sonny to end up like his father and she let him know it. When Sonny was a baby and was sitting on his grandfather's makeshift lap, his Poppy told him he was just like his father. Sonny's mother picked him up and took him outside to whisper in his ear that he wasn't like his father. When Sonny first began to build his rockets and he blew up his mother's fence, she told him that he needed to make his rockets fly in order to prove to his father that he could do it. That commitment made Sonny understand how important it was for him to strive for his goals in order to make a better future for himself outside of Coalwood.
Sonny's father also played a large role in shaping Sonny's identity. Homer Sr. always favored Jim, Sonny's older brother, because Jim was the big football star in town. One time when Sonny, Elsie, and Homer Sr. were in the room Mrs. Hickam asked that maybe Homer Sr. should brag about Sonny sometime instead of Jim. Homer Sr. said, "about what?" This statement really showed Sonny that he needed to find something to make his father proud of him. Even though his father didn't approve of his rocket building, so he said, he always seemed to help out Sonny by leaving supplies around. Knowing that his dad was proud of him, even though he didn't say it, must have been a big inspiration to Sonny to keep working hard to do better.
A person's idol also plays a large part in forming their identity because they try hard to be like that person. Sonny's idol was a rocket scientist by the name of Dr. Van Braun who worked down at Cape Canaveral. From the moment Sonny saw the Russian satellite Sputnik on October 5, 1957 he knew he wanted to work down at the Cape with Dr. Van Braun building rockets.
A person's friends also play a large role in shaping their identity. Sonny had a good group of friends in Roy Lee, Sherman, O'Dell, and eventually the class nerd Quentin. This group of kids, along with a couple of others, formed the Big Creek Missile Agency in high school in order to build rockets. Each of their unique personalities helped Sonny become who he is today. Roy Lee was always the one with all the dates, and he helped Sonny with any relationship troubles. Sherman helped Sonny by showing him that if you set your mind to something you can do anything. Even though Sherman's leg was shriveled from Polio, he never complained about it and always did everything the other kids did. Quentin was a class geek that Sonny first approached because he needed help learning how to build rockets. Eventually Quentin became just another member of the group. A person's friends can greatly contribute to the forming of a person's identity.
A person's settings can change who they are in a big way. Growing up in a small town meant that Sonny knew just about everybody. Because Sonny knew just about everyone, he was able to get the support he needed in order to be successful with his rockets. Even though there were only a small group of supporters at first, the numbers eventually grew to almost everyone in town. Now if Sonny had lived in a city, it would have been hard for him to get the help he did. Sonny found out just how different it was in a big city when he went to the National Science Fair in Indianapolis. When he was there his props were stolen because he didn't grow up having to lock up everything. With the support of his town, he was able to get his supplies because everyone at home came together to help him. A person's identity can be shaped in many different ways just because of their settings and surroundings.
A person's triumphs and failures also help shape their identity. Sonny and the BCMA had many triumphs and failures. Sonny was always a pretty bad algebra student but when he found out that algebra helped with his rockets he set his mind to it and became very good. Sonny and the BCMA also had many failed attempts with different rocket fuels but they never looked at them as failures but as information to help make the fuels better. That way of thinking is a triumph all its own. Eventually through all of their hard work, Sonny and the BCMA won the National Science Fair. This goes to show that a persons triumphs and failures go a long way to shaping their identity.
This book is a worthwhile read because it offers a lot of symbolism about real-life even though it is a true story. It is amazing how a young man who grew up in a small mining town where the only people to leave are football players and army men became a scientist down at NASA. I enjoyed reading October Sky and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read about hard working people who strive to achieve their goals.

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Summary: October Sky: What Forces Shape Identity
Review: Identity is something we all have. It is inevitable. There is not one person in this world that doesn't have an identity, and it is most commonly pointed out or analyzed through literature. Characters in all sorts of books all have there own identity, formed by their environment, their friends, their family, and sometimes, their instructors or teachers.
In the memoir of Homer H. Hickam, Jr., the largest influence on Sonny's (Homer's) identity was his family and his environment. This is mainly because in anybody's life, they're identity is formed by where they grow up and who lives with them. For example, if you grew up with rich, well-mannered people you wouldn't know the phone number for the nearest pizza place by heart, and if you grew up with middle-class, average people you wouldn't know what the difference is between a $10 bottle of wine and a $100 bottle. Therefore, Sonny's family and environment were the largest forces in shaping his identity. They carry the most responsibility in molding Sonny into who he became.
His family, consisting of his mother, father and brother Jim, had a large role in forming Sonny's identity. His father, Homer, was the main cause of conflict in Sonny's life. Homer never really accepted the fact that Sonny desired to become a rocketry scientist and expert, and would continually point him in the direction of the mine. Since ending up in the mine was not in Sonny's life plan, he would continually decline. This continual conflict gave Sonny another basis of reasoning to try and get out of Coalwood, and also helped formed his identity. His father was not just an obstacle, though. He was also the source of almost all Sonny's material needs throughout the book. For example, he provided cement for the launch pad and bar stock for the rocket "casements". The only catch was that he never made it known that he provided those things, not even to Sonny. Considering how Homer not only challenged but also encouraged Sonny's ambitions simultaneously, I think he shaped Sonny's identity the most.
