Preview

October Sky Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1000 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
October Sky Analysis
“How about I believe in the unlucky ones?” this could arguably be the most important line in the entire film, October Sky. This teacher, Miss Riley, recognizes the potential in every student, not only the ones with visible ability. This should be the goal of every teacher. Miss Riley not only provides the boys with hope, but also with endless supports as they proceed in their rocket building. Teachers have the greatest gift in the world—the ability to help shape a student’s life. They can use that to present a world of opportunities to those who may not have had any. This was true in October Sky; when the “Rocket Boys”, a group of high school students from a small failing mining community, were given an amazing opportunity to be more than they …show more content…
She asks a student what he thinks of the subject, Homer Hickam had no answer. It was not until he witnesses Sputnik with his own eyes that had began to have an interest in rockets and space. Thus this began the journey that would get him and his friends into college. The “Rocket Boys” set off to build a working rocket, one that would go up high in the air. As life would have it the “Rocket Boys” did not go without hardship. In their journey the first rocket, AUK I, blows up a section of the Hickam home fence. They get right back to work on AUK I with the help of a company worker they have a functioning rocket. The boys go to launch it from a hill top near the mine and unknowingly the rocket heads straight toward the mines. Landing in front of Hickam’s father’s office Homer and the boys are faced with their first setback. Hickam’s father lets him know, “Don’t you ever let me catch you with these fool things on company property again,” which meant they would have to get about eight miles out of Coalwood, West Virginia. This gets O’Dell and Roy Lee to doubt in themselves because they cannot see a future where they win a science fair. “A million to one, O’Dell,” are the chances that a bunch of kids from Coalwood actually winning the National Science Fair (October

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The setting is in Oakton City at the Oakton City Community Center. The mayor was announcing the winners of the Founders' Day poster contest. Those winners would become Junior Event Planners for the Founders' Day charity fund-raisers. The setting changes when Sunny, Aneta, Vee and Esther were walking to the lake nad saw a woman throwing a moving, yiping white trash bag into the lake. Aneta ran and jumped in to save the puppy that wa sin the bag. She saved him and got him out of the bag and he winked at her, that is how he got his name.…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It was a chilly afternoon in Windrixville, Oklahoma when the abandoned church located atop of Jay Mountain mysteriously combusted into fire. Concurrently, the town’s local school were having a school trip close by Jay Mountain earlier that day, and five children were then reported missing. Amidst the whole incident, a trio of teenagers took notice of the missing children. Two of the teenagers, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, deliberately rushed into the burning building and fetched the kids. The remaining teen, named Dallas Winston, helped the children escape out of the window.…

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Principles Of October Sky

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The movie October Sky takes place in Coalwood West Virginia. It is about a teenage boy named Homer Hickam who doesn’t want to become a miner like his father. Homer wants to get out of the town but the only way is by scholarship. Homer is too tiny for a football scholarship and therefore in this movie is trying to attain his goal of winning the national science fair which comes with many scholarship opportunities. October Sky is a prime example of the High Five Principle being used in people’s lives.…

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    My experience with this optional observation lab was a great experience overall, just as I had expected it to be. I was much more interested in participating in the observations versus sitting in a classroom every week and attending the labs like in 1010.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Often in novels, the author is able to personify and use the setting as an imperative aspect of a story such that it could almost take the form of a character. For Homer Hickam Jr. (Sonny), Coalwood was not only his hometown, but it became his motivation to continue building and launching his rockets. Every house in Coalwood was occupied with families of coal miners, and for someone to participate in another activity besides football was rare and often discouraged. “Only coal mining was more important in Coalwood than high school football. Sputnik, and anything else, was going to always come in a distant third” (Hickam Jr. 27). It was known that if a male student didn’t receive a football scholarship, than they were either going to join the…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The people of Coalwood all worked together as a team to get Homer the medals and trophies at the National Science fair. When Homer was at the science fair someone stole his parts overnight. Homer then called the people of Coalwood and asked for a new…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ungifted Setting

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This was The Academy’s chance to beat their rivals, Cold Spring Harbor. But, they could only do this with the help of Donovan Curtis, the one person who could drive Tin Man better than everyone else. But since Donovan had destroyed the Hardcastle gym, Dr. Schultz, the superintendent, had to suspend him from participating in the robotics meet and sent Donovan back to Hardcastle, his old school. So, The Academy had to go to the meet without Donovan and Abigail had to drive Tin Man. Donovan wouldn’t let The Academy down. Donovan was in the audience with his sister Katie, cheering on his former classmates. But Donovan did not stay in the audience for long.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shnyzer Monologue

