Have you ever had an unending drive to learn and succeed, yet certain influences
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
Homer to abandon his notions of rockets and work in the mines as most of the town-folk
Another aspect of Homer's negative influence is the success of Homer's brother
as a football player. For example, Homer's father does not concern himself with
persuading Homer's brother to work in the mines, since his future is already outlined by
receiving a scholarship to play football at a college. This favoring of Homer's brother
almost causes jealousy in Homer because he also wants go to college and pursue his own
dream like his brother. However, Homer's situation changes when his father is injured at
the mines. Consequently...