West Virginia country
This novel takes place in a real setting, the woods and country of West Virginia, where the boys would go to launch their rockets. Train-tracks, natural landmarks, rivers, and trails define much of their experience, as they often trek very far from town, to avoid potential trouble from the town folk who often oppose the rocketing, claiming that rockets are weaponry. This imagery lends a naturalistic, aspect to this story that provides a nice contrast for the man-made prospect of rocketing.
The imagery of sky and rocket
There is something tantric about Homer's desire to launch rockets into the sky. The blue backdrop of empty sky is a symbol in the book for fate's fertility, and the rockets are a kind of participation in that emptiness. Together, the various depictions of rockets, trails of smoke, the open sky, and the sun watching over it all—they form a kind of transcendental mood.
The imagery of classrooms and libraries
To say this novel involves study would be the understatement of the year. Yes, the novel involves classrooms, a critical teacher, homework assignments—all normal high school imagery. But beyond the standard imagery, there is extra research that takes Sonny into places other students never see. He sees libraries, he requests books, and he spends a lot of time trying to understand books that are highly technical.
Imagery of math and order
That's why Quentin is such a helpful friend. Quentin's perception of reality is all numbers and lines and graphs. He provides an avenue for Sonny to explore complicated math equations that were not within his grasp before Quentin's insight. Eventually, we see Sonny's point of view become more technical and scientific, imagery which explains the development of his passion for science.
