The Rocket Man Analysis

In the short story, The Rocket Man, an adaptation of, The Illustrated Man, the author Ray Bradbury describes the life of an astronaut who is torn between living an ordinary life with his family and traveling through space on a rocketship. The story, written in 1951, is based around how the father’s space travel affects his son, Doug, and the father’s relationship with his wife. The Rocket Man, was written during the modern period of literature, a time when science fiction and new technology was up and coming. During the 1950’s, the United States was at the beginning of its space program, and space travel was quickly becoming a reality. The Rocket Man was influenced by its time period, and the story describes a futuristic place where

“Calculating trajectories is no simple task,” but to Katherine Johnson and other computers at NASA and JPL, it’s just another everyday job. The film Hidden Figures focuses on African American women who were computers at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia. Furthermore, the book Rise of the Rocket Girls is directed towards women who were computers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The connection between these two literary works are similar in terms of the characters but different regarding background.

In “The Martian Chronicles”, Bradbury combines rocket technology and space exploration together and imagine undeveloped problems played out in both the Earth and Martian fields. Although the novel treats a series of social and political problems, a visible story bend shows regarding the relationship between civilizations, living in peace with the environment, and carefully manage in technology. In “The Martian Chronicles”, Bradbury moves from the Martians’ peaceful nation with nature and technology through mankind's destructive and self-destructive disregarding from such peaceful to the final understanding that humans must take in the Martian’s ideas in order to survive and become as a civilization.

The autobiographical and regional novel Sky of Stone by Homer “Sonny” Hickam Jr. is an astonishing journey through the life of Sonny, during his summer of 1961, after his first year of college at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VIT), and his time spent in Coalwood, West Virginia, where his father, who is also named Homer, is accused of negligence in the death of mine foreman Tuck Dillion (Hickam, Sky of Stone 2001). The author, Sonny Hickam, grew up in Coalwood, West Virginia, and his written many novels on his experiences growing up in Coalwood, including the critically acclaimed autobiographical novel Rocket Boys, which is celebrated as one of the best books of 1998 by the New York Times, and has even been turned into film (Hickam, About

The Rocket Boys began to publicly announce when their rocket launching was to take place “because I [Sonny] had promised Mr. Dubonnet and the other miners at the tipple I’d let them know when there was going to be a launch” (Hickam 129). From then on, as the rockets advanced technically, the Rocket Boys’ recognition increased. And, as time progressed and more and more notices about the BCMA [Big Creek Missile Agency] were posted around town, more and more people began to make an appearance at their rocket launchings. One person in particular was Basil Oglethorpe, a news reporter for the McDowell County Banner. Now, just like the majority of Coalwood, he found the Rocket Boys interesting. So, interesting, in fact, to write a whole article about them which read, “If you have any hope of understanding what the grand and glorious future holds for all who dare seize it, you must come to see the rocket boys of Coalwood” (Hickam 139). Obviously, Basil was quite impressed with what he had experienced, but he wasn’t the only one who wanted to publicize the Rocket Boys. Sonny’s teacher, Miss. Riley, was also informed of the Rocket Boys’ growing success, and even suggested they enter the National Science Fair. And, after a great period of contemplation, they ultimately agreed, winning state in the

In the city of Waukegan, Illinois, a pair of expectant figures bore provocation for the latest addition to their miniscule family of two. Thus, on August 22, 1920, Esther Marie Moberg Bradbury, a Swedish expatriate, delivered an eventual novelist. To provide the necessitated essentials required to support his household, Leonard Spaulding Bradbury, the patriarch of their residence, utilized his capabilities by endeavoring as a lineman for power and telephone utilities. Through his zeal and persistence for his occupation, they were able to make ends meet for several annums and led a simple lifestyle in which Ray Bradbury, their son, developed a strong endearment for all miscellaneous illusory and imaginative. He thoroughly enjoyed the concept of enchantment, which was an attribute that his parents encouraged. Thus, the youth could often be caught perusing adventurous or fantastical compositions of distinct lengths and variety. From a very early point in the duration of his existence, he had adjudicated that he’d achieve immortality through his own generated compositions. He perceived that the heroes he’d comprised in his stories would long persist after his tangible existence had either disseminated or ceased to be in its entirety. In 1934, his new residency became Los Angeles, California where the enterprising, imaginative youth fulfilled his formal schooling and solidified his career as an author. To financially subsidize his individual costs and occupation, he bore the

