Genre
Memoir
Setting and Context
Set in Coalwood, West Virginia and written in the context of Hickam’s early life
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is tense and the mood is sanguine
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Homer Hickam (Sonny)
Major Conflict
There is a conflict between Homers' parents over their sons' professions when he grows older. The father wants Sonny to be a miner, but the mother is of a contrary opinion.
Climax
The climax comes when Sonny gets a place in his father’s heart after proving that he is talented and can successfully launch a rocket from scratch.
Foreshadowing
The boys’ success in launching a functional rocket was foreshadowed by the encouragement they received from their chemistry teacher.
Understatement
Sonny's father understated the ability of his son. However, Sonny proved him wrong when he succeeded in making a functional rocket that attracted the media's attention.
Allusions
The story alludes to the significance of supporting children to explore their talents and potential.
Imagery
The description of the large crowd that gathered in the field to witness Sonny and his friends launch a rocket to the skies depicts spectacle imagery. The reader can see the boys' efforts and successes when they launched the rocket.
Paradox
The main paradox is that Sonny proves to society that his shaky dreams are valid, and he demonstrates that by making a rocket.
Parallelism
There is parallelism between Elsie's thoughts about Sonny and the chemistry teacher's encouragement to the boys to continue pursuing their dream.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