Sonny's mother, Elsie, was also a large force in shaping Sonny's identity. She would let many mistakes and mishaps pass by that would make most mothers's ground their kids for months! For example, when Sonny and his friends brought home moonshine whiskey with intents of developing a new rocket propellant but instead ending up drunk, she merely dismissed him and told him to put the remaining whiskey with the rest of his rocket supplies. Sonny learned through his mother's "punishments" that a little extra effort or work could seriously reduce the repercussions of some mistakes or actions. Sonny's mother was also the greatest encourager of Sonny's dream to work at Cape Canaveral, actually went to the lengths to get Wernher von Braun to send Sonny an autographed photo of himself for Christmas. She may not have had as much power or influence when it came to material items, but when it came to emotional support and encouragement, she takes home the gold.
Now, Jim, Sonny's big brother was actually a force that shaped Sonny's identity as well, even though he probably didn't realize it. Just the fact that Jim was popular and had many girlfriends, including Sonny's own crush, Dorothy, gave Sonny an extra drive to do better than Jim in something. Jim would constantly discourage Sonny, and I think that would make Sonny want to succeed even more than ever just to prove his big, perfect brother wrong. Even though Jim didn't really play a large part in Sonny's life, he was still a force that shaped Sonny's identity.
Sonny's environment was his town, Coalwood, West Virginia. It was a mine town, a town where everything survived because of the mine. To live there, you had to have a family member work in the mine. During the time Sonny lived there, getting out of the town was very difficult and often required a scholarship of some sort, mainly football. I think this fact alone another obstacle for him to overcome and therefore further shaped his identity by making him determined. He would have to make them work and know how he got them to work so that he would be able to tell other people about it. Plus, he would have to do it without extensive amounts of help. Very few people were daring enough to help the rocket boys during the beginning of their journey, and they had virtually no reference materials to tell them the best propellant or how to align the fins or how long to make the casements. They would have to conduct their own experiments until they got it right, changing one thing at a time to make sure they knew what was wrong the first time, teaching them patience. Sonny's environment was most definitely a large force in shaping his identity, and would help him to one day accomplish his life goals.
In conclusion, there were many different forces that came from several places to shape Sonny's identity. Homer proved himself to be a constant conflict in Sonny's life that Sonny could never seem to solve. His mother would help by encouraging him to be different and to strive to achieve his dreams and gave him confidence. Jim was mainly a challenge for Sonny to try and do better than him, and provided Sonny with confidence and strength. Coalwood was a great staging area for Sonny's ambitions. It provided the obstacles and problems and difficulties that shaped Sonny into who he is today, and if leaving the town hadn't been considered such an impossible task, Sonny might not have decided to pursue his dreams of working at Cape Canaveral. Overall, this was a good memoir. It shows you that you can achieve your dreams with hard work and determination, and a little help from the people around you. I would recommend this book for people who would just like to read a good, long book.

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Summary: What Forces Shape Identity?
Review: Sonny Hickam was affected in many ways by the actions and thoughts of the people around him as well as events that occurred in that period of history. He did what he did and is what he is because of these events and actions that he took part in. He also discovered many of his beliefs because of the situation in Coalwood and the whole nation.
Many events that happen shape Sonny because he was directly involved with them or connected to them in some way. Mr. Bykovski's death is an excellent example because Sonny feels he is personally responsible because Mr. Bykovski was sent into the mine as a result of Sonny's actions. Sonny learns a valuable lesson that although you may have caused something to happen that doesn't mean you are responsible for the consequences of that. Mr. Bykovski dies but he wanted to stay in the mine because of the increased pay so even though he was sent in he wanted to stay so Sonny has no reason to feel guilty. Although everyone in the town feels bad for Mr. Bykovski and the other miners only Sonny really learns a lesson from this because of his direct involvement in the matter.
Sonny was changed because of the actions people around him took. Many of these actions were because of the conflicts in the story. It's debatable as to whether or not he would've stuck with rockets if he mother hadn't given the talk to him urging him to show his father and everyone else he could do it and to get out of Coalwood. Sonny learned true disappointment and depression when Dorothy went to the dance with Jim. Sonny could not have made the rockets without the assistance of town residence such as Homer Hickam Sr. and Mr. Bykovski who helped him out despite even though they might get in trouble or they didn't even believe in it as in Homer's case. Sonny continued on rockets because of people around him doing the things they did
The events that were happening in that point in time shaped Coalwood and therefore shaped Sonny. The setting of the novel is an important part of the development of Sonny. Coal was being used less and less so Coalwood was needed less and less. Everyone knew that Coalwood was slowly dying but most were in denial. The people that accepted it knew that their children must get out of Coalwood in order to have a successful life which is why Elsie told Sonny to keep going with the rocket work. Also during this time there were many problems involving the union and the coal company which Homer Hickam Sr. worked for and was on the side of. These problems took a major part in Sonny's life because of the strike and him needing materials for the science fair. Sonny had many of the problems and assistance he received because of the events around him
I think that October Sky is a worthwhile read because of the excellent theme of perseverance. It shows that you can overcome anything but unlike many books with this theme it is a true story so it has much more of an effect upon the reader. I thought that it was also true to life because Sonny Hickam did not become who he is because of only himself. Many people around him helped, or in some cases, hurt his cause. He was also effected by many things as a result of being part of them or being extremely close to them like with his father and the union's problems. The setting of the story also plays an influential part in giving Sonny a true identity. All of these things shaped Sonny Hickam in October Sky.