Ray Bradbury’s works are most beneficial to students because of the moral themes he writes. Time Magazine states that his “thematic range was so deep and powerful, that he became unclassifiable” (Grossman). In his poem, “If Only We Had Taller Been”, Bradbury expressed his childhood hope for space travel “We’d reach our hands to touch and almost touch the sky… ‘Twould teach us, not to, never to, be dead” (“If Only We Had Taller Been”). Throughout the poem his tone expresses how he wished for space travel, but even though it wasn’t his accomplishment, he felt an overwhelming sense of

Determination is defined by a firmness and resoluteness in purpose. This definition of determination has a deep presence in the memoir Rocket Boys, the story of a group of boys led by Homer Hickam Jr. and their adventures in science and exploring the world of rocketry to become the rays of hope in a dying coal town in West Virginia. Determination in Rocket Boys is presented through strong motivation, persevering through failures and setbacks, as well as characters stepping out of their comfort zones to rise up to the challenges they face.

▪ Psychological or Psychoanalytical Criticism – a leading tradition in psychological criticism is the Freudian’s. According to its followers, the meaning of a work of literature depends on the psyche and even on the neuroses of the author. Ray Bradbury wrote this short story in a very old age. And the significance of this story is also view from the point of view of the old person’s being aware of all the new technologies of the world. People shouldn’t live in their shells; they should go ahead together with the progress. Ray Bradbury, being in his late years understood and took the progress in a right way and probably wanted to show that people shouldn’t stop in their development.

“ I knew Ray Bradbury for the last thirty years of his life, and i was so lucky. He was so funny and gentle and always enthusiastic. He cared, completely and utterly about things. He cared about toys and childhood, and films. He cared about books. He cared about stories.” Even though Bradbury had issues at home with his family he never let it stop him from writing and chasing his dreams. He kept pushing forward as well as Montag, facing problems with his wife finding out he was no longer in love with his wife he still tried to make it work and focus on his main focus. “Despite economic problems that took his family twice to Arizona in search of work, and despite the deaths of two siblings, Bradbury’s memory of his early years is positive.”

A third-person limited narrative point of view is employed in the novel to relay Jamie’s thought processes as to reveal his inner

In the film “Little Big Man” cinematic aspects of the scene Battle of Little Bighorn are used to portray the intensity and violence that was felt by those men in this tragic moment of history. To begin with as this scene builds the colors of both the men and their surroundings are very dull, there are no bright colors as to exemplify that all of these details are the back ground for what is unfolding. However immediately as battle begins every time that there is blood the red is extremely bright vibrant, the attention is drawn to any moment there is blood. This is an intentional attention grabber as the blood shows the view that this battle is bloody, violent, and graphic. Along with the colors the filming techniques emphasize on certain aspects

The author lets us experience the conflict and choose the sides of the family that best describe our own sense of belonging. We become accommodated with the protagonist early on, it is the one dreaming for a better life...fortunately, dreaming about success is the motivation that keeps this family sleeping at night and working during the day. Its a story of a dysfunctional family that works together for a common cause, and

Having spent one’s entire childhood through war and bombings can inspire many ideas, both positive and negative. From the fear of a nuclear bomb to the proud feeling of witnessing the first American man on the moon, Ray Bradbury took his experiences during World War II and the International Space Race and transformed them into literary pieces, such as “There Will Come Soft Rains”, “The Sound of Thunder”, and “The Pedestrian”. In these short stories, Bradbury includes elements of his own life into the plot, creating a message of caution to the readers through his riveting genre of dystopia. Some topics he stresses include time, technology, and its possible threats to human interaction. Through Bradbury’s unique style, he encapsulates the major issue of the rapid development in society and how it affects people in a social aspect. As new technology and science is innovated, there are many people who debate whether or not it can have harmful side effects to mankind. Among these three short stories, Bradbury uses the stylistic techniques of diction, imagery, and figurative language to convey that as society progresses through time, people lose their sense of humanity.

The Illustrated Man, a science fiction novel written by Ray Bradbury, reaches the first publication in 1951, post World War II society and a current Cold War environment. The time period and characteristics of World War II, the Cold War, and foreshadowing of the Civil Rights Movement serve as important influences for Bradbury’s subject and themes of the novel. Recurring ideas of censorship, technology, justice, and largely death, exist in events and fears of the day. Leading all themes to tie into an allegorical warning Bradbury directs to an audience of American youth, fearful of nuclear war with the Soviet Union, artist in Hollywood during the age of McCarthyism, or anyone fearful of a relevant issue, such as, the possibilities of