Outside Reading Week 2 Part A

Vocab:
pseudo (71)- false; trying to be; almost; approaching; not actually but having the appearance of

salacious (76)- lustful or lecherous; obscene

Appeals:
"I, on the other hand, was all alone. That's why I decided, like it or not, I had to talk to Quentin" (70). Homer is clearly desperate and in need of help. His mother wants him to build a rocket, and he basically has to otherwise the entire town will ridicule him. This is an emotional appeal because it shows Homer's thoughts and feelings and how he is willing to do anything to build his rocket. Talking to Quentin was his last futile attempt.

"In 1957 southern West Virginia, you wouldn't likely starve if you didn't have any money. There was always bread and commodity cheese you could get from the government. But that was about all there was" (75). This states the fact that in 1957, starvation wasn't usually a way of death which makes it a logical appeal. It reassures the fact that if a mine were to close down, people would still have enough to eat. But this could also be considered an emotional appeal because the reader is able to realize the terrible predicament these miners and their families are in and why it's so important to leave Coalwood if possible.

"There was a company-store system in most of the towns in southern West Virginia....The big store had just about everything anybody in Coalwood needed, but would it have rocket fuel?" (79). This paragraph (or multiple paragraphs) is a logical appeal. Homer clearly states some facts and a little bit of trivia about company stores and the company-store system in Coalwood. It's also a great example of writing style. Homer Hickam starts the paragraph with what could be considered a lead-in before he gets to his point. We learn a bit more about his life and Coalwood through this technique and although some people find it unnecessary, I enjoy learning more about my author/ narrator.

Quote:
"'Oh, hi, Sonny!' she said brightly and then slipped past me, to join her future date on a stroll up the aisle. I stood there, my heart sinking to my toes" (87). Homer Hickam is very bright for his age and seems to have given his future quite a bit of thought. While most of his friends wish or talk about how they are going to get out of Coalwood, it's pretty much evident they won't. Homer actually tries to do something to help his chances of leaving, even if he doesn't know why he should leave. He seems much more mature then most people during their teenage years and may seem too sophisticated to relate to, but this quote shows his normality as a teenage boy. He still cares about such things as girls and these teenage feelings and aspects are still important to him even though he has much bigger things to deal with, like rocket building. By showing his vulnerability and averageness, Homer allows the reader to relate to him.

Theme:
Failure isn't something to be ashamed of; it's something to learn from. Homer learns this from Quentin and his "book of knowledge."

Funny Quote

I know this is kind of random and really has nothing to do with the posts I'm supposed to be blogging about, but I really liked this quote and I wanted to share it.

This was the first time Homer and his friends tried to build a rocket and this quote displays the end result of their so called launch:
"There was an eyewitness, a miner waiting for a ride at the gas station across the street. For the edification of the fence gossipers, he would later describe what he had seen. There was, he reported, a huge flash in the Hickam's yard and a sound like God Himself had clapped His hands. There an arc of fire lifted up and up into the darkness, turning and cartwheeling and spewing bright sparks. The way the man told it, our rocket was a beautiful and glorious sight, and I guess he was right as far as it went. The only problem was, it wasn't our rocket that streaked into that dark, cold, clear, and starry night. It was my mother's rose-garden fence"(43-44).

Outside Reading Week 1 Part B

Even from the very beginning of the book, it’s clear that Homer isn’t like the other residents of Coalwood. He never quite fits in with the other boys for numerous reasons. First, he could never be a football player because he’s small, near-sighted and just not tough enough, which according to his brother, makes him a sissy. Second, he’s never able to please his father because there’s nothing in Coalwood that Homer can really do well. His life is meant to be outside of the mine, not in. And lastly, Sputnik interests Homer much more than anything else that he’s ever encountered in Coalwood, “I had never seen anything so marvelous in my life (39). It was as if being a rocket engineer was his calling and it took one event to set his entire life in motion.

But there was one obstacle that almost prevented Homer from being the person he is: his dad. While his mother supported him, his father never seemed to understand how important rocket building was to Homer. Like the other people of Coalwood, mining and high school football were Homer Hickam Senior’s life. He could support Jim because Jim was a huge football star, but he couldn’t support his second son’s hobby. I don’t understand why Homer’s dad is so blind and oblivious to him. Even I, as an outsider can see the potential Homer possesses while his father cannot. I don’t think it’s fair that just because his dad’s life is mining, he believes Homer’s life has to be about mining too. Being a Coalwood boy doesn’t seem to be enough for Homer Hickam, there is always something more.

Outside Reading Week 1 Part A

The memoir I'm currently reading is October Sky aka Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam Jr.

Vocab:
bituminous (1)- resembling or containing any of various substances as asphalt, maltha, or gilsonite, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons.

pulpit (5)- a platform or raised structure in a church, from which the sermon is delivered or the service is conducted.

Appeals:
"He called to my dad on the other side of the room, 'Homer, he's just like you!'"(15). These are very loaded words and are also an emotional appeal. Homer's grandfather has commented on how much Homer is like his father. In most cases, this would be a compliment, but to his mother, and even to Homer who has never wanted to be like his dad, this is an insult. This expression is used to display the differences within the Hickam household and it makes us wonder how their family relationship will be affected later on.

"No you're not. No you're not. All through my growing up years , she kept singing it, one way or another. It was only when I was in high school and began to build rockets that I finally understood why" (16). This is definitely an emotional appeal. Homer's mom is telling him that he isn't like his dad, and when he states that he doesn't find out why until high school, it makes us as the reader want to know why and read on.

"I guess it's fair to say there were two distinct phases to my life in West Virginia: everything that happened before October 5, 1957 and everything that happened afterward" (18). I would consider this a logical appeal though I suppose it is a bit emotional as well. October 5, 1957 was the day that the Russian satellite Sputnik was launched into space, a very true fact. This is the day that changed Homer Hickam's life forever.

Quote:
"Talk on the church steps afterward was mostly about the football team and its undefeated season. It was taking a while for Sputnik to sink in, at least in Coalwood" (20). Coalwood was a small town that was mainly focused on mining and could probably care less about what happened outside of their community, in the rest of the world. This quote displays the simple life that most Coalwood miners and their families lead. Unlike Homer, most people aren't interested in the field of science and it foreshadows the difficulties that lie ahead for him when it comes to building rockets.

Theme: At the current moment there isn't very much about theme. The story is still being set up, but if I had to say what I think the theme is, then it would be something like: there's nothing wrong with being different, but if you are, you should embrace the qualities that make you special.