continually prevent such achievement? This is the case for Homer Hickam and his fellow

"rocket boys" within the film October Sky. However, they did finally succeed by

persevering to build their rocket and win the National Science Fair. Many

encouragements and discouragements provide education for the boys. They each learn

something with each new experience while researching, studying, and building their

rockets. The different encouragements, or lack there of, affect how the rocket boys

achieve their goal of rocket building.

One of the greatest impacts on a person's drive to achieve is their family and the

various practices of each member. For instance, Homer's father strongly disapproves of

Homer's rocket building. Since Homer's father is the manager of the town coal mine,

he believes that carrying on his work has more importance in the world than rocket

building. As a result, Homer and his father's beliefs always collide as to what

Homer should do with his life. In a figurative tug-of-war, Homer desires to pursue his

rockets and to win a scholarship to a college, but his father continually argues with

was the reaction from the people of Coalwood and how they looked upon the rocket

doing so, they learned more than they ever imagined. Also, with different

have learned much about mathematics and physics through building rockets, and he

the entire movie. This teacher, Miss Riley, recognizes the potential in every student, not

whether or not they receive the disapproval of the rest of the staff. As their teacher, she is

supports them as they continue to strive to win the National Science Fair. Throughout

Homer's father finally "warms up" to Homer, since he has "honorably" joined his father's

father goes to see Homer's last rocket launch at home as a tribute to the rocket boys'

trigonometry, courses which Homer has not taken. The principal realizes that the boys

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1464
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)