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Summary: What Forces Shape Identity?
Review: In novels and in real life, many forces shape the identity of people. The true story, October Sky, by Homer Hickam Jr. describes a young boy's pursuit of his dreams. He dreams about building rockets and working for NASA. He starts out building small rockets with his friends and ends up launching a rocket five and one half miles high. He achieves his dreams by going to work for NASA in his old age. Throughout his life he discovers his true identity, who he is and what he is meant to be. In Homer's case his identity was shaped by the people he was around as a kid. Ironically Homer's identity was shaped mostly by the person who most readers would think to be the least like Homer, his father. If you look closely at their traits, Homer and his dad are very similar. Since he grew up with his father, he took on some of his traits. In addition to his father, Homer was shaped by his friend and a teacher.
The first trait of Homer's identity is that he is committed and devoted. He stuck with his rockets in hardship and in glory. He researched the best propellants and learned the math needed to fly rockets. When he did not make it into a calculus class because of his grades, he taught himself. Homer's father was also very devoted and committed. When there was a pillar explosion inside the mine and a shaft collapsed, he ran in to help the trapped miners. Mrs. Hickam said, "Let the rescue squad do it." Mr. Hickam replied, "I have to go." After he saved many people, one mine superintendent said, "His courage should be an inspiration to us all." Mr. Hickam stuck with every project he started in the mine. He worked often and Homer saw very little of him. One day an x-ray showed a dime-sized spot signifying the start of black lung disease. Mrs. Hickam asked, "What are you going to do?" He replied, "I'm not going to do anything." He was so devoted to his job he went back to the mine. Another person who shaped Homer's devotion was Mrs. Bykovski. Her husband had died in the mine, and Homer was very sad. He stopped building rockets and gave up. He went to see Mrs. Bykovski to apologize, and she encouraged him. As he left she said, "Keep firing off those rockets!" From that point on, Homer never gave up in despair again. These events that helped shape Homer's devotion are stories being retold in his autobiography. Some of these stories include conflicts. The author uses the literary elements of storytelling and conflict/resolution to convey these forces that shaped Homer's identity.
Another trait of Homer's is that he is very hardheaded. For example, at one point Homer wants to use a new zinc dust and sulfur propellant. Billy says, "But rocket candy's doing great." Then O'Dell says, "I don't think we ought to change." Homer finishes with "Zinc dust and sulfur, that's next. If you don't like it, quit." He probably got his hardheadedness from his father. An example of this is when Mrs. Hickam wanted to move. There was a coal mine strike in Coalwood. No matter how hard Mrs. Hickam pushed for him to give up his job, and move to a new life, Mr. Hickam stayed right where he was. Mr. Hickam was hardheaded when there was the pillar explosion in the mine. Mrs. Hickam told him not to go down into the mine, but he was very hardheaded and went down anyway. She was talking to Homer and said, "I told him not to go down." Hardheadedness is demonstrated by unwillingness to compromise during a conflict. The author conveys the forces that shape Homer's hardheadedness by using the literary element of conflict/resolution.
The last element of Homer's identity that was shaped by other people is caring and kindness. For example, when he was little, he found a stray cat, cared for the cat and begged his mom to keep it. He took care of the cat and named her Daisy Mae. When his teacher, Miss Riley, was in the hospital, Homer went to cheer her up and tell her that they had won the National Science Fair. He even gave her his gold medal. One person who influenced Homer's caring for others was his father. One night, he said to Homer, "Good night little man." One day Homer and the rocket team needed concrete to build a launch pad. After some hesitation Mr. Hickam said, "I had a junior engineer make the estimate on a walkway up at fan number three, and I heard there was some cement left over...you can have it if you want." When Mr. Hickam brought Homer into the mine to teach him about engineering, he said to him, "You're my boy." This signifies that he cared for Homer and was kind to him. The last person who helped shape the caring and kindness in Homer was Miss Riley. She was kind and encouraging to Homer and the rocket club. She gave Homer a rocket book about the principles of guided missiles. She also helped the boys through the science fairs all the way up to the National Science Fair. Since all of these encounters with Mr. Hickam and Miss Riley were stories, the author uses storytelling to convey the forces that shaped the kindness and caring in Homer.
People's identities are shaped by the people around them. In Homer's case, his devotion, hardheadedness, caring, and kindness are shaped by people like Mrs. Bykovski, Miss Riley, and contrary to many readers' belief, his father. The author conveys these identity shaping forces by using the literary elements of storytelling and conflict/resolution. Everyone should consider reading October Sky, especially if they like heartwarming stories of kids achieving their dreams, or if they like space and rockets. This is an autobiography that should be read by all.