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I walked out of Miss Shnyzer’s office. It had been about an hour ago that Toby Kavner, my name, was called over the loudspeaker. I walked over to my mates, Max Lavell, Jimmy Cass and Dylan Dolan, who were tossing their apples over the wrought iron fence. They are too busy cracking jokes about some homework. I plump down beside Max and start crunching down on my ovalteenies.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rocket Boys Book Essay

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Author of this book was the main character himself. What I think he was trying to do at all was tell his amazing story of how he got to be one of the biggest influences in NASA and other space influenced industries. What he might be saying is just follow your dream, despite weaknesses you may have. Academically Homer Hickam excelled in the language arts (thus the book, Rocket boys), but he struggled in the sciences and mathematical areas. Because of his love for rocketry he went on to achieve his…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It was settled, the Johnsons were relocating to Bellingham, Washington; since Papa cannot sustain the work in the country. John liked the idea of moving to the city, but Hilda and Lois were not so thrilled. Their house in Bellingham was modern, and John was delighted. From the window, you could see the magnificent Mount Baker. Papa and Hilda started talking about how Mount Baker was like God, making John feel awkward. The girls were a bit worried going to school even with John’s encouragement. After class, John’s classmate, Marvin, led him to the railroad tracks where he got him to smoke a cigarette brought by a fifth-grader named Pete. As they parted, John ran home in dismay, anxious that his parents might find out. When he got home, John saw Mama chopping down some onions, so he ate a piece to take the smell of the cigarette out. John felt guilty for smoking, but thought that at least he did something to please his father by chopping down some wood.…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    meteorology Wk 7

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. Assume that you have 100 years of continuous temperature records from your local weather service office. Discuss some of the difficulties you might have trying to determine whether average temperatures have increased during this period.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Nuyaka, Oklahoma

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages

    It’s Saturday night, and trucks are lined up outside the Nuyaka School. There is not a fundraiser going on, or a carnival. It is simply the kids in the community that have come to play basketball and dance to a portable cassette tape player. Hank Williams Jr. blares in the background as the boys go toe to toe to impress the girls that have gathered on the bleachers to compare their dresses for the Nuyaka Eighth Grade Black Tie Affair. Eventually, the boys tire out and the basketball is put away until another weekend. The lights dim, and the dancing begins!…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    They all wanted what was best for their boys. It is great for a parent to push you into succeeding because at the end of the day you accomplish and achieve goals for the future. Then again, be lenient because then all the pressure you put on your child can backfire and lead to rebelliousness and mistrust. The lesson is that the American Dream isn’t only one thing, there can be many. American Dream can mean anything and may have different opinions from every single person. Odessa’s dream is parallel to any American citizens which have to go through struggles to accomplish their American dream. Odessa had one opportunity which was to keep its town together by football and it was the only success they could achieve . A town that grew together because of one championship game. Odessa went through some rough times but in the end picked itself up. That shows what one little thing can do to get a whole town…

    • 2741 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sonny's Hard Work

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages

    At the end of the story, all of the rocket boys graduate, all of the BCMA boys in the top ten besides O’Dell and Roy Lee. They all take different paths after their graduation. O’Dell, Billy, and Roy Lee join the Air Force, with plans of using the GI Bill to go to college for free. Sherman attends West Virginia Tech. Homer uses his mother’s stock money to attend college. He hadn’t made up his mind on where yet, but was thinking about Virginia Polytechnic Institute for engineering. Quentin, although he doesn’t know how he will pay for it, enrolls at Marshall…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    he word death is the action or fact of dying or being killed. The end of life a person or organism.Death is an emotional rollercoaster that causes great pain to your loved ones and friends. Death is portrayed all through the book ‘Sunrise over Fallujah’ by Dean Walters. In sunrise over Fallujah there's a civil affairs unit in iraq seeing death everyday in large amounts. Seeing the death of innocent people and doing the killing themselves is causing the unit mental state to be compromised with. The unit have seen multiple kids being killed. Seeing the kids being killed played a larger effect on things more than seeing adults being killed. Although they’re from different parts of the world they still have the same emotions as they do.…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays